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T1G UP

Member Since: 08 Dec 2009
Location: Bath
Posts: 3101

2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Orkney Grey

SAAB gone bust! what you gona do now Zag!

http://www.mindfulmoney.co.uk/9293/economi...wrong.html

can't see them coming back...sign of the times.

cars anyway!

20th Dec 2011 2:00pm

Zagato
Site Supporter

Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Billingshurst West Sussex
Posts: 5013

The problem is or was GM not wanting sell off it's "technology/inovation" part of SAAB cheap to the Chinese. Talks were going on and on without agreement.

Parts are still coming through and many parts are made outside of SAAB, quite a few parts are also common to other vehicles.

I've been a member of the SAAB owners club since I was 7 years old and have had about 20 SAABs but real SAABs ended with the 900 which was a long time ago as you know. GM didn't help the company at all, poor marketing, development etc it just became a big Vauxhall, it used to be a quirky, quality product incorporating some very good ideas, .

I buy them now as they are cheap. We bought our 05 SAAB for 4K when it was 4 years old (27K new!) and it will carry on for another 8-10 years until it bites the dust. Very cheap motoring

It's the last of the old 2.2 diesels which is better than the newer 1.9 and it was in production for maybe 10 -15 years so parts will be readily available. It soooo boring though!! We did the same with a 9000, bought for £3.5K and it 8 years ran it into the ground - that was a good fast quality motor. Even 50K Jags don't have that quality interior anymore.

Honker who works for Vauxhall can explain this better. Most cars are made from the same stuff whether it be Kia or RR. Seen the poor quality plastic in Discoveries...shocking. OK when it's cheap but you don't get value for money in these 30K plus cars in comparison.

Defenders are different they last forever have a variety of uses and are cool, RR's/Discoveries are just cars that will fade away when outdated, look at there older second hand values compared to Defenders. See what i did their

Last edited by Zagato on 20th Dec 2011 2:55pm. Edited 1 time in total

20th Dec 2011 2:26pm

Grockle

Member Since: 24 Nov 2008
Location: Peak District National Park
Posts: 2266

2008 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Tonga Green

I'll do you a good deal on pre owned XF Zag

2.4 90 XS
1968 1/32 scale Britains 109 Pick up.

20th Dec 2011 2:38pm

Zagato
Site Supporter

Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Billingshurst West Sussex
Posts: 5013

I'd pay for the engine but not the rest

For me it's about value for money and I have to how ever bad and boring the SAAB 95 is it's a far better product then the Defender

It's reliable, doesn't rust, doesn't leak, warms up when in traffic, still noisy

all mod cons etc etc it;s just boring like most modern cars to me. Does the job and cheaply but you need enthusiasm in life

Still can't believe I paid 28K for a car when you don't need to spend more than 5K but when you can a lot off against tax, I made 10K from the sale of my Jag replica so it only really cost me 18K and it will last me a lifetime AND I love jumping into it every morning....why not!

Last edited by Zagato on 20th Dec 2011 3:05pm. Edited 2 times in total

20th Dec 2011 2:57pm

Grockle

Member Since: 24 Nov 2008
Location: Peak District National Park
Posts: 2266

I've got a 2.7d engine at £16,950.00 which would come with a free body

2.4 90 XS
1968 1/32 scale Britains 109 Pick up.

20th Dec 2011 3:04pm

walfy

Member Since: 29 Aug 2007
Location: Frome
Posts: 2673

I think SAAB have bigger fish to fry than their auto division. They have more fingers in more pies than you would expect. THe car was only a small part of the empire. They have a few lucrative contracts with several Army's around the world UK being 1 of them 110 D250 SE HT
110 USW SOLD
RRE HSE Dynamic Gone, wife killed it
VOLVO XC60 R Dynamic with some toys

Polaris RZR 900XP SOLD

20th Dec 2011 3:11pm

Zagato
Site Supporter

Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Billingshurst West Sussex
Posts: 5013

Grockle wrote:
I've got a 2.7d engine at £16,950.00 which would come with a free body

for that I would have one of these

Or this an AC Ace replica

What I would really like for 15K is a Fergus Mosquito Aston Martin Ulster replica. Only 3-5 were built. I was offered first refusal on it a month ago but havn't got the money. I have thought about selling the Defender but can't do it

15K is top money for it as well and i like to buy and sell with a bit of profit at least

l

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

Last edited by Zagato on 20th Dec 2011 3:22pm. Edited 2 times in total

20th Dec 2011 3:12pm

DefenderOfTheEarth

Member Since: 09 Nov 2010
Location: Cornwall, UK
Posts: 1304

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Tonga Green

Just like Alfa who got "GM'd" they went from innovative, stylish cars to dull Euroboxes.

