#saab

Swedish automaker Saab is attracting more interest dead than alive. The officially bankrupt automaker is in the process of liquidating its assets and former rivals are lining up to buy a piece of the much-talked-about but little-bought maker of quirky cars.

The ongoing saga around Saab’s bankruptcy seems to never end, and this time around there may be six to seven serious bidders for the Swedish automaker, one of which is believed to be BMW.

Nails just keep dropping in Saab‘s coffin, despite Chinese company Youngman’s attempts to sway the tide otherwise.

Following Saab‘s declared bankruptcy, the outstanding balance on the $400 million euro ($526 million) loan given to the automaker by the European Investment Bank required payment, since it had been guaranteed by the Swedish Debt Office.

Last week we reported the news that Saab was auctioning off the vehicles in its museum, with over 120 different models looking to be separated from one another. It appears that Saab enthusiasts and the city of Trollhättan, where the museum is located, wasn’t too keen on that idea.

A Turkish private equity firm, Brightwell Holdings, has announced its interest in placing a bid on now bankrupt Swedish automaker, Saab. The firm, based out of Istanbul, invests in energy, transport and technology and wishes to buy all of Saab and wishes to keep production in Sweden.

Just when it seemed Saab would be gone from news headlines for good, Youngman swooped in again to make a bid.

Bold and ambitious, Victor Muller founded Spyker Swedish exotic sports cars before purchasing Saab, believing in its return to past glory under his leadership. Confident in his abilities, Muller’s gamble on Saab put Spyker in danger as well.

Next on the chopping block for Saab is the auctioning of over 120 Saab models from the Swedish automaker’s museum at its headquarters in Trollhättan.

It seems that General Motors is feeling a little guilty for how things went down with Saab, but just a little guilty. GM will be contacting 70,000 plus Saab owners and offering them the “GM Saab private offer” to help quell any negative feelings left over after the closing of Saab’s doors.

Just about 100 more Saabs will roll off the line after the Swedish automaker decided to send some employees back to finish incomplete units still standing in the factory.

With court appointed administrators having taken over the remnants of Saab following the automaker’s bankruptcy, exactly what to do with the company’s assets is still very much an ongoing process.

As another calendar year draws to a close it’s time to take a look back at the top 10 biggest stories of the year in the auto industry. It’s been a busy 12 months, starting all the way back in March when the Fiat 500 officially went on sale, marking the return of the brand to America. The last time an Italian car was sold here that didn’t cost six figures (or close to it) was 27 years ago. Since then, Fiat has introduced the 500C convertible model and most recently the Fiat 500 Abarth, aimed at enthusiasts.

Lost in the news regarding Saab‘s bankruptcy is the impact on US dealerships as they were forced to sell all vehicles as is and with no warranty since December 19th, 2011.

Though Youngman’s attempts to save Saab proved futile, it appears that the Chinese automaker isn’t giving up on Saab-related assets. Youngman announced that they’ve acquired the rights to Saab’s Phoenix vehicle architecture and also announced that they have intentions of setting up a firm in Sweden to develop a new car based on the Phoenix platform.