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.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Three become two

According to sources of Svenska Dagbladet, three bidders on the Saab bankruptcy estate have now been reduced to two.

Last week news came through that the bankruptcy administrators would choose two preferred bidders with whom to negotiate a sale of the Saab bankruptcy estate. Now sources of SvD confirm that only two bidders remain and these two bidders are Chinese Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile and Indian Mahindra & Mahindra. A third bidder, said to be Japanese Panasonic and Chinese BAIC working with Swedish parties, has left the bidding. But a return for part of that consortium could be possible through an alliance with Mahindra.

A factor that could put extra pressure on the administrators to reach a quick sales deal, is the report that Hemfose, which last year bought half of the Saab property company, will demand rent from the administrators from May 15th and forward. Rent that would amount to millions and strain the economy of the estate.

All this now point to a Saab sale done shortly and possibly within the end of May.