IMPORTANT NEWS: National Electric Vehicle Sweden has agreed to buy the assets of Saab Automobile and the sale is expected to be finalized during the summer.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Muller around the world continues

Earlier we have read that Saab's CEO and Chairman Victor Muller has been seeking investors in China, which he found, and in the USA. A few years back when Spyker was the only car brand on his desk, Muller found investors in the Middle East and Russia. Now according to PrivataAffärer, Swedish news paper Dagens Industri reports that he has recently been in Brazil seeking potential investors. There he supposedly met a financially strong importer which wants Saab to start production in Brazil, due to very high import taxes on vehicles. It is however uncertain what will come out of the trip to Brazil.

On another note, back in China Youngman expresses much faith in Saab's research and development capability. Huang Zhiqiang, who is vice president of Zhejiang Youngman Passenger Car Group, has told media that as soon as the investment in Saab is finalized, the company will push for the expansion of the Saab lineup both in the low and high end, with a 9-1, 9-6X and 9-7. Vehicles that will be developed by a new Swedish Saab and Youngman R&D joint venture. This confirms the information in the press release from early July.

Also worth noting is that Youngman and Pang Da's investment plan in Saab has already been filed with China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), which decides if Chinese companies are allowed to make big investment with foreign companies. The reports lately that Pang Da and Youngman will soon file an application with the NDRC concerning Saab, does only apply to the business plan and feasibility report. The investment application has already been filed.