Saab to Cut Workforce after Poor Sales Forecast

Sweden-based Saab Automobile plans to reduce its workforce by 200 employees or about one-eighth of its current staff, according to report from Reuters citing a union official. Hakan Skott, a union representative at Saab, told the news site that the move was expected after the company's new owner, Dutch supercar maker Spyker, cut the firm's sales target from 60,000 units in February, to 45,000 a few months later and finally to just 30,000 cars at end of October.

"I'm not exactly surprised [about the layoffs]. We reduced our sales forecast just a couple of weeks ago and there is a decline in sales every year around Christmas and at the end of the year," Skott said. "I'm sure that by February-March we will see an upward trend and people will buy cars again," he added.

Saab has said in the past that it needs to sell around 80,000 cars per year to break even.

On Friday, Swedish business daily Dagens Industri quoted Spyker's CEO Victor Muller as saying, "There is absolutely no reason to worry. Our plans for the future still stand. Next year, we will build 80,000 cars".

As for the staff being laid, Muller told the newspaper that they were temporary employees. "You take them aboard when you need them and when they are not needed, they are not on board."

Source: Reuters & Dagens Industri

Simbol Design K1 Attack is a Shed-Built Italian GT with an Alfa V6

From the creators of the Ferrari Enzo-emulating GTX-R comes the K1 Attack, a car that takes styling cues from the Spyker C8 Aileron, Lotus Europa and others. Simbol Design has fitted the Attack with an Alfa Romeo-sourced V6 turbo good for 246 horsepower. Mated to a 5-speed manual, this gives the custom built sports car an apparent 0 to 100 km/h [62 mph] time of 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 265 km/h [165 mph].

The K1 Attack also features a polyester body and a tubular steel chassis. It's not all good news, however. There are... F1 cars with more upmarket interiors and the design is more Chinese knockoff than Italian chic. Pricing of course remains unspecified.

By Tristan Hankins

Photo source: Simboldesign

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Swedish Regional Government Demands $15.9 Million in Debt from Saab

A local government authority in Sweden is seeking to recover US$15.9 million from Saab, even going so far as to enlist a government debt collector.

Vastra Gotaland, where Saab's main production plant is located, covered worker wages to the tune while the company was in administration. Now that Saab has its very own 'Daddy Warbucks' in the form of Spyker, the regional government wants its money back.

Spyker / Saab believes it should only have to pay part of the debt as it was underwritten during the administration process. Vastra Gotaland disagrees. Spyker CEO Victor Muller told Reuters news that he is unworried:

"Just a legal dispute that will [be] dealt with in the appropriate way. Nothing of concern."

We'll see how this plays out in the next few weeks and keep you updated on any new developments.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: Reuters

2010 Spyker C8 Aileron

2010 Spyker C8 Aileron Front View

2010 Spyker C8 Aileron Side View

2010 Spyker C8 Aileron Rear View

2010 Spyker C8 Aileron Dashboard

2010 Spyker C8 Aileron Wheel

Spyker C8 latest racing model

The GT2R is the latest racing model of the car and has 450 PS (331 kW) and an open top with a metal rollcage. The Spyker C12 LaTurbie is the most recent road model and also has a long wheelbase but comes with a new 12 cylinder 6.0 litre Audi W12 engine producing 500 PS (370 kW). Despite the changed designation, C12 instead of C8, the car's appearance is still similar to that of the C8 models. C12 refers to the twelve cylinders, while the C8 has only eight.


Spyker C8


Spyker C8


Spyker C8


Spyker C8


Spyker C8


Spyker C8


Spyker C8


Spyker C8


Spyker C8


Spyker C8


Spyker C8


Spyker C8


Spyker C8


Spyker C8


Spyker C8





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Spyker to Begin Selling Sports Cars at Saab Showrooms

In a move that won't surprise anyone in the automotive industry, Spyker Cars NV and Saab Automobile owner, Victor Muller, confirmed plans to sell Spyker's high-end sports cars through Saab retailers by the end of the year.

"We are signing up Spyker dealerships left, right and center," Muller said in an interview with the Bloomberg news agency at Saab's headquarters in Trollhaettan, Sweden.

The firm's CEO said that as Saab dealers open their doors, Spyker's dealer network will almost double in 2010 expanding from 35 to 60 outlets and to about 90 by the end of next year.

One of the first Spyker models to be sold through selected Saab outlets will be the C8 Aileron that can reach a top speed of 186mph or 300km/h, and carries a base price of $214,990 in the U.S.

Aside from the Swedish automaker's dealer network, Muller said that Spyker has also started to benefit from lower prices for "generic" parts such as windscreen wiper motors that Saab gets through its higher sales volumes, adding that Spyker also plans to "tap Saab's engineering resources".

"Spyker will be profitable in its own right, very much helped by its sister Saab," said Muller. "It's wonderful that the company that saved Saab is also benefiting from having done that in its own business."

Via: Bloomberg