Here are the words from Jan-Willem Vester of Saab Automobile USA Communications:

For your background information on this topic: Saab, nor GM have ever conducted any crash tests using “postmortem human test subjects” (politically correct term). We do not even have the facilities/capability in which to do so.

However, GM and other manufacturers are involved in partnerships in which funds are provided to conduct bio-mechanical research, usually through universities. Research data, often made public at conferences, is used by Saab and GM to advance our efforts in crash-test dummy technology to protect human lives.

Let me know if any further questions. Thanks,

Jan-Willem Vester
Manager, Saab Automobile USA Corporate Communications

Photo Credit: Saab History

The 1992 Saab 900 Turbo Project that began in December of last year will be receiving a paint job this week in the original Saab color, “cirrus white”, paint code 153B.

Just about everything has been removed in order to best paint the exterior car within reason, short of a naked shell, given that it had virtually no rust being a mid-atlantic car from Washington, D.C.

I am looking forward to seeing this vehicle in process and of course, the final outcome once complete!

What is interesting about this event is that the folks at this multi-brand Saab dealership will be discussing Saab Automobile USA’s european delivery program as well as the Saab Aero Academy, but presently, only the latter of these programs is presently active!

So here’s the question, why are they discussing Saab Automobile USA’s European Delivery program while it is still on hold? Furthermore, when witll the program go back online?

Please read below for more information on this breakfast seminar:

Brand Focus: SAAB
Breakfast Seminar Brand Focus: SAAB

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM
Friday, May 23, 2008
8:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Registration
8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Program

Armen Cars, Ardmore
205 East Lancaster Ave.
Ardmore, PA 19003

Bob Brescia from Armen Cars will give a short presentation about the avant-garde car SAAB and its history.

Attendees will also be given information about SAAB’s extraordinary overseas delivery program which makes it possible for US citizens to pick up their brand new SAAB car in Europe, use it during the vacation and then ship it over to the United States. An introduction to the SAAB Turbo Academy will also be held which gives SAAB customers the opportunity to be a racing star for a day.

A MORNING OF BREAKFAST, NETWORKING AND TEST-DRIVING…
We hope that our chamber can work as a bridge, helping you connect and also introduce your own business to our guests.

In addition you will meet other Scandinavians or people interested in the Scandinavian community.

It says that SAAB drivers are the most dedicated and enthusiastic drivers of them all?

PLEASE RSVP BY THURSDAY MAY 15 TO SACC PHILADELPHIA
PH: 215-790-3785
FAX: 215-790-3888
E-MAIL: INFO@SACC-PHILADELPHIA.ORG
Fees

Brand Focus SAAB: Free
Free

Registration ends Thursday, May 15, 2008

Photo Credit: Saab History

The Central Pennsylvania Saab Club is at it again with their annual and very successful “Saabs @ Carlisle” event which will be taking place again in Carlisle, Pennsylvania this weekend (May 16th until May 18th, 2008). The majority of people will be there on Saturday, May 17th, 2008.

If you can make it to this event in the North Eastern region of the United States, get your registration in today!

Begins: Friday, May 16, 2008 at 7:00 am ET
Ends: Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 3:00 pm ET
Where: Carlisle Fair Grounds - Carlisle, PA 17013 US
“Pre-Registration has closed at this time, so if you are bringing a SAAB, register it at Gate 3, using SAABs at Carlisle as your club affiliation. Gate registration is $25 this year (I think). You’ll also need to pick up a badge from us for $6 per person, which gets you lunch on Saturday (and Sunday,too). The Saturday night cookout is $20 per person.”

SAABs @ Carlisle is a SAAB enthusiast event, held in conjuction with the Carlisle Import/Kit Replicar Nationals. It is a “car-show within a much bigger car show”. Attendees have complete access to all of the events and activities happening all week-end long, including access to the vendor and parts swap-meet areas. In 2007, we drew in 211 SAABs and the event set a new attendance record with over 1,500 cars.

Organized by the Central Penn SAAB Club, with help from our friends in WASAAB, NYSOC, NESA, SAABlink.net, and VSCNA clubs, SAABs @ Carlisle has quickly become the largest regional SAAB enthusiasts’ gathering annually, with attendees from as many as 14 states, and as far away as California and Florida. For the last 6 consecutive years, SAABs @ Carlisle has won the hotly contested Club Participation Award, and 2008 looks to be an even bigger challenge, thanks to the folks who drive Sweden’s second best cars; Volvo’s. The Volvo Club of America has us in their sights and want to take the trophy this year. The featured marque this year is British Vehicles, so it will be a real test to see if we can hold on to the Club Participation Trophy for one more year. Get those SAABs ready to roll into Carlisle, Pennsylvania for another epic battle of owner loyalty between SAABs and everything else on wheels.

SAABs @ Carlisle 2008 kicks off the weekend with a Friday evening cook-out beginning at 6:00pm, lasting into the evening. Please bring along something to cook on the grill(and buns if you need them). CPSC will once again fire up our huge 8 burner grill, as well as supplying condiments and beverages. We began this tradition a few years ago because so many of our friends drive a long distance to the event; having a hot meal and a cold beverage waiting for your arrival is something nice to look forward to.

IMPORTANT NOTE: On Friday evening, The Registration Building at Gate 3 closes at 7:00pm so please let us know if you will be arriving after this time and we will arrange to pick-up your credentials and meet you at Gate 3. Without your credentials, you will not be permitted on the grounds until Saturday morning, and you’ll miss the cook-out.

Saturday is the big day of the event. Attendees will park their cars by model type, at the direction of the club staff. Attendees will receive a voting ballot and will cast votes for their favorite SAABs by category. When completed, this ballot must be exchanged for your free lunch ticket. (Please turn in your completed ballot as early as possible). Lunch will be served begining at Noon, and is provided compliments of Lehman SAAB(Harrisburg, PA) and is catered by The Corvette Grille (Annville, PA). Music will be provided throughout the day, thanks to an iPod filled with more than 175 car songs (and more are being added continually). The sound system is provided thanks to Times Square Lighting and Rob Riccardelli.

After lunch (approx. 2:30PM), the People’s Choice Awards will be presented to the winners of the balloting. The People’s Choice Awards are sponsored again by Don Fatzinger Automotive (Robesonia, PA). Awards will be presented for 19 categories, plus a few extra awards and recognition.

After the awards presentation, stroll the show field or vendor areas, relax and enjoy the rest of the afternoon. At approximately 6:30pm, we will gather for the Saturday evening SAABarbeque Dinner.

INFORMATION UPDATES:
Please be certain to include a valid e-mail address with your registration. We will be communicating through an electronic newsletter program (Constant Contact). Please add our e-mail address (cpsc@mail.saabnet.com) to your address book so that you will not miss any important updates and information on the event. We will be sending more detailed information and a schedule of events, as well as timely updates and information you will need.

Prefer to register off-line or pay by personal check?
Please go to www.centralpennsaab.com and download the registration form. Send the completed form and your check to us before April 25th, 2008.

Located in Central Pennsylvania, the Carlisle Fairgrounds is easily accessible from the PA Turnpike, I-81, I-83 and Route 11. The 82-acre complex is equipped with modern facilities both indoors and outdoors, including a huge food court with a variety of unique food vendors. Twenty-four hour security and medical personnel are on site.

