RIP Saab

It had done 190k by the time I had had it the best part of a year. But since I got it, The head gasket went. The alarm which was a condition of the insurance went, and then took=20 nearly 3 months of visits to sort. The rear brakes needed replacing. The hydraulic line for the clutch popped, cost me a tow from home to the=20 garage plus best part of =A3180 parts and labour.

3 services. The top torque arm bush failed. The passenger side handbrake cable failed.

When I sold it I was certain the exhaust was starting to blow and car=20 while still smooth felt flat, and sounded louder.

--=20 Carl Robson Get cashback on your purchases Topcashback

Ex rental.

Fiat website says 3 yr Alfa website says 3yr Ferrari - dunno Maserati - dunno Lancia - who?

I know if you ask James May he can tell you what a Saab 9000 and an Alfa

164 are like back to back.

No, you're wrong.

Saab is about safety, comfort, understatement and sobriety, maturity, dependability, quiet efficiency.

It would sit well in the group, and yes, could be little more than it is now, two different sizes of Passat saloon and estate cars, and a sporty 4wd thing.

I haven't seen anything in the press about Fiat doing what has been suggested either.

It all seems to be about Chinese companies wanting Saab, and not wanting to pay much for it.

Fiat have been advertising a 5 year warranty on Bravos for a while.

I know it's standard in many European markets these days - not sure what the score is in the UK, to be honest.

Maybe Zoidy knows more, as he's just bought one?

452 156s, 345 of them petrol, 18 of them auto, 64 of them over 100k miles 1065 Rover badged 75s 235 MG ZT 96 MG ZTT, total 1396.

So more like 3.5:1. Which is very not 2:1.

And sporty? How many Alfas had V8s...

Nope, not at all. Maybe back in the day when Saab used the same engines as DKW was there a link to buyers being similar.

Saab have been for the academics, audis have been for those who like badges. Maybe since the GM buyout there has been more crossover from Saab to Audi, so maybe it is time to make Saab leftfield again and make Audi the mainstream choice and have both marques have less compromises, and use Saab design innovations across the board, as a research and design arm, like ford did with Volvo and GM should have done.

Fiat are in the running for Opel. I suspect there may be an Opel / Saab 'package' deal on offer, as they share so much in terms of drive train / chassis / engines etc.

You're only saying that 'cause dervy's got one.

If we're including the MG badged versions, then sales will be heavily skewed in favour of the Rovers.

Not many Rover / MG 75s had V8s either.

And those which did, didn't have a lot of extra power over a V6 Alfa anwyay.

You have a very skewed view of the market.

Shouldn't expect any less from the owner of a 'Japanese Mercedes', really.

No, I'm saying it because the 9-5 was much more individual, with a proper Saab engine, rather than something nicked from a Vectra.

I preferred the 9-3 with Caddy badges.....

2007 numbers:

Vw - 6346222 vehicles Peugeot/Citroen - 3457385 Fiat - 2679451 Renault - 2669040 Daimler - 2096977 BMW 1541503 (more cars than daimler, but no commercials)

Fiat come below Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, Nissan. Add Nissan to Renault and they beat ford...

2008 revenue shows Fiat on around 60 bn Euros vs 120-ish for VAG.

In fact, your figures are just proving what I originally posted!

If Fiat get Opel / Vauxhall and Chrysler, they'll surely secure no. 2 to VAG? - and those figures do pretty much tally to a 2:1 ratio at the moment.

You get worse.

There's more chance of that happening that Porsche / VAG coming in for Saab, not least because of the tie-ins SteveH has mentioned between Vauxhall / Opel and Saab.

But don't let that get in the way of you spouting yet more guff, eh.