Tomorrow, Pangda Will Walk The Line In Trollhttan

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

“Based on the information we have, it looks like we will start up production tomorrow,” Saab spokeswoman Gunilla Gustavs told Reuters today. That’s called a double hedge in the propaganda business.

But based on the information TTAC has, it looks like production will indeed take place on Friday. On Friday, an important visitor will come to Trollhättan: Pangda Chief Executive Pang Qinghua, with entourage. Today, Pang is in Stockholm for a chit-chat with Enterprise Minister Maud Olofsson and the Swedish debt office. Their goodwill is needed to admit Pangda as an investor in Saab. And the Minister has a busy schedule …

On Tuesday, Minister Olofsson gave an audience to Vladimir Antonov. He might as well have stayed at home. According to The Local, Olofsson was noncommittal to the max after the meeting. “It was a good meeting. Always good to meet people about which so much has been written,” Maud Olofsson said, perfecting the art of false praise.

In the end, she told Antonov that as much as she would want to help him, her hands are tied, “we are waiting on GM and EIB.” That earned Olofsson the title “Ms. Awfulson” and “unable to organise a p*ss-up in a brewery” in The Local’s comment section.

Let’s see what gems will emerge from today’s meeting with Pangda. Ms Awfulson’s representative Hakan Lindberg already downplayed the meeting as “kind of courtesy call. It will probably be a fairly short meeting.” Olofsson’s press secretary Johanna Martin reiterated the “courtesy call. ”

Tomorrow, Saab’s new Chinese partners will be in Trollhättan, and it will be important that the lines are running – if only for a day. Don’t want to leave a bad first impression.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Richard Sandall Richard Sandall on May 26, 2011

    It will be the same car coming down the line 100 times which Saab had previously secretly take all the parts off it to feed it down the line again and again. Once the Pangda Chinese realise this they will probably run away screaming from Trollhatten as quickly as Hawtai did as even Antonov's money can't fix this money hole.

  • CW CW on May 26, 2011

    "Once again, accusations of bias serve only to conceal an intellectual bankruptcy, a disdain for open, honest discussion and a bunker mentality that does neither Saab, nor the public any favors" Can I quote you on that in relation to your story about the ownership of SaabsUnited? Nice formulation of what you tried to do in that piece ;-)

  • Dartdude The bottom line is that in the new America coming the elites don't want you and me to own cars. They are going to make building cars so expensive that the will only be for the very rich and connected. You will eat bugs and ride the bus and live in a 500sq-ft. apartment and like it. HUD wants to quit giving federal for any development for single family homes and don't be surprised that FHA aren't going to give loans for single family homes in the very near future.
  • Ravenuer The rear view of the Eldo coupe makes it look fat!
  • FreedMike This is before Cadillac styling went full scale nutty...and not particularly attractive, in my opinion.
  • JTiberius1701 Middle of April here in NE Ohio. And that can still be shaky. Also on my Fiesta ST, I use Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires for the winter and Bridgestone Potenza for my summer tires. No issues at all.
  • TCowner We've had a 64.5 Mustang in the family for the past 40 years. It is all original, Rangoon Red coupe with 289 (one of the first instead of the 260), Rally Pac, 4-speed, factory air, every option. Always gets smiles and thumbs ups.
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