Lodging: It is recommended that you book your hotel room early. Central Pennsylvania is a very popular tourist destination, and the weekend of the event usually coincides with several local college graduation ceremonies, so getting a room early is strongly encouraged. Carlisle is located in Cumberland County, and is close to Harrisburg (the state capital), as well as Mechanicsburg and Camp Hill. Lodging along the I-81 corridor will put you only minutes away from the fairgrounds. In addition to the usually on-line services (Travelocity, Expedia, Hotels.com, etc.), here are a few other links:

* Cumberland County Visitors Bureau
* Hotels in and around Cumberland County
* Hershey/Harrisburg.org
* Hershey/Harrisburg Information Center
* Bed & Breakfast Inns
* Hershey Capital Region

Security:
Security patrols the fairgrounds 24 hours a day during events. They are located beneath the Stage and accessed from the rear of the building. Security personnel are dressed in clearly labeled “Security” uniforms. On-grounds Security can be reached at (717) 243-2756. Gate 3 is open to attendees with proper credentials and vendors 24 hours per day, during the event.

Alcohol Policy:
Sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited. Responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages is permitted; however, disorderly or intoxicated persons will not be tolerated. Furnishing of alcoholic beverages to minors is prohibited. Pennsylvania State Law considers anyone under the age of 21 a minor. No glass bottles. This is a family-oriented event and we encourage strict adherence to the established rules, set forth by the event promoter.

Wireless Hot Spot:
For guests who have Wi-Fi-capable laptop computers or handheld devices, there is free public wireless Internet access available at the Information Booth near the Stage. *Please note: This is an unsecured hot spot providing wireless access to the Internet. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your information and your equipment when accessing this hot spot and the Internet via this hot spot. Carlisle Events assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable for any damages to your computer equipment or other property on account of your use of this hot spot.

I am bringing this article to light because I think it is important to share with us news that some strong undercurrents moving these days are forcing industries to change their old ways of thinking when it comes to how they think, create and otherwise affect the air, water and land in which we all live with.

Here is a snippet from the article that discusses the march a number of students initiated towards the auto industry alongside GM’s global headquarters in the renaissance center in Detroit:

When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency refused in late 2007 to grant California the waiver it needs to require automakers to slash emissions, young people and college students responded. Fifty Michigan students rallied at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January, demanding a clean energy economy with sustainable transportation as the centerpiece. The students marched throguh downtown Detroit dressed in green hard hats and blue coveralls - a dynamic symbol of the reinvigorating potential of green jobs and energy-efficient auto manufacturing for Michigan’s economy.

Source & Photo Credits: Solar Today May/June 2008

So here’s a question for you, what kind of responsibilities do you believe that the automotive industry has in society, with the understanding that many infrastructures today (especially in the U.S.), are dependent upon private transportation?

Secondly, what do you think that GM & Saab Automobile need to do or do more of?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Photo Credits: Saab History

The Detroit International Airport’s GM Collection Store finally shows some Saab spirit!

As my significant other was in Detroit recently, even staying a number of nights at the GM Renaissance Center, she got the chance to snap some photographs of the GM Collection store that resides in the Detroit International Airport.

I am happy to see not only the Saab 9-3 Convertible displayed in the store as well as some of the Saab Expressions items, especially since my first experience personally back in the summer of 2007. At that time I was passing through the airport to attend the Saab Owners Convention. During my walk by the GM Collection I noticed that there was no Saab representation at the store then. When I walked into the store and asked the people at the store, why I did not see any Saab items there, the people at the store said and I quote: “What’s Saab?”.

Today, I am happy to see this representation and look forward to a consistent representation here as well as any other GM related outlet in the future.

Site Sponsor New Salem Saab of Albany, New York has recently received their first 2008 Saab 9-3 Aero with XWD in “Snow Silver”. A thank you to New Salem Saab for providing some wonderful photos to share Saab History!

I would be curious just how noticeable the driving differences would be with the Saab 9-3 Aero that comes with Cross-Wheel drive in comparison to the Saab 9-3 Turbo-X that also comes with Cross-Wheel Drive. Will Saab Automobile have an Aero-XWD on hand during the Turbo-X Test drive in Boston, Massachusetts later this month for a side-by-side comparison as well?

If you find yourself near Albany, New York, stop by and let them know you are interested in test driving the Aero XWD. We would both be interested in your immediate thoughts!

To find out more information on Cross Wheel Drive “XWD”, check out New Salem Saab’s information sheet and downloadable official Saab Automobile XWD brochure in PDF!

I leave you with a brief introduction on XWD:

The Saab 9-3 XWD has arrived and is ready for test flights.

Just like Turbocharging was the next best step for the 4-Cylinder Engine. XWD is the next step for All-wheel drive. Saab’s exclusive cross-wheel drive takes advantage of already installed sensors used for Anti-lock Braking (ABS), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), and Traction Control and adds Electronic Limited Slip Differential (eLSD) in the rear end to give the car the utmost in traction flexibility. Able to instantly transfer up to 85% torque to one wheel, this is a fully dynamic system that enhances the overall performance and safety of the Saab 9-3.

This state-of-the-art system includes two innovative features: pre-emptive engagement of the rear wheels to optimize traction at take-off; and an active rear limited-slip differential (eLSD), allowing variable torque transfer between the rear wheels. This pre-emptive function is a valuable improvement in current technology, which requires the detection of wheel slip before being activated. For the driver, the enhanced functionality gives maximum traction immediately for smooth, strong acceleration from rest without the possibility of any initial hesitation.

Film Credit: IIHS

Saab Automobile have been conducting their own crash tests since 1947, however there has been some news as of late that apparently came from a Swedish news source was continued by the Gas 2.0 blog, that claims that GM/Saab have been “conducting crash tests with real cadavers”

Here is what they indicate, followed by a quote by Saab Automobile Sweden’s Communications person, Christer Nilsson.

According to Swedish car safety specialist Claes Tingvall, GM has wrapped up a multi-year project which used dead human bodies instead of crash dummies. Specifically, the tests were made with Saab automobiles.

Tingvall told the Swedish Newspaper Expressen, that people had donated their bodies for the tests. He said the bodies aided researcher in better design of crash dummies, and, of course, see first-hand injuries sustained by human bodies in car accidents.

The article, in the English language website, The Local, says neither Saab or GM has acknowledged using human cadavers in any tests.

A Saab spokesperson, Christer Nilsson is quoted in Expressen as saying,

“We are with GM through thick and thin. We conduct our own research and try to find other methods to achieve our results, with the help of computers, for example.”

I am interested in how this information really originated from this paper, but I would also even more interested if Alf Persson still works at Saab Automobile AB in Sweden as their chief crash test engineer with attentino to what he has to say about this recent news from Sweden’s Expressen Newspaper.

For more information on Alf Persson and Saab Automobile’s Saab Crash Tests, here is a post I found about Alf Persson back in 2001 that I think you will find very informative.

Furthermore, I hope that Saab Automobile Sweden’s Alf Persson, can shed some more light on this by giving his own personal details as well as some current MY2008 Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan and Sport Combi crash test videos actually conducted at Saab Automobile Sweden’s Technical Development facility in Trollhättan, Sweden.

