Chinese Geely Acquisition Of Volvo Car

[Richard]

Good grief, the comparing of an innovative and original car-manufacturer like Saab with Rover is obviously not relevant,
but mentioning Volvo and Vauxhall in the same breath is outright insulting.

I was referring to the fact that both were bought by foreign companies, left to flounder by selling old models beyond their sell by date, and then closed the home factories with their technology sold off to Chinese companies. Identical to Rover.

Not sure how a company with models as old as the current 9-3 (2002) and 9-5 (1998) could be innovative? Especially when the 9-3 is based on the Vectra, and the 9-5 is based on the Omega. That's original?

ps - there have been SAABs in my family since 1990, and I've bee envious of people with them since I was a child. I love them and am sad to see them go, especially as there were new products promised over the horizon.

[xpensive]

Perhaps WB has some inside on BMW's impressions of "The English patient", a ten billion DM xperience, wasn't it?

[gibells]

You do have to question BMW's sense some times, although I'm pretty sure the Outrageous success of the Mini has eased the pain of the money they ploughed into Rover, Land-Rover, (and subsequantly) the Phoenix highwaymen. And I could never work out why they spent all that money developing the outstanding Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery 3 only to sell it before the investment paid off. And I think they could have made Rover work if they had got rid of the aweful K-series motor way back in 1994, and been more forthright in development of Rover's model (i.e. doing some good old fashioned badge engineering of their older models).

Anyway, I guess my point is mergers very very rarely work. The only success seems to come when manufacturers produce one model with (several) different skins (like VW). In some ways countries should take note of how Italy do it (actually being bothered about their manufacturing sector). Not sure about Sweden, but all Britain care about is their Banking Sector (and we've seen which way thats gone ).

[sebbe]

Not sure how a company with models as old as the current 9-3 (2002) and 9-5 (1998) could be innovative? Especially when the 9-3 is based on the Vectra, and the 9-5 is based on the Omega. That's original?

Well, current 9-3 family was presented at the end of 2008; the project was delayed twice by Detroit management. And if a 12-year old 9-5 is still being produced it's because good old GM stopped the development of 9-5 replacement twice.
The 9-5 wagon is still one of the best looking wagons out there, by the way.

So, it's not Saab's fault, but GM's negligence.

And as punishment for the lack of sales, Rick Wagoner pulled the plug to the development of the production version of the 9x, way back in 2001.

[Richard]

Well, current 9-3 family was presented at the end of 2008

I saw that as a face lift rather than a brand new model.

a 12-year old 9-5 is still being produced it's because good old GM stopped the development of 9-5 replacement twice.

That's the maddening bit, the all new 9-5 (not a facelift) was on the verge of production. I know the Chinese have only bought the technology, not the factories, but we can only hope that the new models make it to production in China, just like the Mini was saved from Rover.

[xpensive]

That's the maddening bit, the all new 9-5 (not a facelift) was on the verge of production. I know the Chinese have only bought the technology, not the factories, but we can only hope that the new models make it to production in China, just like the Mini was saved from Rover.

The Chinese have bought the tools for the production of the old 9-5 to be continued in China, nothing else.