Editing Saab Automobile (section)

{{Short description|Defunct Swedish car manufacturer (1945-2016)}}
{{About |the car manufacturer|the aerospace and defence company|Saab AB|other uses|Saab (disambiguation){{!}}Saab}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Saab Automobile AB
| logo = Saab_wordmark_grey.svg
| logo_size =  
| type = [[Division (business)|Division]]
| traded_as = 
| genre = <!-- Only used with media and publishing companies -->
| predecessor = 
| successor = [[NEVS]]
| foundation = {{Start date|1945}}
| defunct = 2016
| fate = [[Bankrupt]]
| founder = [[Saab AB]]
| location_city = [[Trollhättan]]
| location_country = [[Sweden]]
| location = 
| locations = 
| area_served = [[World]]wide
| industry = [[Automotive industry|Automotive]]
| products = [[Car|Automobiles]]
| production = 
| services = 
| revenue = 
| operating_income = 
| net_income = 
| assets = 
| equity = 
| owner = 
| parent = [[Saab AB]] (1945–1968)<br />[[Saab-Scania]] (1968–1990)<br />[[General Motors]] (1990–2010)<br />[[Spyker N.V.]] (2010–2012)<br />[[NEVS]] (2012–2014)
| divisions = [[Saab Aero]]
| subsid = 
| homepage = {{URL|https://saabparts.com/international/|saabparts.com}}
| footnotes = 
}}
'''Saab Automobile AB'''<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.saabusa.com/saabjsp/about/heritage.jsp | title = History and Background: Timeline, Video | publisher = Saab Group | place = US | date = 1 January 1980 | access-date = 11 February 2009 | archive-date = 23 February 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090223205615/http://www.saabusa.com/saabjsp/about/heritage.jsp | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | work = Saab history | url = http://www.saabhistory.com/1969/01/01/the-history-of-svenska-aeroplan-aktiebolaget-or-saab/ | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120915102655/http://www.saabhistory.com/1969/01/01/the-history-of-svenska-aeroplan-aktiebolaget-or-saab/ | url-status = dead | archive-date = 15 September 2012 | title = The History of Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget or Saab | access-date = 30 January 2010 }}</ref> ({{IPAc-en|s|ɑː|b}}) was a [[automotive industry|car manufacturer]] that was founded in [[Sweden]] in 1945 when its parent company, [[Saab AB]], began a project to design a small automobile. The first production model, the [[Saab 92]], was launched in 1949. In 1968, the parent company merged with [[Scania-Vabis]], and ten years later the [[Saab 900]] was launched, in time becoming Saab's best-selling model. In the mid-1980s, the new [[Saab 9000]] model also appeared.

In 1989, the automobile division of Saab-Scania was restructured into an independent company, Saab Automobile AB. The American manufacturer [[General Motors]] (GM) took 50 percent ownership. Two well-known models to come out of this period were the [[Saab 9-3]] and the [[Saab 9-5]]. Then, in 2000, GM exercised its option to acquire the remaining 50 percent. In 2010, GM sold Saab Automobile AB to the Dutch automobile manufacturer [[Spyker Cars N.V.]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Durrenberger|first=E. Paul|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zqMvDwAAQBAJ&q=General+Motors+acquires+Saab&pg=PT54|title=Uncertain Times: Anthropological Approaches to Labor in a Neoliberal World|date=15 August 2017|publisher=University Press of Colorado|isbn=978-1-60732-631-1|language=en|access-date=28 October 2020|archive-date=3 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230903090213/https://books.google.com/books?id=zqMvDwAAQBAJ&q=General+Motors+acquires+Saab&pg=PT54|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release | url= http://www.spykercars.nl/download/investor/closure_Saab_Feb_230210_final.pdf | title= Spyker Cars finalises the purchase of Saab | date= 23 February 2010 | publisher= Spyker | access-date= 17 December 2013 | archive-date= 7 August 2011 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110807161510/http://www.spykercars.nl/download/investor/closure_Saab_Feb_230210_final.pdf | url-status= live }}</ref>
[[File:Saab 900 GLE (2) (crop).jpg|thumb|260px|[[Saab 900]]]]