I have sent an e-mail to Saab Sweden requesting their comments from their engineer, Alf Persson as well the aforementionedl videos of the MY2008 Saab 9-3 Sedans and SportCombis actually being crash tested in their facility in order to bring some real credibility countering this recent story from Sweden’s Expression.

I look forward to Saab Automobile Sweden’s response!

Photo Credits: Saab Of Hunterdon

Saab History site sponsor, Saab of Hunterdon has received their first delivery of one of 600 destined for North America out of 2000 that will be built of a 2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo-X.

I suspect this will be the first of many Turbo-X delieries will now begin to start showing up in the United States as time moves on.

A thank you to Saab of Hunterdon who have been happy to share with us, the photographs of this vehicle in front of their facility.

I leave you with a quote from Scot Orzillo of Saab Of Hunterdon, who sold this Turbo-X to their customer.

“We finally received the Turbo X my customer ordered during the initial order period which I think was back in November. The pictures of this car by no means do it justice. It is absolutely gorgeous.

The one pictured is a 6 speed with navigation and touring package. The customer should be taking delivery by week’s end.”

The latest issue of Nines has arrived today and it certainly looks good. There is even a nice new photograph for the 2008 Saab Owners Convention.

In this issue, there is a lot of material, and keep in mind as soon as you get your subscription in for Nines Magazine, you are autmomatically enrolled for a free subscription to Saab Magazine as well!

Photo Credits: Saab Automobile Canada

As a follow-up to my recent communications with Saab Automobile Canada, not only did I kindly suggest that they include themselves in the media.saab.com website, which they have now done, I also suggested that they submit a photograph and their company history from the very beginning.

Saab Automobile Canada took my suggestions seriously as you can tell and have provided Saab History with said photograph and company history.

The Team:

The photograph of their team that I requested above, includes the Saab Automobile Canada team members (Left-to-Right), Terry Smith, Aftersales Manager, Mårten Wahlstedt, Brand Manager and Steve Tamblyn, Assistant Brand Manager. I emphasized that this photograph not only include their team, but to be taken within the context of their headquarters, as well as a Canadian flag in the background, rounding out with a Saab 9-3 in the foreground. A great job on the photograph, this photograph certainly contextualizes Saab Automobile Canada now.

The History:

The history has been provided with the best of their ability, with some significant digging in order to get the details, and here it is.

Saab Canada History

* In 1975, Saabs were first imported into Canada by Scancar, based in Toronto, Ontario. Cars were distributed across the country by approximately 9 dealers.

* Previous to that, Saab automobiles were imported into the country on an individual basis.

* In 1980, Imsport, of Toronto, took over the importation of Saabs into Canada from Scancar. This increased the distribution network to approximately 20 dealers.

* In 1985, Saab itself entered the Canadian market forming Saab Canada taking over from Imsport.

* In 1989, General Motors of Canada Limited acquired the exclusive rights to distribute the Saab brand in Canada. They were marketed through the existing Passport dealer network, formed by General Motors of Canada, to retail imported vehicles, which included at that time, the Isuzu brand.

* In 1992, with the birth of the Saturn division, Passport dealers underwent a name change to Saturn Saab Isuzu ‘Retailers’, to include the new brand in the distribution chain.

* In 2002, with the Isuzu division no longer part of General Motors, the Saturn Saab Isuzu Retailers became simply Saturn Saab Retailers.

This photograph and history now better contextualizes and thus provides the credibility that we needed and wanted to see from Saab Automobile Canada.

An enthusiastic thank you to Mårten Wahlstedt and his colleagues at Saab Automobile Canada for providing this information for the record.

Saab History Seeks Sponsor To Film Saab 9-3 Turbo-X Test Drive in Boston

I have been invited as a guest of Saab Automobile USA to cover the Saab 9-3 Turbo-X event that will be taking place just North of Boston on May 20th & 21st, 2008.

This test drive event is the sequel to the premiere of the Saab 9-3 Turbo-X Test North American launch that also took place in Boston, Massachusets back on November 27th, 2008.

The limited edition and successor to the Saab 9-3 Viggen, is the2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo-X. The Saab 9-3 Turbo-X, is Saab Automobile’s new high performance vehicle and also the halo vehicle for the new all-wheel drive system XWD named “Cross-Wheel Drive”

I believe, that much like the previous event, it is again, very important that I capture the most complete coverage of this event through written, photographic and the increasingly important segment of digital video and get showcase it here on Saabhistory.com for us to enjoy.

I am hoping that with donations and preferably a sponsor, I can cover this event much like I have with the Turbo-X North American Premiere at the Boston Auto Show, thanks to Saab of Hunterdon.

I hope that enough donations can come in as well as a sponsor, so that I can not only cover the cost of filming this event, but cover my own costs as well. I look forward to your submissions.

Please contact me if you are interested in being a sponsor, so we can discuss the details and cost outlay for this coverage. As part of being a sole sponsor for this coverage, you will receive a DVD that you can use in your customer waiting room in order to illustrate the capabilities of Cross-Wheel Drive (XWD).

Please click on the paypal donate button below to submit your donation to support this cause (please be sure to type “2008 TURBOX TEST DRIVE” in the subject area so I know what this donation will be going towards).

Note: Many of you have been experiencing problems when trying to get to sending me a donation, please send paypal donations to donations@saabhistory.com

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

I thank you for your time and look forward to your support!

Sincerely,

Ryan / Saab History

On April 9th, 2008 at approximately 3:30pm, Marten Wahlstedt of Saab Automobile Canada Phoned Saab History. This contact was in response to a piece I had written on April 1st, 2008 pertaining to the communications and management of Saab Automobile Canada.

Mårten Wahlstedt is the Marketing Manager of Saab Automobile Canada and has been an employee of Saab Automobile beginning since 1995, where he began working right in Trollhättan, Sweden. Since that time he has held numerous positions in marketing and communications with Saab Automobile having lived in Göteborg, Sweden as well as Germany and he has now been working at his current position within Saab Automobile Canada in Oshawa, Canada near Toronto.

Prior to Mårten Wahlstedts employ with Saab Automobile Canada, another Swede by the name of Magnus Hansen worked in the same position. It is Mårten’s hope that this position will continue to be developed and will consist of the the same types of individuals that have been employed as of late as it has worked out well, although he admits “there is always much more work that can be done to improve all aspects of Saab Automobile Canada’s role in the market today”.

Our conversation began as Mårten Wahlstedt outlined his aforementioned history with Saab Automobile as well as the management structure of Saab Automobile Canada.

Saab Automobile Canada’s Management: Today, Saab Automobile Canada consists of Mårten Wahlstedt, and a few assistants who work exclusively full-time on the Saab Automobile brand while “leveraging the resources of GM Canada” as he indicated.

Saab Automobile Canada’s Advertising: Saab Automobile Canada align themselves with the global ad campaign “move your mind”, however they also utilize Saab Automobile USA television advertisements due to the close proximity of most Canadians to the United States border. Their advertising is best defined as a hybrid of unique messages to perspective Canadian buyers with the global ad campaign while also utilizing material from the United States as well.

