Episode Information
WWL: Saab Stories
Aired:
12/22/2009
General Motors is winding down business at the Swedish Automaker Saab. But wait… Is there hope? Dutch company Spyker made a last minute bid to buy the company.
So, why should we care about this bulbous European automobile? Isn’t it just another car company whose time has come and gone?
Well, not if you’re passionate about Saabs - and here in New England, there are thousands of us who fit that description.
It’s basically the quintessential New England car - safe yet sporty, elitist but utilitarian, iconoclastic...but in a low-key, Yankee sorta way.
Today - where we live – We’ll get the latest news, talk about Saab’s deep Connecticut roots, and we’ll hear your Saab stories.
Links for this Episode:
Listener Email from Miriam
My first car was a 1983 SAAB 900s. it had 180,000 miles on it when I got it in 1995. I deeply loved that car. Over the time I owned it, weird little things would start and stop working, like the power windows, the odometer. The speedo did break and not start working again, but it was OK because I knew that 2500 RPM on the tac in fifth gear meant 65 mph.
One thing I really loved about that car was despite how old and beat it was, it always ran and it was always comfortable. I drove it back and forth from Virginia while I was in college and I spent a lot of time in the seat, which always felt good.
My current car is a 2001 SAAB 95 wagon. I bought it new and have put 130,000 miles on it and I plan on driving it into the ground.
Thanks for doing this story!
Saab and the Russians
How is it that when the prospect of selling Saab controlling shares to
Russian interests comes up, there is flack and the Dutch who want to
buy are forced to distance themselves from the Russians who have that control.
When Geely buys Volvo, however, that's all OK.
Is it because the Chinese lend humungous amounts of cash to the US
and the Russians are far behind China lending to the US?
Is it not Soyuz which recently docked with the space station?
I'm from Canada. I've owned both Saabs (3) and a Volvo.