After many years establishing a sound engineering reputation and ultimately a [[luxury car|luxury]] price tag, Saab failed to build its customer base beyond its niche following.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/12/people-who-will-miss-saab-most/334092/ | title = The People Who Will Miss Saab the Most; With the bankruptcy and impending doom facing Saab, we mourn with the certain, loyal fans that will miss the Swedish auto-maker. | publisher = [[The Atlantic]] | place = US | date = 19 December 2011 | access-date = 7 November 2019 | archive-date = 7 November 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191107171635/https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/12/people-who-will-miss-saab-most/334092/ | url-status = live }}</ref> After struggling to avoid insolvency throughout 2011, the company petitioned for [[bankruptcy]] following the failure of a Chinese consortium to complete a purchase of the company; the purchase had been blocked by the former owner GM, which opposed the transfer of technology and production rights to a Chinese company.<ref>{{cite press release | url = http://newsroom.saab.com/news/news/saabautomobilefilesforbankruptcy.5.33e35a55134420c33657ffe39.html | title = Saab Automobile Files for Bankruptcy | publisher = Saab Automobile | date = 19 December 2011 | access-date = 20 December 2011 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120107175604/http://newsroom.saab.com/news/news/saabautomobilefilesforbankruptcy.5.33e35a55134420c33657ffe39.html | archive-date = 7 January 2012 }}.</ref> On 13 June 2012, it was announced that a newly formed company called [[National Electric Vehicle Sweden]] (NEVS) had bought Saab Automobile's bankrupt estate.<ref>{{cite news | first = Helena | last = Zachariasson | date = 13 June 2012 | url = http://svt.se/nyheter/ekonomi/saab-har-fatt-en-kopare | title = Saab har fatt en kopare | language = sv | work = SVT | place = SE | trans-title = Saab's new owners will hire hundreds | access-date = 20 October 2012 | archive-date = 23 October 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121023120501/http://www.svt.se/nyheter/ekonomi/saab-har-fatt-en-kopare | url-status = live }}</ref> According to "Saab United", the first NEVS Saab 9-3 drove off its pre-production line on 19 September 2013.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCd_VsK9MvY | title = First Nevs Saab Rolls off Pre-Production Line | date = 19 September 2013 | place = Trollhättan | publisher = Saab Group | type = video Posted | format = Youtube | access-date = 6 October 2013 | archive-date = 3 December 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131203053403/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCd_VsK9MvY | url-status = live }}</ref> Full production restarted on 2 December 2013,<ref>{{Citation | first = Valdemar | last = Lönnroth | date = 28 November 2014 | language = sv | place = SE | title = Lööf på plats nar Nevs drar igang produktion | url = http://ttela.se/ekonomi/saab/1.2576903-loof-pa-plats-nar-nevs-drar-igang-produktion | archive-url = https://archive.today/20131128195619/http://ttela.se/ekonomi/saab/1.2576903-loof-pa-plats-nar-nevs-drar-igang-produktion | url-status = dead | archive-date = 28 November 2013 | trans-title = Lööf in place when Nevs kicks off production | newspaper = Ttela }}.</ref> initially the same petrol-powered 9-3 [[Saab Aero|Aero]] sedans that were built before Saab went bankrupt, and intended to get the car manufacturer's supply chain re-established as it attempted development of a new line of NEVS-Saab products.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/auto/saab-restarts-production |title=Saab restarts production |first=Gary |last=Gastelu |work=Fox News |date=2 December 2013 |access-date=21 February 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218204459/http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/12/02/saab-restarts-production/ |archive-date=18 February 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://autonews.gasgoo.com/global-news/saab-automobile-is-poised-to-resume-production-131202.shtml |title=Saab Automobile Is Poised to Resume Production |first=John D. |last=Stoll |work=Gasgoo Automotive News |date=2 December 2013 |access-date=21 February 2015 |archive-date=21 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221185548/http://autonews.gasgoo.com/global-news/saab-automobile-is-poised-to-resume-production-131202.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> NEVS lost its license to manufacture automobiles under the Saab name (which the namesake aerospace company still owns) in the summer of 2014 and later produced electric cars based on the Saab 9-3 but under its own new car designation "NEVS".<ref>[http://europe.autonews.com/article/20140829/ANE/140829863/saab-carmaker-nevs-granted-creditor-protection-by-court-but-loses ''Saab carmaker NEVS granted creditor protection by court but loses right to use Saab name''; Automotive News Europe, 29 August 2014, at europe.autonews.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915204815/https://europe.autonews.com/article/20140829/ANE/140829863/saab-carmaker-nevs-granted-creditor-protection-by-court-but-loses-right-to-use-saab-name |date=15 September 2019 }} Accessed 8 November 2017</ref><ref name="NEVS new trademark">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nevs.com/en/media/press-releases/nevs-launches-its-new-trademark-and-sets-off-to-shape-the-future-of-mobility/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914013144/https://www.nevs.com/en/media/press-releases/nevs-launches-its-new-trademark-and-sets-off-to-shape-the-future-of-mobility/|url-status=dead|title=nevs.com: ''NEVS launches its new trademark''|archivedate=14 September 2016}}</ref>