Dongfeng rumored to be interested in fallen Saab assets

Industry News | Ash | December 28, 2011 at 9:21 pm

With Saab’s demise into bankruptcy being confirmed in the week before Christmas the automotive vultures have started to emerge, as with MG-Rover’s death in 2005 multiple parties have emerged expressing an interest in buying the remaining assets of the stricken company. Youngman are expected to receive the lions share, but an outsider – Dongfeng Auto – has appeared on the horizon.

Dongfeng Group is China’s third largest automaker and boasts joint ventures with world leading car names, Nissan, Honda, PSA, and Kia but it does lack a strong self developed brand, its own branded cars are based off older handed down IPR from their partners. Saab’s core IPR was sold onto Beijing Auto Industry Corporation in 2010, and later Saab used GM technology to develop its latest 9-5 and future 9-3 models, however Saab was working on the much talked about Phoenix platform which never saw the light of day owing to the bankruptcy and is still at the concept stage according to reports.

It’s not clear what assets remain with Saab being winded down, of course the name will have reverted to the Saab Aersopace Group and the majority of IPR used in Saab vehicles belongs to GM, the factory and tooling will remain up for grabs.

Youngman and Dongfeng will be vying for Saab technology against an unknown Turkish company who have reportedly entered the ring.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.