Carli Lourens , Trade And Industry Editor
18 May 2004
Johannesburg — OUTRAGED Saab owners in SA have launched a website to expose the Swedish car manufacturer's "mismanagement", which it says has left the company stranded.
The value of the marque is said to have crashed after Saab's South African distribution agent, Absolut Motor Holdings, ran into financial trouble late last year.
Absolut's woes led to some Saab dealerships closing. Cape Town's Saab dealership reportedly closed two weeks ago.
Car owners said in the website www.saabdisaster.com it had become almost impossible to have their cars serviced, and there was little promise of the matter being resolved soon.
"Saab owners have witnessed the evaporating of service, plummeting resale values with dealerships now virtually nonexistent," stated the website .
"Saab, get over here and sort this mess out," one of the car owners said on the website.
The Saab dealership in Johannesburg yesterday referred all media queries to General Motors SA , formerly Delta Motor Corporation.
General Motors has been in negotiations with Saab in Sweden for some time, with a view to taking over distribution and maintenance of the cars in SA .
But General Motors spokesman Denise van Huyssteen said yesterday : "... we expect this process to continue".
The global Saab group belongs to General Motors the largest car maker in the world which acquired the remaining shareholding of Delta Motor Corporation that it did not already own last year.
SA is a very small market for the Swedish car maker, with only about 5000 Saabs on the country's roads.
Saab CEO Peter Augustsson earlier assured owners that the company would not withdraw from SA.
It has been reported that Saab in Sweden was not in good shape towards the end of last year, with the firm shedding jobs.
General Motors said it was aware of the difficulties experienced by customers.
"It is our intention that both parties (Saab and General Motors ) will reach an agreement on the distribution of these vehicles which will support the interests of existing and future Saab customers in SA," said Van Huyssteen .
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