Sweden Says No to Saving Saab, a National Icon

[RamboLiberal]

Source: NY Times

TROLLHATTAN, Sweden — Saab Automobile may be just another crisis-ridden car company in an industry full of them. But just as the fortunes of Flint, Mich., are permanently entangled with General Motors, so it is impossible to find anyone in this city in southwest Sweden who is not somehow connected to Saab.

Which makes it all the more wrenching that the Swedish government has responded to Saab’s desperate financial situation by saying, essentially, tough luck. Or, as the enterprise minister, Maud Olofsson, put it recently, “The Swedish state is not prepared to own car factories.”

Such a view might seem jarring, coming as it does from a country with a reputation for a paternalistic view of workers and companies. The “Swedish model” for dealing with a banking crisis — nationalizing the banks, recapitalizing them and selling them — has been much debated lately in the United States, with free-market defenders warning of a slippery slope of Nordic socialism.

But Sweden has a right-leaning government, elected in 2006 after a long period of Social Democratic rule, that prefers market forces to state intervention and ownership. That fact has made the workers of Trollhattan wish the old socialist model were more in evidence.

“I don’t think the government knows the situation in this town, how many people depend on Saab,” said Therese Doeij, 25, a clerk at a photo shop who has several friends who work at the company. “To them it’s just a factory. They don’t see the people behind it.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/23/world/europe/23saab.html?hp

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Demonstrators in Trollhattan, Sweden, protested on Feb. 26 against the threat of job cuts at the Saab factory there. The loss of 750 jobs was announced two weeks later.

[IndianaGreen]

1. If you vote for capitalists, they will invariably frak you in the ass!

Vote Socialist!

[OmahaBlueDog]

2. I'm going to guess that Saab and Volvo will eventually get rolled up into 1 company

My other guess is they'll find a European buyer, like Renault or Fiat.

[Wayne in WA State]

3. The fate of Saab

I thought Saab was owned by General Motors and Volvo was owned by Ford. At least they were until fairly recently.

[and-justice-for-all]

12. GM does own Saab...and Opel..nt

[aquart]

5. Or Chinese.

[Oerdin]

8. Not.

The Chinese won't buy Saab certainly not in its current money losing form. About the best the Chinese would do is what they did for MG/Rover; which was let them go bankrupt, let them close down and fire everyone, and then pick the bones for a few decent assets to ship back to China. The brand name might be revived as MG has been revived (2-3 times) but I doubt it. Saab doesn't mean anything worthwhile to anyone who has the money to buy the brand.

[imdjh]

9. eh, my cousin swears by them

He's some sort of tech geek for a college. I think in his mind it's a step up from the standard issue Subaru and a statement of engineering appreciation.

By the way, the one year service on a Saab was something outrageous like $750 20 years ago. The one year service on a Lexus is $59.

[Oerdin]

6. No one wants Saab.

They've been losing money for a decade plus and they bring nothing to the table not even a decent brand name. Time to die.

[and-justice-for-all]

15. I think they make fine autos..But it appears to only be a small fraction ..

of what Saab does... http://www.saabgroup.com/static/split.htm

[aquart]

4. Voting right wing always costs in human blood.

Hopefully, the right wing will pay in seats. When's the next election? And what does it take for a No Confidence vote?

[imdjh]

7. And yet, all of these companies still spend a fortune on advertising

Has anyone ever bought a car because he saw it on a TV ad?

Kia is the future.

[Brucie Kibbutz]

11. The NASCAR crowd buys everything based on TV ads.

Or, based on whatever sticker is on their favorite car during the TV broadcast of the so called "race". No matter what it is, if Dale Jr. says he likes it, they want it.

[burning rain]

18. That is no joke.

Many fans choose breakfast cereals and laundry detergents on the basis of their driver's ad sponsors.

[LeftyMom]

16. If Kia is the future I don't want to go.

Their cars are about as attractive as refrigerator cartons. Of course, they also have similar acceleration and crashworthiness.

[imdjh]

17. I was just kidding , sort of

I think that the new Kia cars coming out will knock America's sox off, but I happen to like the Korean aesthetic with some things. The older Kias were decidedly funky in a distinctly Korean way, almost Art Deco. Now they are coming out with some very post-industrial futuristic looks which I think are some serious competition for the Japanese. The Kia warranty is great and will hopefully force other car makers to stand behind their vehicles. Kia is coming out with a small truck next year that will give Toyota and Nissan some serious competition.

Kia predicts that Soul will have a 5 star safety rating once it's testing is finalized.

[catnhatnh]

10. Elected right wingers, eh???

Well, I'm betting the part of Saab that builds jet aircraft will probably survive....

[jmowreader]

25. SAAB Defense is a huge multinational corporation...

they even have an operation in the US. (It makes camouflage netting.)

Now...these guys also make the General Operator Workstation. Go to http://www.saabgroup.com and search for "general operator workstation." It is the nicest computer table I've seen in a while, and I wonder if they'd sell one (without the Windows machine, because I don't want that) to a civilian.

[tomm2thumbs]

13. that's a real saab story - don't they also make jet engines, etc?

wonder if they'll split it up and sell it off

[Davis_X_Machina]

21. SAAB's aerospace...

...unit spun off years ago.

[provis99]

14. Saabs come from Trollhatten?

Why does that sound like the punchline to a joke?

[burning rain]

19. I think I get you!

Obviously, trolls come from Trollhatten, though I'm sure it would mightily irk the covert FReaks to know that they have a cursed Swedish origin..!

[depakid]

20. Yet another disaster GM's mismanagement has left in its wake

[JCMach1]

22. Merkel said today, no bailout for OPEL

Speaking of not getting it...

These right leaning governments are officially on death watch!

[Blue_Tires]

23. sad to see

my heart goes out to the workers if they can't get this mess straight...

i didn't even know Sweden had a right-wing government...seems so out of character for them...

[Botany]

24. Saab Turbo SPG

Flat out fun .... it could corner @ 90 MPH

[gratuitous]

26. Trollhattan?!

I had no idea there was an actual place called Trollhattan! Many years ago, I saw a sticker on a car "Made in Trollhattan by Trolls" with a B.C. comic strip character on it. I don't remember if it was a Saab or not, but I have chuckled for years over the concept of a Trollhattan in opposition to Manhattan.

It's a real place. Live and learn.