According to reports out of Sweden, at least three independent groups have shown substantial interest in picking up where Koenigsegg ’s negotiations to acquire Saab ended.
Chinese automaker Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation, which was set to become a minority investor in Koenigsegg, is said to have been the first to contact General Motors about purchasing Saab, but credible reports indicate that two American investment groups, billionaire investor Ira Rennert’s Renco and Wyoming-based Merbanco, are also actively pursuing the brand.
Merbanco president Christopher Johnston confirmed in an interview yesterday with Bloomberg that Merbanco would be willing to acquire a majority stake in Saab .
“I do not believe that the company should be closed,†Johnston said. “Whoever buys Saab, or if GM keeps Saab, there’s a lot of work ahead but I believe that the company should survive.â€
Reports late last night indicated that no formal written offers have been submitted, although a Saab spokesperson confirmed that the company has been speaking to outside parties.
“We have a close dialogue and close contact with several who have expressed interest in buying Saab Automobile,” Saab spokesperson Gunilla Gustavs told Reuters.
Swedish enterprise minister Maud Oloffson said that while the government is not participating in the search for a buyer for Saab.
“It is Saab owner General Motors that should find a new buyer, not the government,” Maud Olofsson said in an interview with Sweden’s TT news agency. “Now it is in the hands of GM and it is they who should find a new buyer. It feels positive that GM has not given up hope of finding a new buyer.”
