Approximately one week after announcing it was interested in purchasing Saab from General Motors, Dutch sports car manufacturer Spkyer Cars N.V. is reportedly the preferred bidder for the Swedish automaker.
Automotive News claims GM is close to selecting a Saab suitor that will progress to final negotiations, partly because the Swedish government is putting pressure on GM to make a move. Reports indicate GM is leaning toward a buyer that has experience in small-scale production, which sounds an awful lot like Spyker.
Still, Spyker isn’t the only company interested in scooping up Saab. Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company — the Chinese automaker that helped back the aborted Koenigsegg bid — is reportedly still interested in Saab. BAIC is reportedly in talks about making a partial purchase of Saab assets. The London Times reports that BAIC has in fact purchased tooling and rights with manufacturing the last-generation 9-3 and 9-5 models.
GM will support the subsidiary through the end of the year, and if no deals are closed by then, Saab will simply be shuttered. Saab officials won’t comment on the situation, saying only that the firm is “well on track.” Of course, much like the drama that surrounded the workings of a proposed Opel sale, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over…
Source: Automotive News, Times Online