Saab Automobile Canada’s Products: When it comes to Saab Automobile’s products, it was clearly communicated that pricing on all products are to be identical across all Canadian provinces, period. Secondly, Saab Automobile Canada’s products of course, continue to be produced with european specifications.

Saab Automobile Canada’s Retailers: It has been confirmed that the total retailers that Saab Automobile Canada work with are, the aforementioned 31 facilities that are all partnered with GM’s Saturn brand. These retailers believe that communication needs to be strengthened between Saab Automobile Canada and each respective retailer, and Mårten Wahlstedt acknowledges this and knows that this can be improved.

As we began to wrap up our conversation I passed along some suggestions for areas of improvement, of course beginning with strengthing communication between the customers as well as the retailers. In addition, I also suggested that the public communication channel be revamped, beginning with an official launch of Canada’s own section of the Saab Media website, http://media.saab.com as Canada currently does not have any presence here.

As of this writing, I now see that Saab Automobile CANADA now has presence on media.saab.com in both English & French versions! It is great to see some suggestions go directly to a solution now globally visible communicating all of Saab Automobile Canada’s information in a commonly known location.

It looks like after this substantial dialog, I am beginning to see more communication, more work along with more clarity on everything that is happening with Saab Automobile Canada.

Now all Saab Automobile Canada needs to do is keep this trend continuing consistently from here on out.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

Road & Track Magazine Reviews Saab 9-3 Turbo-X and their review is nothing but positive.

Now that Saab History has relocated from Washington, D.C. to New England, the Saab 9-3 Turbo-X on May 20th in Boston, Massachusetts cannot come soon enough.

Here is a snippet from Road & Track below:

2008 Saab Turbo X: Black Has Never Looked So Bright – Road and Track

Kiruna, Sweden — One hundred twelve mph is nothing to get overly excited about. That is, unless it’s on a closed, tree-lined mountain road blanketed with snow and under the cover of darkness. This would likely be a short-lived experience for most mortals, but with Swedish rally star Per Eklund as the designated driver, the incredible potential of this limited-edition Saab Turbo X was revealed without consequence.

To read more, visit their site directly: Road & Track<

Source: Road & Track

As a follow-up to the future of the Saab Automobile Dealership arrangement within the United States, I would like to begin a dialog on the Saab/Hummer/Cadillac dealership arrangement in the United States.

Today, there are approximately 81 or 34.47% designated as Saab-only exclusive dealerships in the United States, leaving the remaining approximate, 66% as multi-brand dealerships.

The plan as you will see below in the video, is for the ongoing transition for Saab exclusive dealerships to convert into Saab/Hummer/Cadillac dealerships (ie. all premium brands under one roof) over time.

With the recent customer submittal about their service experience from a Saab/Cadillac dealership, I would be interested in finding out more about what other customers have experienced as well at all levels, Sales, service and the parts department.

If Saab exclusive dealerships are where the knowledge base currently is, in the United States, how will the Saab/Hummer/Cadillac arrangements work in their absense in the future if currently, Saab dealerships are the only dealerships that can solve the tough technical problems and ultimately better satisfy the loyal Saab customers?

I leave you with a video from the Saab Roundtable filmed during the 2007 Saab Owners Convention in Troy, Michigan last August and look forward to your thoughts on this dealership arrangement in the United States.

On the topic of Saab Automobile USA’s Dealership Service as a follow-up to the future of the Saab Automobile USA Dealership network, I received the following e-mail from a long-time Saab customer recently which blew me away.

It seems that here on Saab History, we’re not the only ones questioning this Saab/Hummer/Cadillac as well as the service records for the 1st generation Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan model that ranges from 2003 until 2007 models years.

Here is their own words:

We bought a CPO 2003 Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan from Woodworth Saab / Cadillac / Buick / Chevy in Andover, Massachusetts and since then, we have had encountered a problem with the automatic transmission known as “slippage”.

In order to get this problem resolved, our first decision was to take it to the same dealership where we bought the car. The first visit to their service department yielded less than optimal results which resulted in a response from the service manager who indicated that their technicians “could not duplicate the problem” and that the problem may not be an actual problem.

Since that first diagnosis, the results were unacceptable and we therefore made a second and third attempt with a great opportunity cost by taking time off of work. These attempts, much like the first, included the application of a “software upgrade” which ultimately did not result in any success.

Our fourth and final attempt included a visit back to this dealership to get the problem solved once and for all. This time, the dealership’s service manager spoke with a GM Service rep who just could not remedy the problem. Somewhere in our dialog, it was indicated that we go to an exclusive Saab dealership. I should add that in all of these encounters with this dealership, they included no offer for a loaner car, even though we bought our Saab from them. I left this dealership feeling disappointed and began wondering if we were not alone here.

Our fifth and most recent visit to remedy this ongoing problem, we then took our car to our closest exclusive Saab dealership, Village Saab of Acton, Massachusetts. At this dealership, we not only got a loaner of a 2008 Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan upon the drop-off, but we also got the issue with our automatic transmission properly diagnosed the first time within a day. As a result, their determination was that the transmission went bad and they will be replacing it for free under our 100,000 mile CPO warranty. Village Saab replaced my transmission and the radiator, noting that the “known issue” of the coolant entering the automatic transmission.

This experience was nothing but positive for us, however, approximately less than a half a week later, we experienced the transmission slipping, clunking in concert with check engine light fully illuminated, and englne malfunction displayed on the SID. The original symptoms and business were unfortunately back in full swing once again. We had no choice but to get our vehicle towed on a Friday night back to Village Saab of course. Since this time,

The following morning (A Saturday), I received a call from Village Saab’s service department that indicated that there were no fault codes in the car’s computer, and therefore the vehicle should be okay. “Dave and Alex at Village Saab’s service department went above and beyond including a late Friday night.”

Since this time, the symptoms have, unfortunately come back and we are out of words as to what to do here.

We believe that Woodworth Saab could have been more proactive and that their Cadillac priorities took their focuses off of their Saab customers. Furthermore and more importantly, were very appreciative of our exclusive Saab dealership experience with Village Saab and wonder if the outcome would have been positive for us, had we purchase from Village Saab to begin with.

So the question is, is the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan (MY 2003-2007), a work in progress and secondly, should I expect this issue with a 2008 Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan that has had over 2,100+/- updates?

Also, are all Saab & Cadillac dealerships prioritizing their service departments like Woodworth Saab in Andover, Massachusetts?

We are long-time Saab owners and this vehicle was our 9th, we are hoping that Saab USA can “save” us and keep me with the brand, so here’s their chance.

All we wanted, was our Saab serviced properly the first time with a compentent service team that knows Saabs.

Woodworth Saab = 0

Village Saab = 1

Future Saab Ownership = ?

So here is the million dollar question: How can Saab Automobile USA/GM continue to consolidate exclusive Saab dealerships across the United States, while in the same breath, make suggestions that customers go to some of the remaining “exclusive” Saab dealerships in order to actually get their problems solved?

It seems as though the message being communicated here is that that once the Saab exclusives are all completely consolidated to the Saab/Hummer/Cadillac dealership arrangement, as mentioned at last years Saab Owners Convention roundtable at 24 minutes in, there won’t be a dealership base capable of solving the problems. If Saab owners cannot get their vehicles serviced right the first time, how can this be beneficial to the brand? We must all remember one important fact here, it’s the service that keeps the customers with the brand.

