In a webcast this morning, GM president and CEO Fritz Henderson dispelled a rumor that GM was planning on keeping Saab due to the anticipated success of the 2010 9-5. Henderson said both the upcoming 9-5 and 9-4x are "superb" models and GM is open to supporting Saab's future owner by finishing the development of the two cars. However, Henderson does not anticipate Saab emerging from its reorganization with GM at the helm.
The identities of the remaining bidders for Saab are unknown. Fiat has expressed interest in merging with GM's European operations, which include Opel and Saab. The Italian automaker also has spoken with the Swedish government about buying Saab.
Other potential buyers may include Chinese carmaker Geely and Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg. Saab also has caught the eye of some European investor groups and private equity firms.
An early summer sale of the brand is in line with the company's proposed spin-off date. Shortly after the Swedish brand filed for reorganization, it set a deadline of June for the completion of a sale.
Source: Automotive News Europe