The historic Trollhattan factory, now emptied, will probably be demolished. It is the end without appeal for the Swedish company which was at the technical forefront until the 1990s
In a time where historic factories are abandoned (see the Maserati in Grugliasco) and others are at risk of closure, it is no surprise to talk about the final act of a car manufacturer. But it is still sad to know that the Saab plant in Trollhattan – in western Sweden – has been emptied, also because in other cases the brand survives such an event while for the Swedish brand it corresponds to disappearance. All the machinery and equipment went to Surplex, the German giant for the resale of plants and company assets resulting from the closure of factories, construction sites and bankruptcies. Probably the gigantic presses, the assembly lines and the numerical control machines will be dispersed in several destinations but the Swedish media, easily out of nationalistic pride – have underlined how it would be theoretically possible to restart the production of the iconic 9-3, assuming they own it industrial rights.
REAL ESTATE DESTINATION
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With the warehouses and historic buildings completely emptied, the time should also have come for the demolition of the Trollhattan plant which, moreover, had been sold by the last owner – National Electric Vehicle Sweden (Nevs) in 2023 to the Swedish Stenhaga Invest which Initially, he said he wanted to sell or lease the factory to another car manufacturer. But it could now transform the area into a large-scale real estate investment. For Saab Automobile AB, just 80 years after its foundation, it seems like the definitive end. Technically, it was the automotive division that Svenska Aeroplan AktieBolaget (Swedish Airplanes Joint Stock Company), an industrial group founded in 1937 and still active in various sectors, decided to create by exploiting the experience gained with civil and military aircraft.
THE CHINESE ATTEMPTS
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After all, for Saab Automobile, it was an agony that had lasted for about fifteen years: in 2008, the majority shareholder GM – in serious crisis – put it up for sale, setting a two-year limit for closing it. It being understood that the following year it launched the new 9-5 which Spyker Cars continued to produce until 2011 before ending up in a whirlwind round of ownership changes. The bankruptcy filing on December 19, 2011 led to Saab Automobile being placed into receivership. There have been attempts to bring the brand back to life, almost always with Chinese capital, but to no avail. Curiosity: the last one dates back to 2019 when Nevs – the Swedish start-up that had recovered the Saab assets in 2012 – announced the start of production of a 9-3 EV in China, with an expected pace of 50,000 cars per year and marketing initially limited to the domestic market. Luckily, he chose to offer it under his own brand, also definitively renouncing the Saab name. An act of respect, towards a house that has always been at the forefront and has produced jewels like the 900 Turbo.
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