I am hoping that Saab Automobile USA is reading this and can remedy this issue for this long-time Saab customer swiftly, here’s a great opportunity.

Photo Credit: China Chas

As a follow-up to my posting about the Saab Performance Team arriving in Beijing, China, well they have and seriously entertained their capacity crowd.

Here is a direct link to additional photos and written descriptions of the event on Flickr.

SAAB Performance event, held at Badaling Airfield near Beijing, 1st May 2008.

Just in case this wasn’t enough to win over the crowd, a Chinese flag is brought out to cement the deal.

Per Eklund Races New Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan in Portugal this past weekend.

Below are the details from Saab Enthusiast, Mike Jager.

Eklund managed this week with a lot of work to finalize the new Saab 9-3 Aero Sport Sedan. Just in time he arrived in Portugal for the first race.

In the first heat, Eklund drove to a 12th time, the second heat to a 11th time overall. In the third head, Eklund drove to a good 7th time. This means together a 5th place in the B-final.
Eklund managed to win the B-final! In the A-final he couldn’t make any progression, so a 6th place overall!

Results:

1. Ludvig Hunsbedt (N), Volvo S40

2. Kenneth Hansen (S), Citroën C4

3. Ole Kristian Nøttveit (N), Ford Focus ST

4. Sverre Isachsen (N), Ford Focus ST

5. Michael Jernberg (S), Škoda Fabia

6. Per Eklund (S), SAAB 9-3 ASS

Next race in Cohiniac, France next weekend!

Regards,
Mike Jager

While we have not yet heard about a production ready Saab hybrid, yet, we can hope to see one in the near future with all of the recent investment in research and development as of late by Saab Automobile.

Since 2007, Saab Automobile has been collaborating with the Swedish Hybrid Vehicle Center that involves KTH University, Lund University while being hosted by Chalmers University in Göteborg, Sweden.

The Swedish Hybrid Vehicle Centre (SHC), as it is indicated, is a “distributed Center of Excellence with the objective to develop and optimize existing and coming technologies for propulsion and energy storage to find the most fuel effective and cost effective hybrid vehicle concept.”

Furthermore, Autoblog Green reports that there is currently $40 million dollars invested in the SHC over the next five years.

For more information about this interesting collaborative, please visit their website directly http://www.chalmers.se/shc

Below are the their mission and objectives.

The Swedish Hybrid Vehicle Center (SHC) is a Center of Excellence established 2007 by the Swedish Energy Agency (Energimyndigheten) with three Swedish universities and six Swedish industrial companies as partners. Chalmers is the host for SHC.

Mission:

The mission of the Centre is to be a strategic knowledge and competence base for education, research and development within hybrid electric vehicles, and to form a framework for cooperation between industry and academia.

Our main objectives are:

* Create knowledge and understanding for the fundamental processes in hybrid vehicle technology through experiments, simulations and modelling
* Define and investigate new technologies and hybrid vehicle concepts that will lead to more fuel effective vehicles

Focus of the research work is on a systems perspective, emphasizing on integration of and interaction between components and subsystems, but work will be divided into three areas:

* System studies and tools
* Electrical machines and drives
* Energy storage

This is interesting news, and I wonder of Mascoma will be working with Burke Oil, the supplier of New England’s first public E-85 facility? I have sent some questions over to them, so I look forward to their answers.

Here is the press release below:

GM and Mascoma Enter into Biofuels Relationship

Automaker to Help Speed One-Step Cellulose-to-Fuels Process to Market

WASHINGTON - General Motors Corp. and Mascoma Corp. today announced a strategic relationship to develop cellulosic ethanol focused on Mascoma’s single-step biochemical conversion of non-grain biomass into low-carbon alternative fuels to help address increasing energy demand.

The relationship, which includes an undisclosed equity investment by GM, complements an earlier investment in a cellulosic ethanol startup that uses a thermo-chemical process to make ethanol from non-grain sources.

“Taken together, these technologies represent what we see as the best in the cellulosic ethanol future and cover the spectrum in science and commercialization,” GM President Fritz Henderson said. “Demonstrating the viability of sustainable non-grain based ethanol is critical to developing the infrastructure to support the flex-fuel vehicle market.”

GM leads the auto industry in offering vehicles that can run on either ordinary gasoline or E85 - a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline - or any combination of the two. There are more than 7 million flex-fuel vehicles on U.S. roads, 3 million of which are GM cars and trucks.

“These investments in leading-edge firms supports belief that ethanol has the greatest near-term potential as a clean-burning, renewable fuel that can help reduce oil dependence,” Henderson said.

Mascoma has raised significant equity from venture capital investments and secured more than $60 million in state and federal grants, including the recent awarding of a $26 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Mascoma’s single-step cellulose-to-ethanol method, called Consolidated Bioprocessing, or CBP, lowers costs by limiting additives and enzymes used in other biochemical processes.

Based in Boston, privately held Mascoma is using proprietary microorganisms developed at the company’s laboratories in Lebanon, N.H., and is collaborating with research partners globally to identify and patent additional biomass-to-ethanol technologies.

Mascoma is testing its CBP technology and expects to begin producing ethanol later this year at its demonstration plant under construction in Rome, NY. Mascoma also has partnered with The University of Tennessee to develop a switchgrass-to-ethanol pilot facility near Knoxville, TN, and is pursuing opportunities in the state of Michigan.

“Cellulosic biofuels represent next-generation renewable energy, and have the potential to reduce oil dependence, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulate regional economic development,” Mascoma Chairman and CEO Bruce Jamerson said. “Our transformational technology will allow us to combine the affordable non-grain biomass with low-cost conversion techniques to make ethanol more quickly, efficiently and economically than is possible with other biochemical methods.”

Mascoma, named for a lake near Dartmouth College, was founded in 2005 based on technology developed by Drs. Lee Lynd and Charles Wyman in Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering. Together, the two have more than 50 years of research into biofuels derived from wood chips, switchgrass and other naturally occurring feedstocks known as cellulosic biomass.

“One of the things that attracted us to Mascoma was its R&D team,” Henderson said. “Their development of best-in-class microorganisms and enzymes could lead a transformation to a new era of biofuels.”

GM’s multi-dimensional involvement with Mascoma will include projects to evaluate materials and other fuels for specific engine applications as well as collaborating on Mascoma’s efforts to expand its commercialization projects globally, including promotion of increased biofuels distribution.

“We look forward to working with GM as a key player in the commercial value chain for cellulosic biofuels,” Jamerson said. “Our job is to take what happens in nature over hundreds of years and bring it down to a matter of days. We think we are well-positioned to make cellulosic ethanol a commercial reality.”

About GM

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 266,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2007, nearly 9.37 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

About Mascoma

Mascoma Corporation is a leader in advanced low-carbon biofuels technology based in Boston, Massachusetts. Using proprietary microorganisms and enzymes developed at the company’s laboratories in Lebanon, New Hampshire; Mascoma is collaborating with research partners globally to identify, patent and deploy a new generation of microbes and low-cost processes for producing advanced cellulosic ethanol technologies across a range of non-food feedstocks. Mascoma is developing demonstration and commercial scale production facilities in locations across the United States. For more information, visit www.mascoma.com.

