British-Cars.org

Welcome to the DMR Site for British Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite General - RIP Saab?... is it true (again).

I know you can't believe everything that you read on t'interweb, so I got to ask is this true?

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/12/saab-hits-the-end-of-the-road/

If it is then it's another sad day for motoring, I liked their individualness (new word alert!).
Andrew McGee

I think so, I was surprised to read it... I thought they had gone bust a dozen times already this year!

Malcolm
Malcolm Le Chevalier

Kinda think they lost their soul when they went bust last time and were bought by GM - having said that, I too will miss them - make a nice change from the Volvo to tow horses with .....!
rachmacb

I read this too on AR online, mixing the quality of Saab with the lack of quality Vauxhall has done the damage in my opinion...
Ste Midget K

When GM finally took over Saab a couple of years ago, Saab were already using a lot of GM parts. The headline intentions declared by GM was that they wanted to develop the brand building on its sporting past and quality car market potential. There was lots of encouraging talk about investment in R & D and developing new sports models. Sadly it was all just words and GM failed to provide the promised investment. Although I think I read that there is - or was - a new model in the pipeline.

GM blocked the sale of the company as a going concern as they don't want their intellectual rights to go to China, so the company has filed for bankruptcy. This leaves the likelihood now that Saab will either disappear completely, or more probably end up effectively with the name/ brand bought by a far eastern company with just a nominal presence in Sweden as happened with MG.

Guy
Guy

Most sad is the demise of the Saan museum in their home town.
No one has the funds to buy the complete collection of 150 cars and they now will mostlikely be sold at auction
Onno K

Just to go off thread a bit, as Guy mentioned what happened to MG.

In the MG6 subject there's a thread from someone in the US wondering what has happened to it.

The marketing of what is supposed to be a renaissance of the MG marque in the UK seems a bit pathetic.

To date I haven't seen one on the road.

Dave

D MATTHEWS

With the market size in China the comparable scope for sales in the UK is minute. The brand MG probably overall has more potential in China than it does in the UK, so why would they bother to promote it here?
Guy

I read the MG6 is planned to enter the BTCC, but you can never believe press releases!
Max max-at-midgetmax-dot-com

Sad to see this happen. We owned a model 96 with the V-4 and it served us well. Modest cost, fun to drive, good in winter, and fairly easy to service.

Larry C.
Larry C '69 Midget

I think I read in the paper the other day they've only sold two or three hundred MG6s since they were launched. Believe it or not I parked next to one in a car park in Oxford yesterday! Didn't move me in any way whatsoever!
Saab on the other hand is very sad. As a Saab owner for the last fourteen years with my Dad having a 99 for seven years in which I learned to drive, it is a great shame that Gm have contrived to ruin a company with a great history who made interesting, safe if somewhat quirky cars. I believe Volvo and Saab regularly disputed between themsleves as to who introduce which safety innovation first but our old family 99 was built like a tank (sort of drove like one too)
The two 9-5s I've had have been great even if there are a few GM part bin bits inside and our present one has just done over 100,000 miles with no major faults.
I only hope some sort of rebirth can be arranged as the design and manufacturing team seemed to be doing little wrong and even under the GM influence they still produced quality cars that were just that bit different.
Matt1275Bucks

I would hope tata in india would be able to acuire saab...

i have a new respect for tata ever scence they purchased JAG...at 1st i didnt like the sale of jag from ford to tata...but i have to tell ya, india, is an economic growing powerhouse.... They truely love capitalism and innovation

I certanily regret making past crude statment agianst there nation
But i do, i really think saab can have a new long life under tata...

Another good fit, but i could never see it happening is ...kia

Hahaha....okay, now im just being retarded....hahaha

Prop

Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Shurrup Prop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As for sales of MG6, according to one of the threads about someone wanting to hire one when they visit next year, 100 have been purchased by a hire company at Heathrow to hire - and I have seen a few on the road - and all of you that went to Midget50 have seen at least one - coz there was one there :P!!!!!!!

I totally agree with Matt though, it will be a sorry state to see Saab go, whilst I don't think that there's an equivalent club for Saab owners with big mileage (150000+) that there is with Volvo - without both these marques, the world is a less safe and reliable place. Most of the safety features found in many modern cars were started by one or other of them - and they certainly had their own individual styles for many years - becoming iconic in their own rights.
rachmacb

Prop,
The Chinese wanted and as I understand it were ready, willing and able to buy Saab but GM have scuppered the deal and refused to sell licencing rights or some such. If I have read things right, I don't think it would make any difference if Tata or anyone else tried to buy the company.
Matt1275Bucks

As far as I know, MG Motor in the UK set themselves the very low target of selling 2000 MG6 cars in 2011, and haven't got anywhere near it. In my opinion the car is completely underwhelming. The styling is too heavy with very narrow windows and high sides. The engine is very CO2 inefficient making it fall into a high cost VED bracket for road tax. And those in the Caledonian Centre who have driven it say it is absolutely nothing special to use. It's just another bland family car, and you can buy plenty of those without the perceived risk of buying a Chinese car.

We need MG Motor to produce a new sports car, but why should they when the UK market is almost non-existent at the moment? Apparently there is little desire for 2-seaters in China. Maybe the small MG3 coming out next year will improve things, but I'm not holding out too much hope.

Mike Howlett

This thread was discussed between 20/12/2011 and 22/12/2011

MG Midget and Sprite General index

This thread is from the archives. Join this live forum now