This newly developed 9-5 will probably be the last from Saab

By Andy Hum

ONE OF SWEDEN’s most iconic car-maker, Saab, seems to be on the brink of closure. After failed talks held by its parent company, General Motors, with potential buyer Koenigsegg, GM has announced that it will be shutting Saab down.

The latest development, however, is that the Dutch supercar-maker, Spyker Cars, has made a last-ditch bid to save the Swedish brand, which has not made a profit since 2001. If the deal falls through, it could really be the end of Saab.

Saabs in Singapore are sold by Trans Eurokars, which has been selling them since 1991. Run by entrepreneur, Karsono Kwee, Trans Eurokars is also behind the dealerships for Rolls-Royce, Porsche and Opel. A total of 57 Saab cars have been sold this year (up till November), compared to 117 units last year and 210 units sold in 2007.

When CarBuyer asked David Chung, assistant marketing manager of Trans Eurokars for Saab, what would happen to existing Saab owners in Singapore, he said, “Saab customers can continue to enjoy aftersales support from Trans Eurokars. We will honour warranties and service agreements with our customers.”