Rumor Mill: Renault/Nissan looking at Saab

Tex wrote:


I heard that DongFeng Motor Group was sniffing.
That would be interesting.

Salutations:

wrote:


Actually, save for the fact that Renault no longer is generally sold in North
America, it could be a great match in my books. Renault made some pretty solid
rigs with a lot of attention paid to better engineering solutions when last they
were sold over here in Canada.

Ugly though it was, the Fuego Turbo ran like a scalded cat. You know, when it
ran at all. I think Renault would actually try to run with SAAB advanced turbo
technology - instead of trying to work out a ways to stuff a V6 from a Saturn in.

'Le SAAB' frères?

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Interesting flow-on from GM selling their share in Fuji Heavy Industries
(parent company of Subaru).

Craig.

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says...

Well, if GM do file for Chapter 11 on the 18th, then they might want to
offload a little.
--
Carl Robson
Car PC Build starts again. http://smallr.com/rz
Homepage: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com

On Thu, 13 Oct 2005 13:52:43 +0100


What is this news of GM filing for chapter 11 on the 18th of October?

SG

I heard (BBC Radio 2 in the UK business news the other night), that the
American laws on bankruptcy change on 17 October so I'm guessing that
there are provisions within the new law that will assist GM shed their
restrictive unionised practices and pension liabilities with less pain
than under the present rules  Chapter 11 actually allows a company to
continue whilst the management restructures and hopefully should emerge
a changed and better things a few months/years later from Chapter 11
without the fear of creditors pulling the rug from under the company.
Most famously, Enron has recently emerged from Chapter 11, a totally
changed and much smaller company.

I'm sure if we wait a few minutes there will be a lawyer along to put me
right!

Cheers,

Andy
--
Andrew Sinclair         http://www.smellycat.org

On 10/13/2005 5:26 PM, Saab Guy wrote:

I highly doubt it.  GM has a lot of cash on hand and could easily sell
GMAC to get more.

nothing@yahoo.com says...

Currently just a business rumour that the business press and radio have
been picking up on.

But Delphi, the former GM, and now independant parts company that is the
biggest supplier to GM, and has GM as it's biggest customer, is
definatley filling for Chapter 11 to allow it to continue trading and
try to work itself out of bancruptcy.
--
Carl Robson
Car PC Build starts again. http://smallr.com/rz
Homepage: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com

According to an article I read earlier this summer, GM has some serious
issues with its pension & medical plans. In the last contract with the UAW
union, GM agreed to pay something like 95% of all medical for all its
current employees and 100% for all of its retirees. If anyone knows the
state of the medical industry (yes, industry) in the US, there has been a
massive increase in costs in the last decade, along the lines of 15-20%
annually. These costs are starting to really cut into GM's bottom line, so
much so that they are starting to rob their other divisions and accounts to
pay for the cost of the medical plan. With the bankruptcy of Delphi, GM has
to contractually take over the pensions of Delphi's workers, further cutting
into its bottom line.

There has been talks of GM trying to renegotiate the contract with the
unions but they will likely refuse to go along. This may well drive GM into
a bankruptcy that will make Enron and WorldCom look like your local mom and
pop store going out of business. All of its pensions would be off-loaded on
the federal government's Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, freeing GM
of the burden and forcing the US Government to pay for the whole stinking
mess. Don't even try to figure how "W" will try to pay for that and give the
country away to the highest campaign contributer.

My sources for this were the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News and Money Magazine
from some time in June of this year.
(Delphi used to be DELCO which stood for Dayton ELctronic COmponents, I
believe)

Jeremy

Jerem43@rcn.com says...


It isn't looking good, looks like some of the less mainstream brands may
get moved along then.
--
Carl Robson
Car PC Build starts again. http://smallr.com/rz
Homepage: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com

The Money article said that they will probably start shutting down the
smaller marks, specifically Buick. Buick, like Oldsmobile before it, is
viewed by many as a tired brand here in the US. They suggested that GM would
probably go with five major brands- Chevy as their mainstream, Caddy as the
luxury, GMC as their commercial line, Pontiac as the performance group and
Saturn as the economy line. Hummer, Saab and Opel/Vauxhall/Holden (OVH for
simplification) were really not discussed.

If they are going to kill another mark, I would think they would elimnate
OVH or sharply reorganize the OVH low- and mid-tier brands in favor of
Chevy. It would be a logical move on their part as OVH are "local" brands,
each being (mostly) limited to one of GM's geographical markets. Chevy is
currently found in three of GM's six markets- The EU, North & South America.
Chevy and OVH have very similar reach of products though the low- and
mid-tier levels, with OVH having some higher end products that would be
Buick or Caddy in the US. Holden already has product overlap with Chevy and
Pontiac in the US. By merging OVH's low- and mid-tier levels with Chevy it
would establish two things- a single international brand in all six markets
and a simplified product offering. The OVH top-tier brands could become the
equivalent of Caddy of Europe. I now many view the OVH brands with some
scorn overthere, but with some serious work, the marks could be revitalized
much like Caddy was here in the US.

Saab is a bit of red-haired step child in GM and I honestly do not know what
they will do with it. GM currently aim it as a competitor of Volvo and Audi
here in the States. It is their only European mark in this hemisphere. In
fact, Saab is GM's only European brand that has worldwide brand recognition
in all six of its markets, which I see as a plus for the brand as an ongoing
product. It is a rather American POV, but GM is still a US company.

Also, according to an AP wire report this morning, the UAW and GM have
reached a tentative agreement to restructure healthcare cost. The Union will
be picking up about 25% more of the costs associated with its members, their
families and retirees.

Jeremy

I liked the last Aurora and the young set was gravitating to Olds when
GM pulled the plug.  Marketing 101?  Buick has always been viewed as the
car of choice for those that don't want to appear ostentatious in a
Caddy.  Marketing 101?

Dan

On 10/18/2005 5:51 AM, Jeremy Brown wrote: