GM FYI Blog

By Steve Shannon
General Manager, Saab USA

As many of you know, the 26th annual Saab Owners Convention took place this past weekend in Devens, MA just west of Boston.

Since Saab’s U.S. start in the late 1950s, the Northeast has been a “home away from home” for Saab, as many of the regional and seasonal circumstances closely mimic our Scandinavian origins. No wonder those thrifty two-strokes, as well as the now-classic 99 and 900 Turbos in the 1970s and ’80s, almost immediately found a local cult-like following.

This clearly showed at this year’s Saab convention, with over 400 owners present with their cars from all models and vintages from all over the United States, under perfect logistics and weather circumstances in the Devens area.

It was a bit of a personal homecoming for me as well, as I grew up in the Boston region. It was very nice to reconnect, and meet again in open dialogue with Saab owners from all over the U.S. I had met several last year for the first time, when the convention took place close to our current Saab headquarters in Detroit.

While last year’s event was special because of Saab’s 60th Anniversary as an auto maker, this year certainly had its unique attractions as well. First off, there was the convention’s theme of “30 Years of Turbocharging Leadership”, starting with the original 1978 Saab 99 Turbo.

Everything anybody needed to know about what it took to kick off that highly innovative Saab Turbo development, was shared with us on the opening night by Mr. Sten Wennlo who was the President of Saab’s worldwide operations at the time. Now 85 years old, he came over from Sweden and attended the convention as a guest of honor, sharing the good Saab word on every occasion. Sten, you’re my hero!

In addition to 30 Years of Saab Turbocharging, technology that now seems more relevant than it ever was, we used the opportunity to share many positive developments with the Saab family at large.

At Saab, turbocharging not only makes for impressive heritage but also for a model year 2009 portfolio with no less than seven individual models that deliver 27 mpg EPA highway or better. Not many of our competitors are doing better in the premium segment.

And the value of a Saab does not stop there. For the 2009 model year, our new vehicle warranty remains very competitive at four years/50,000 miles bumper-to-bumper including roadside assistance and courtesy transportation. As one of the few in the segment, we offer no-charge scheduled maintenance for 3 years/36,000 miles. Every new Saab has standard OnStar and XM, and Saab was just named the most improved brand in JD Power Appeal Study. Last but not least, Saab is introducing new technologies and products at a pace that is unprecedented in our 60-year plus history as an auto maker – thanks to the unwavering support of our parent company General Motors. No doubt about it, these are exciting times at Saab!

Following the launch of the all-black 2008 Saab Turbo X, introducing the latest in Saab Turbocharging as well as the state-of-the-art “Cross-Wheel Drive” system, we have two major product launches to look forward to in the very near future.

First, there will be an all-new Saab 9-4X Crossover, well received as a concept at this year’s Detroit auto show and positioned right in the middle of one of the hottest vehicle segments. Designed in Europe yet manufactured here in North America, the 9-4X offers us many opportunities to leverage all the advantages available to Saab owners close to home.

In addition, we are much anticipating the launch an all new Saab 9-5 flagship for Model Year 2010, aiming squarely at the best of the best of European premium sedans. All in all, Saab is clearly on the move with plenty of positive developments as far as the eye can see.

In closing, I wanted to express my kudos to the Saab Club of North America for a perfectly organized 2008 SOC, as well as already having announced next year’s Owners Convention taking place in Denver, Colorado for the weekend of August 12-15, 2009.

With so much Saab news in the pipeline, it looks like that event will be shaping up like another great opportunity for us to reconnect with the Saab family at large against the backdrop of our latest and greatest products. Looking forward to it!