Trollhttan Official Calls On Saab CEO To Step Down
SvD.se reports that Paul Akerlund, Saab’s former IF Metall (one of Sweden’s largest trade unions) representative and now Trollhättan Municipal Council Chairman, has called for the resignation of Saab CEO Victor Muller, saying
I do not think Victor Muller is a good president. He is an owner and a contractor, but he has not sufficient knowledge about how to manage production and development
And Akerlund is no city government busybody, but a longtime company insider who has been influential in Saab’s post-GM life. Having shepherded Saab through the challenges of the past two years, this is another grim sign that Saab is about to succumb to the realities that have dominated TTAC’s Saab coverage for years now. A commentary in SvD, titled “ Thank Muller for Painful Bankruptcy” sums up the somber mood in Sweden:
[Saab] has been on artificial respiration for nearly two years. It is down now, and from all indications we can only conclude that the whole process was a painfully protracted bankruptcy. And we have only one person to thank for it.
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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This boat started taking on water in 1989 when it sold itself to GM. Anybody could have foreseen that SAAB was going to be one more badge-engineered clone. Bad decision on both their parts as it did nothing for GM either. Agree with SecretAznMan, Victor Muller deserves credit and thanks for a valiant effort. His only failures were being unable to singlehandedly change the economics of the auto industry and make money drop from the sky. Blaming him for the death of SAAB is like blaming the EMT for the death of a chronically obese, chain smoking, terminal patient.
Lots of much better car makers than SAAB have gone just tack them on the end of the list and move on
Can't you guys just reprise the Death Watch series? Say what you will, it generated hits. And controversy. Though, admittedly, SAAB Death Watch is not quite as catchy as GM Death Watch. In the end, put a SAAB on a Viking ship, push it out to sea, and set it on fire. A noble funeral.
Goodbye, Saab. My first car was a 900S pre-GM but I've moved on to German and Japanese iron.