Update — this hyped headline hid a story that wasn’t as sensational as expected. Read on.
We’ve all looked for signs from within GM’s inner management circle for any future changes in Saab and it’s position within the General Motors framework. This has been debated, mostly by Saab enthusiasts, I will say, for years. The answers from the General have always come back with “Saab has a purpose” for GM. Today, we may have a chink in that armor.


Unfortunately, the article is available via supscription only, but the UK’s just-auto.com (http://www.just-auto.com) has posted an interview with the Chief Operation Officer for General Motors, Fritz Henderson. The article’s initial “teaser” paragraph paraphrases Mr. Henderson as saying that “while the brand [Saab] is strategically important to GM, it is no sacred cow and has to perform”.


I don’t think that this attititude is really news; after all, I’m sure that we could dig up some other parallel quotes that show the same “Saab must perform” mantra. However, to my knowledge, this is the first open acknowledgement that Saab is expendable. Don’t get me wrong — there’s huge difference between “Saab’s no sacred cow” and “Saab’s got to go”, but I think that where there are small outward moves there are likely strong under currents within the organization.


I truly wish that I had a subscription to the site to read the whole column in context, but I don’t. If any of you can supply the whole column, please provide to Swade or me and we’ll expand this post.


http://www.trollhattansaab.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/fritz-headline-oct-2008.jpg (http://www.trollhattansaab.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/fritz-headline-oct-2008.jpg)


UPDATE——————


Thanks to the contributions of both Dan9-1 and Örjan in comments, we get the larger story, which is always less sensational than the headlines (note to self: study the context, study the context…). Please have a look at their comments below for the full article, I’ll add these comments:


1. I think that it’s healthy and perhaps necessary for GM to recognize that they can’t keep putting Saab off until tomorrow. Saab has to produce, and they’ve got to produce quickly.


2. Fritz Henderson is on track, of course, when he says:


<blockquote>“Where are our customers going? They are looking at smaller packages and four-cylinder engines, turbocharging. Saab meets those requirements - that's its DNA.


“We'll have to see if the next generation of Saab vehicles is successful, but this is a brand that doesn't cross-sell with other GM brands, the customers are highest income, highest level of education, the vehicles are highly fuel-efficient, turbocharged four-cylinder engines…I think it's worthwhile for us at GM to try to make it a success.�

</blockquote>
3. And then, Fritz dons his “Captain Obvious” (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=captain+obvious) hat:


<blockquote>“On the brand issues, the product range was too narrow, we didn't have sufficient scale and so it's about broadening the brand and making it more relevant with a bigger product portfolio.”

</blockquote>
On the whole, really what you’d sort of expect a CFO to say when questioned by a reporter: we’re doing everything possible to make the company healthy.


So, this wasn’t the bombshell that I thought it to be based upon the headlines. Carry on.



http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/trollhattansaab/ceTX?i=FzbQyW</img> (http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/trollhattansaab/ceTX?a=FzbQyW)

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/trollhattansaab/ceTX/~4/412938804