Saab boss: Parent Spyker’s name won’t be attached to brand

May 24, 2010October 29, 2011 Omar Rana Saab 9-5, Sedans

A man named Mike Colleran joined General Motors in 1989, the year GM bought Saab. Colleran has been part of Saab in the United States since 2005 and is now in charge of paving the way for the brand in North America under new Dutch owner – Spyker Cars. Spyker’s purchase of Saab in February saved the Swedish automaker from shutting down.

When asked by Automotive News whether or not Saab has suffered in the past 18 months, Saab COO Colleran said: “It is difficult to understand the complete depth of that damage. Certainly the brand did suffer. I think consumers went through kind of a roller coaster ride. It tends to shake your faith just a little bit.”

Moving forward, Saab will operate totally separate from Spyker, Colleran said.

“We have the Spyker logo in the building because they are the parent company,” he said. “We are not operating any Spyker business out of here whatsoever, and there is no intent to do that.”

As for the new Saab 9-5 sedan, Colleran says that the Audi A6 is the vehicle’s main competitor, in terms of handling and ride. “BMW 5 series, I think. Volvo S80 I think is right in there.”