Saab History welcomes JMK Saab as a site sponsor! JMK Saab, located in Springfield, New Jersey has recently signed up as a site sponsor of Saab History and is automatically included in the new Site Sponsor Map Listing as well.

It is important to know that JMK Saab, was one of the top 6 GM Dealers of the Year for 2007 for all of General Motors dealerships and has also received a “Mark of Excellence” within the Saab brand. It goes to show that their sales, service, parts, customer service and just about every other facet of their organization raises the bar. Furthermore, this is not the first time JMK received this accolade, in fact, JMK SAAB was recognized as the nation’s number one SAAB dealer back in 1996!

These achievements were quite hard to obtain and we should all recognize JMK Saab for their committment to the Saab brand, their staff, and their customers for a job well done!

Some of you may recognize JMK Saab as they took the initiative to co-sponsor Saab History’s video coverage of the 9-X BioHybrid North American Launch at the New York Auto Show this past March. At this event, thanks to JMK, I managed to cover both the Saab Reflective, the interview of both Saab USA & Saab Global Presidents, Steve Shannon and Jan-Ake Jonsson as well as the group discussion with Saab’s Designer, Bryan Nesbitt.

A warm welcome to JMK Saab for signing up with Saab History as a site sponsor!

Here is a brief history of the JMK Saab dealership, now celebrating their 30th Anniversary as a Saab dealer!

JMK’s beginnings date back to 1965 when they opened as an automobile body shop in Union, New Jersey. In an industry that hasn’t always enjoyed the very best reputation, JMK was committed to offering honest service and honest prices. That dedication to superior service paid off. In July, 1971, JMK became an authorized dealer of a premium German automaker and that continues until today.

SAAB became part of the JMK family in the Fall of 1978. The year 1982 also was noteworthy as the dealership moved its bodyshop operation out of the main building and opened it at another site. This move allowed JMK to enlarge the service department at its existing facility.

The growth didn’t end there. Due to increasing customer volume, the dealership expanded its showroom again in 1984. All this growth, the direct result of the original commitment to superior service that was made back in 1965, culminated in JMK becoming the nation’s top SAAB dealer. And, to our customers, we say — THANK YOU!

“Enjoy Your Flight”

JMK Saab

JMK Saab
345 Route 22 East
Springfield, NJ 07081

Phone: 888-500-9021

Web: http://www.jmksaab.com/

View Larger Map

GM’s President, Fritz Henderson who spoke at the 2007 Saab Owners Convention last August will be speaking at this press conference tomorrow that takes place in Saab History’s former headquarters, Washington, D.C.

I quickly phoned Greg Martin, GM’s Washington, D.C. communications director who indicated that we need to wait until tomorrow morning at 10:30am to find out this information. It should be interesting what becomes of this announcement, stay tuned! At least I tried!

General Motors To Announce Second Advanced Biofuels Relationship

WHO: General Motors Corp. President Fritz Henderson

WHAT: News Conference on Sustainable Biofuels

WHEN: Thursday, May 1 – 10:30 a.m. EST

WHERE: GM’s Washington, D.C. office – 25 M St. NW, Suite 400

CONTACT: Greg Martin, 202-775-5008

On May 1, at 10:30 a.m., GM President Fritz Henderson will announce General Motors’ Corp’s second partnership with a cellulosic ethanol manufacturer. Non-grain based sustainable biofuels are critical to meet rising energy needs and decrease dependence on foreign oil.

GM leads the auto industry in offering vehicles that can run on either ordinary gasoline or E85 – a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline – or any combination of the two. There are more than 7 million flex-fuel vehicles on U.S. roads, 3 million of which are GM cars and trucks.

As a follow-up to the Scandinavian Hybrid collaborative mentioned back in March, Saab Automobile along with a number of other Swedish automotive companies such as Scania, and Volvo, will be presenting at the Advanced Automotive Battery and Ultracapacitor Conference and Symposia in Tampa, Florida USA on May 12-16.

If you are a Saab owner or enthusiast that plans on attending, please let Saab History know the results of your visit and please take some photographs, especially the Saab Automobile booth #61 so we can see what was exhibited!

This event showcases some very progressive hybrid battery technology that I think the public would be very interested in this.

For more information, please take a look at the agenda for the conference and symposia below.

http://www.advancedautobat.com/AABC/index.html

Here is the press release below from Invest in Sweden:

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, April 29 /PRNewswire/ — Sweden hosts a world class automotive cluster represented by leading brands such as SAAB Automobile, Scania, Volvo Car Corporation and Volvo Group alongside some 1,000 suppliers. Sweden now looks to expand its research and development of plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Delegates from the Swedish automotive industry will be present at Booth 61 at the Advanced Automotive Battery and Ultracapacitor Conference and Symposia in Tampa, Florida on May 12-16 to meet international representatives from the vehicle battery industry. The aim is to strengthen the Swedish vehicle battery cluster with further investment.

Key representatives will show off innovative Swedish hybrid technology projects, including the Swedish Hybrid Vehicle Centre (SHC). Hans Folkesson, chairman of the SHC research centre said: “The only vehicle with zero emission in the tailpipe is an electrical vehicle. Our biggest challenge at the moment is the energy storage needed to realise this.”

Large investments

Sweden spearheads research in hybrid technology for plug-in hybrid vehicles. Over a five-year period, some $40 million will be invested in a joint venture to develop next-generation plug-in hybrid vehicles. The project sees Volvo, SAAB, energy company Vattenfall, and ETC Battery and FuelCells Sweden join forces with the Swedish State and the Swedish Energy Agency to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

Fredrik Arp, president and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation, said: “I see this project as a positive further development of sustainable personal transport. We have a unique opportunity to take the lead when it comes to innovations for advanced green-car technology,” he said.

“Within the next decade, electric vehicles are going to be needed if we are to meet forthcoming CO2 legislation,” Arp added.

Great opportunity

There are great investment opportunities in the automotive industry in Sweden, particularly in the field of alternative fuel offerings. As vehicle manufacturers like Volvo, SAAB and Scania expand their hybrid technology vehicle line-up, there’s a need for specialists in this field to establish themselves in the Swedish battery cluster.

“Sweden can be a world leader when it comes to creating the solutions needed to adapt means of transport - solutions that are now in demand throughout the rest of the world,” said Andreas Carlgren, Sweden’s minister for the environment.

Invest in Sweden Agency (ISA)

Source: /PRNewswire/

Image Credit: E85prices.com

Saab Automobile USA’s president, Steve Shannon, indicated during the 2008 Saab 9-3 Media Event in Washington, D.C. last August and Saab Automobile USA’s communications department recently confirmed that 2009 will be the year when Saab Automobile USA will be importing BioPower (E-85 capable) Saab vehicles to the United States.

Products:

Currently, Saab Automobile offers BioPower in the 9-3 as well as the 9-5 range, but not the Saab 9-7x. In 2009, it has been indicated during the Global Launch in Detroit that the Saab 9-4x will make it’s debut as the Saab halo vehicle for BioPower in North America, replacing the Saab 9-7x.

