Starting on May 21, you will be able to buy some last remaining bits of Saab history. Now that NEVS is officially bankrupt, the final few cars left at the automaker’s Trollhättan factory in Sweden are for sale. Eight cars are up for auction, seven of which are Saab 9-3s.
Four of the Saabs are pre-production models from 2014, two of which are Aeros. Another is an electric prototype with a range extender. The other three 9-3s are prototypes from 2018. One is a China-built NEVS electric 9-3, while another is a prototype with four in-wheel motors. The last 2018 9-3 is an autonomous development vehicle outfitted with GPS, LIDAR, and cameras.
View Price on AmazonThe eighth vehicle is a Hengchi 5, a mid-size electric SUV produced by Evergrande, which was the Chinese company backing the automaker. NEVS acquired Saab’s assets after the automaker’s 2012 collapse but has floundered ever since, facing financial trouble and other challenges, with Evergrande taking control in 2020.
The auction begins May 21 and runs through May 30, the same day Saab’s iconic factory opens its doors to the public. This is to allow "Saab enthusiasts and car fans a unique opportunity to take a closer look at the vehicles."
Saab, an aircraft manufacturer, revealed its first car in 1947, which would enter production in 1949. In 1989, General Motors acquired a 50-percent stake in the Swedish automaker, and the remaining 50 percent in 2000.
But then the Great Recession happened, General Motors filed for bankruptcy, “Old” GM died, and the automaker sold Saab to Spyker. Spyker collapsed in 2012, paving the way for NEVS to take control of Saab’s assets.
It is the end of an era. Nearly 80 years after revealing its first car, Saab is dead. This will likely be the last time Saabs will ever sit in the company’s Trollhättan home.
Source: motor1.com
