Saab owner lays out plans

One of the key men behind Koenigsegg’s imminent takeover of Saab has said he wants to refine the “soul and spirit” of the ailing Swedish manufacturer.

Designer Baard Eker owns a 49 per cent stake in Koenigsegg and he has been key in persuading investors in his native Norway, as well as the US, to back the supercar firm’s takeover of Saab.

His company designs Koenigseggs, as well as speedboats and high-end consumer electronics.

He said: “Saab has to refine their quality level, their soul and spirit and we believe that this is something we can help with. The most interesting thing is that GM thinks the same.”

Eker would not confirm details of the negotiations, but he instead praised the backers who had put up the funds for Saab in the current tough economic times.

“There is not as much capital around these days, but there are also not as many interesting projects, and we

have been told that this is a very interesting project to be a part of financially,” he said.

Eker criticised the lack of creativity within the industry at the moment, and also the speed in which major manufacturers are adapting to environmental issues.

Regarding Saab’s green future, he said: “Obviously we have some ideas but it’s too early to talk about them, but environmental thinking is a very important thing in our view.”

via: autocar