While this is all good to hear, I guess it is now safe to realize that Saab Automobile USA will be importing the BioPower Saabs, beginning with the Saab 9-4x halo model, then the current aforementioned BioPower Saab 9-5 and 9-3 models in 2009.

Infrastructure:

When it comes to the E-85 infrastructure in the United States, we know that it still has a long way to go even in 2008, so by 2009, we shall see. Furthermore Coskata, the company that GM is now partnering with to produce cellulosic (non government subsidized) based E-85, has recently informed Saab History as of late, that they plan to begin offering their fuel not by 2009, but by 2011.

So here’s the question: Do you believe that it is logical for Saab Automobile USA to maintain their position on importing their BioPower Saab’s with the current E-85 infrastructure prior to Coskata going live with production two years later? My take on this is that Saab Automobile is all about firsts, then 2009 is the year for a BioPower launch in North America.

Furthermore, with 45% of Saab Automobile USA’s sales within the North East region of the United States, what percentage of growth do we need for the current E-85 infrastructure to grow between now and then, given that there are currently 13 stations in Pennsylvania, 4 in New York, 1 pending in Massachusetts, 1 in Maryland and 1 in Washington, D.C.?

Will there be a pilot program in Minnesota given that they are the national leader in E-85 before the vehicles hit the public (ie. the North East region and elsewhere)?

I leave you with Coskata’s answers to Saab History’s two questions below:

Question: Is Coskata’s Cellulosic E-85 government subsidized?

Answer: Coskata’s economics of less than $1 per gallon are not based on government subsidies. There may be subsidies available down the road for next generation ethanol, but to air on the side of caution, Coskata has not included that in its model.

Question: When will Coskata’s Cellulosic E-85 be available?

Answer: Coskata’s next generation ethanol should be available to consumers sometime in 2011.

I encourage you to offer your thoughts on Saab Automobile USA’s BioPower Program in 2009 by posting your comments below.

Photo Credit: Robin Morley

Robin Morley, a Saab enthusiast has been responsible for organizing Swedish Car Day in the United Kingdom this past Saturday at the Haynes International Motor Museum in Sparkford.

It is very nice to see more Swedish Car Days, given that the North East of the United States now has two strong, we can use more of these events being spread out to other towns, cities, and countries all over the world.

Lastly, it was also nice to see a pair of Saab 9-3 Turbo-X’s present, representing both the Sport Sedan and SportCombi variations.

For more information on Swedish Car Day U.K, please visit their website directly. http://www.swedishday.co.uk/ and for more photographs, please visit her Flickr page

A thank you to Robin for providing the photographs and writeup below, enjoy:

Dear Driver

As you know I organized a Swedish Day here in the West Country at Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford.

The day was a fantastic success with everybody commenting on what a great day they had had.

The gates to the museum opened at just before 9am and we got down to getting the party tents erected. A few of the early arrivals helped and with-in the hour we were ready. By 10am a good dozen Saabs had turned up and we started to park them round the car park area that we had been reserved by Haynes.

By about 11.30 we had a very nice gathering of Saabs then the first Volvo turned up with a cheer from the Saab owners. After all it was a Swedish Day. The Volvo was a very smart gold C70.

During the day we had a total of 41 different cars turn up. A couple of Saabs did turn up as visitors to the museum so were invited to park with us. It was great to talk to so many enthusiasts.

The oldest car was a very beautifully kept 1968 Volvo 144 from a local man here in Yeovil. The newest car or I should say cars were a pair of Saab 9-3 Turbo X’s, both picked up earlier this week. One an estate and the other a saloon. A visitor from Germany on holiday in the West Country came along to the event too in his Volvo V40.

The Saabs and Volvo’s came from many places in the UK. Kent, Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, West Midlands, Oxfordshire, West Sussex and here in Somerset.

Almost all the Saabs from the 99 & 96 to the newest models were on view. You will see a gallery of all those who entered at www.swedishday.co.uk, I hope I didn’t miss anybody out.

The other attraction of being at Haynes was the Museum. Everybody who signed their car in received a couple of tickets to get in the museum at a reduced rate. Almost everybody took a visit to enjoy the great cars within the Museum. The children had the play park as well, go-karts, diggers as well as the wooden fort/climbing frame. None of them looked bored.

During the day there were two judging competitions going on. One was named “The Most Admired” and was sponsored by Dave and Wendy from the “Designs on Something” embroidery company. Each entrant was given the task of choosing their Most Admired car at the show. The second was “Best in Show”, sponsored by Peter Swann from “The GB Motor Book Company” As Pete said it was very difficult to choose one as there were a great many “Best” cars, so he decided to ask himself, Which car would I like to travel home in?

The results for Most Admired were, 1st, David Dallimore with his Saab 99 Turbo in black & 2nd, Mark Smith with a Saab 99L in white. The Best in Show award went to Isabel Rankin in her Saab Classic 900 Convertible in red. You can see pictures of the winners at www.swedishday.co.uk.

I would like to thank everybody for supporting this event in its first year, the helpers, the two sponsors mentioned above, Tim and Haynes Museum for the location, Cheryl at Saab GB for arranging the banners and flags, my friends Simon, Pete & Alex for the constant support, the forums and blogs on the internet and my wife Kerry and daughter Azabeth. But the biggest thank you goes to all those lovely Saab’s and Volvo’s that came along on the day.

See you next year, Sunday the 26th April sounds like a good date.

Robin.

The Saab 9-3 Turbo-X lands in Rüsselsheim, Germany. The photo above shows a local German Saab dealer with their new customer in front of the Saab Germany headquarters.

Here is the press release below for all of you native German speakers:

2008-04-29

Turbo X-Zwischenlandung in Rüsselsheim

* Saab Fan holt Turbo X persönlich im Werk Trollhättan ab
* Innovatives XWD-System setzt Maßstäbe bei Allrad-Technologie
* Günstige Versicherungseinstufungen machen das limitierte Sondermodell noch attraktiver

Rüsselsheim. Bis zum schwedischen Saab Stammsitz ist der 65-jährige Manfred Mönch gereist, um seinen neuen Turbo X persönlich in Em-pfang zu nehmen. Den ersten „Langstreckentest“ von Trollhättan ins schwäbische Winnenden meisterte der limitierte schwarze Saab Spitzensportler denn auch mit Bravour: Rund 1.500 Kilometer „flog“ der luftfahrtbegeisterte Mönch mit seinem „Co-Piloten“, Saab Händler Rolf Lobmüller vom Autohaus Lobmüller in Talheim, zurück in die Heimat – natürlich auf Asphalt und vier Rädern. Beim Zwischenstopp in Rüsselsheim am vergangenen Wochenende war er voll des Lobes über sein neues Auto.

„Das ist schon ein Traum“, schwärmte Mönch. „Das Röhren, wenn Du den Motor anlässt, und dann der Durchzug beim Gas geben – super! Da merkt man die Kraft, die dahinter steckt.“ Der 280 PS starke 2.8 V6-Turbomotor in Kombination mit dem Saab Allradantrieb XWD (Cross Wheel Drive) plus eLSD sei einfach die optimale Verbindung für das Auto, beschreibt der Saab Fan das Fahrgefühl im Turbo X.