Wife's uncle has a 9-3 TiD - it had the same engine and almost the same chassis as our old Astra 1.9CDTi 150 (estate), was slower, had worse spec, yet cost about 30% more new. No wonder they struggled.

A shame though. Defender 110XS SW gone... now VW California 180 4 Motion.

20th Dec 2011 3:13pm

Zagato
Site Supporter

Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Billingshurst West Sussex
Posts: 5013

The early GM SAABs were terrible. The build quality and design was appalling. The early 93 suffered many things but cracked bulkheads were one of the worst. I said goodbye to SAAB along time before GM took over

If they had gone to Porsche when they were interested it would be a different picture

20th Dec 2011 3:26pm

Zagato
Site Supporter

Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Billingshurst West Sussex
Posts: 5013

A tribute to SAAB. Eric Carlsson and his wife Pat Moss (sister of Stirling!) Imagine that little 2 stroke winning RAC rallies over the likes of Porsche etc

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20th Dec 2011 3:33pm

Honker

Member Since: 26 Jun 2011
Location: St Albans
Posts: 353

2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Corris Grey

Tis a great shame. They were still a good brand.

As to why all the deals fell through, well maybe its because in China , Buick have just sold their 3 millionth car with a joint venture with the SAIC ( Shanghai Automotive) and Wuling Motors ( I know sounds all Water Margin like).

The best seller is the Buick Regal which is based (80%) on the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia.

The current Saab range is mostly underpinned by Opel/Vauxhall product. The new 9-5 is a stretch wheelbase Insignia.

So if Saab was sold to another Chinese company (Pang Da and Youngman) they would take with it the intellectual property of the product currently used by Buick in their JV with SAIC. Bit of a snag there. Pro sell off people would point out that those 2 companys are not car manufacturers but distributor/coachbuilder, but they still have access to IP.

The Saab name reverts now back to Saab AB...and as walfy says they'll look to their other 'business.

Does mean the more interesting Saabs ( 99 turbos) suddenly become even more collectable.

Stu

20th Dec 2011 3:42pm

walfy

Member Since: 29 Aug 2007
Location: Frome
Posts: 2673

A bit of trivea. At a recent HR meeting with my HR boss she went through the SAAB history and evolutions. THe AB bit is just the Swedish version of "Ltd". Or that was how she explained it in 1/2 Swedish 1/2 English 110 D250 SE HT
110 USW SOLD
RRE HSE Dynamic Gone, wife killed it
VOLVO XC60 R Dynamic with some toys

Polaris RZR 900XP SOLD

20th Dec 2011 3:47pm

Zagato
Site Supporter

Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Billingshurst West Sussex
Posts: 5013

SAAB - Svenska Aeroplan Aktie Bolaget - Swedish Aeroplane Corporation

Unfortunately good SAAB 99 TURBO's are few and far between as they rusted so badly around the wheel arches etc

Fantastic car though, and great memories of being thrown around in the back seat as a kid when I was driven around a rally track in one

Nearly threw up on the beautiful red upholstery, there has never been a better interior

.

SAAB of course where the first people to develop the Turbo successfully for use in cars. The gearboxes couldn't really handle the power though and this lasted through to the 900 range

20th Dec 2011 4:18pm

Grockle

Member Since: 24 Nov 2008
Location: Peak District National Park
Posts: 2266

Zagato wrote:
Grockle wrote:
I've got a 2.7d engine at £16,950.00 which would come with a free body

for that I would have one of these

Or this an AC Ace replica

What I would really like for 15K is a Fergus Mosquito Aston Martin Ulster replica. Only 3-5 were built. I was offered first refusal on it a month ago but havn't got the money. I have thought about selling the Defender but can't do it 15K is top money for it as well and i like to buy and sell with a bit of profit at least
l

'ere Zag,the AC Ace replica (Accrington registration) in the photo isn't that owned by Fergus Mosquito's sister Bluebottle ?

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated

2.4 90 XS
1968 1/32 scale Britains 109 Pick up.

20th Dec 2011 4:52pm

Zagato
Site Supporter

Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
Location: Billingshurst West Sussex
Posts: 5013

Your a beer ahead of me Grockle, give me ten minutes, I'll catch you up and we'll be talking the same language

20th Dec 2011 4:59pm

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