Das Allradsystem der neuesten Generation verteilt fortwährend stufenlos 400 Newtonmeter maximales Drehmoment zwischen Vorder- und Hinterachse. Der Clou: Um schon beim Start bestmögliche Traktion zu gewährleisten, verfügt der XWD-Antrieb über eine Vorabaktivierung der Hinterräder, so dass Drehmoment an die Hinterachse geleitet wird, noch bevor Schlupf an den Vorderrädern entsteht. Das aktive elektronische Sperrdifferenzial eLSD (electronically-controlled Limited Slip Differential), das beim Turbo X zur Serienausstattung gehört und in diesem Marktsegment weltweit zum ersten Mal angeboten wird, kann zusätzlich bis zu 80 Prozent des maximalen Drehmoments der Hinterachse an das Rad mit der höheren Traktion liefern. Ergebnis: mehr Kontrolle bei schneller Kurvenfahrt oder anderen extremen Fahrmanövern. Auf diese Weise setzt das XWD-System neue Maßstäbe im Bereich der Allrad-Technologie.

Das neue Spitzenmodell ist bereits das zwölfte Saab Fahrzeug für Manfred Mönch; seit mittlerweile 36 Jahren ist der ehemalige Luftwaffenangestellte der Marke treu. Auf der IAA 2007 seien er und seine Frau zum ersten Mal auf den weltweit auf 2.000 Exemplare begrenzten Turbo X aufmerksam geworden. Das Design des schwarzen Topmodells und die edlen anthrazitfarbenen Konturen hätten sie gleich begeistert. Und so war die Kaufentscheidung schnell gefallen.

„Eine Bedingung stellte uns Herr Mönch allerdings: Er wollte seinen Turbo X persönlich in Schweden abholen“, ergänzte Thomas Djuren, Leiter Vertriebs- und Marketingprogramme Saab Deutschland. „Das war natürlich auch für uns ein einmaliger Kundenwunsch, den wir gerne erfüllt haben.“ Gute Nachrichten für die zukünftigen Turbo X-Besitzer hat Djuren auch noch parat: So sind nun die genauen Versicherungseinstufungen für den Turbo X bekannt – und sie fallen mit Klasse 20 bei Vollkasko, 21 bei Teilkasko und 17 bei Haftpflicht für ein Modell dieser Fahrzeugklasse überaus günstig aus.

The New England Saab Association, an all-inclusive Saab club in the New England region of the United States that I started back in 1997, are now in a period of growth. This growth period is due to new leadership and an evolving membership base that have not only supported their website re-launch last fall, but have also recently supporting the updating of their logo, shown above.

From meeting with Seth Hedstrom, the new president of the NESA at the recent “Springtime in Sweden” event this past Saturday I asked why the logo was decidedly changed as I read their first official well executed newsletter, and here is his response.

“The club needs to be reflecting fresh and new ideas, and this new logo is our second change including the website update that maintain these focuses”

These words were encouraging and indicative of a leadership at the NESA that is doing their best to leverage the best past practices as well as the current trends and demands in the Saab club scene today.

I leave you with another quote from Seth in the latest NESA newsletter:

I think our progress so far shows that what will make this club excel in combining the diverse talents we all have with equal distribution, so as to always keep this an enjoyable experience. We are all here to have fun: to take a break from our professional, academic, or otherwise boring routines. That is what you can rely on in return for your contributions. That is my promise to you, and that is our goal of the club.

Best,

Seth Hedstrom

For more information, please visit their website http://www.nesaab.org

Photo Credit: Saab of Hunterdon

Saab of Hunterdon, a site sponsor of Saab History, has recently taken the “Born From Jets” ad slogan to a whole new meaning by showcasing a SAAB JA37 VIGGEN fighter jet for service in their “hangar”.

This goes to show you that Saab of Hunterdon’s service department has more than enough training to work on their jets on the ground, they are now reaching to new heights by servicing those jets in the air.

If you find yourself an owner of a SAAB jet whether on the ground or in the air, and need servicing, please give them a call, I am sure they will be more than happy to take care of your SAAB service needs.

By the way, will your service department be in need of a SAAB JA37 VIGGEN Haynes workshop manual anytime soon to repair that $45 million dollar SAAB?

For more information on Saab Service at Saab of Hunterdon, please visit their website directly. http://www.hunterdonsaab.com/

Photo Credit: Saab China

The Saab Performance Team will be coming to Saab Beijing and performing on May 3rd, 2008.

The Saab Performance Team who came to be during the Saab-Scania Saab Car Divisions 40th Anniversary Celebration in Sweden, have been performing ever since, including the 50th Jubilee 10 years later in 1997, and most recently during the 60th Anniversary Celebration in Trollhättan, Sweden. In parallel to the automobile acrobatics they perform, they also work as Saab engineers at Saabs technical center, also in Trollhättan, Sweden.

I have had the chance to see them three times, for the first time in 2005 during the Saab Festival in Sweden, in 2006 in Western, Massachusetts during the National “Born From Jets” tour, and most recently during the 2007 60th Anniversary Festival in Kinnekule racetrack in Sweden.

If you live in this region, I highly suggest you go and check them out, you will be glad you did!

The final presentation of the four George Washington University teams, will be taking place on Wednesday, April 30th, 2008. These four teams consisting of 8 members, 32 in total, will be presenting their findings to the Saab Automobile USA marketing team at that time.

Having been personally involved with two out of the four teams by providing some critical input over the past month, both Aisle 8 and Ad-Ventures, it will be interesting to see what these final presentations will look like to the Saab Automobile USA Marketing team of judges.

 
Having recently relocated to New England from Washington, D.C., I am no longer close enough to walk over to the campus like I had been doing. The GWU students were interested in having me present to see their findings on Wednesday, however the logistics just won’t be possible apparently. I like to think that I tried, keeping in mind that I had volunteered my time and input already.

I hope that the results of all four of these presentations on new ad campaigns are effective and take into effect, all of the most successful approaches and methods of the the past in concert with new intelligent and appropriate ideas for the most critical ad campaign in Saab USA’s history.

Lastly, I have been emphatically communicating that some sort of review take place for a select few of Saab enthusiasts to constructively crit of all Saab USA advertising campaign material prior to it hitting the public.

I eagerly look forward to these finding of this presentation in due time.

Photo Credits: Saab History & Christopher Campbell

On Saturday, April 26th, 2008 the fifth annual Springtime in Sweden took place in Amherst, New Hampshire from 10am until 3pm.

This event is in memory of Kyle (SPGUY) and his Brother Tim Crisman who lost their lives on the afternoon of November 3rd, 2002 in an automobile accident on their way home from visiting their Grandmother.

The idea of the annual Springtime in Sweden event was created, due to Kyle and Tim’s dream to some day, have a large Saab gathering at their home. This dream continues to reflect their wishes each and every year and this year, a record 70 plus Saabs turned out on a picture perfect day filled with sunshine to show their support.

The name “Springtime in Sweden” denotes a vehicle, specifically a limited-edition 1988 Saab 900 Turbo Convertible that Kyle dreamt about owning some day. This vehicle, now celebrating it’s 20th Anniversary this year (1988-2008), is now in the Crisman family due to a number of