The following is a post from Saab's United which outlines the supposed "secret" plan Koeningsegg has for Saab:
Koeningsegg's secret buisness plan for Saab.
The buisness plan that Koenigsegg Group have for Saab Automobile includes a number of new models and goes all the way to year 2016 writes Dagens Industri.
The newspaper has got its' hand on an internal document that was the foundation for the negotiations with both the EIB and the Swedish governement.
The document points to many new planned models, among thos a totally new eletrical powered Saab 9-3X that will be launched in 2012. Then there also will be hybrid-versions of the 9-5 and 9-3 on the market.
The owners promises, according to the buisness plan, to invest 6 billion SEK (about 595 millions EUR today) in product development from next year and onwards.
The target with the plan is to transform Saab to a true preium brand in 2016. Then they will build more exclusive and more expensive cars and it should be enough with 65.000 cars a year to reach break-even financially.
In the first phase of the plan, between 2010 and 2011, it will need 115.000 cars per year to avoid making a financial loss.
In the buisness plan they clarify the ownership. The main financier, buisness man Augie Fabela, and his russian partner, buisness man and scientist Dmitri Zimin, are main owners in the Dutch "Solsken BV" which in its' turn is the main owner in Koeningsegg Group.
Facts:
The 3 phases for Saab:
2010-2011: present phase
* 115.000 cars sold gives break-even financially
* Average price per car: 189.000 SEK
2012-2015: transformation phase
* 80.000 sold cars gives break-even financially
* Average price per car: 208.000 SEK
* New models including a 9-5 Koeningsegg Edition
2016 - : premium phase
* 65.000 sold cars gives break-even financially
* Average price per car: 280.000 SEK
* New models including a New 900
Source: Saab's United
Autoblogs spin on the story:
Just because Koenigsegg is working to by Saab doesn't mean that the maker of million dollar coupes plans to spend time in the mass-market end of the buying pool. In fact, according to Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri, Koenigsegg wants to make more money selling fewer Saabs, which it can only do by taking Saab upmarket. And the numbers being reported indicate not just medium luxury, but top shelf, Cadillac Margarita luxury. Straight from the paper, this is allegedly Koenigsegg's ambitious three-step plan:
2010-2011: The current phase
- 115,000 cars sold gives zero in operating profit
- Average price per car: 189.000 SEK ($27,546 U.S.)
2012-2015: Transition
- 80,000 cars sold gives zero in operating profit
- Average Price per car: 208.000 SEK ($30,311 U.S.)
- New models including 9-5 Koenigsegg Edition
2016 - : premium
- 65,000 cars sold gives zero in operating profit
- Average Price per car: 280.000 SEK ($40,804 U.S.)
- New models include New 900
There's a bit of confusion over average prices mentioned. The current base price of a 9-3 in the U.S. is $30,360, and it wouldn't make sense to have the average price for the entire model line in the current phase be less than the base price of the cheapest car in the cheapest country, even at a higher volume. (The base Saab 9-3 starts at 301,990 SEK, which is $44,008 U.S.)
If the devotees at Saabs United have it right, a commenter in the original Swedish article who also claims to be a Saab dealer said the average prices are missing region-specific taxes, so they should be 55-60% higher. That would make the transaction price in the current phase about $43,000, and in the final, premium phase about $63,000 with a 55% markup.
While the numbers are fuzzy, what is pretty clear is that Saabs are going to cost a lot more in seven years if Christian K. gets his way. And they'll have to be, if he wants the company to break even on 65,000 cars sold annually, which would be a 27,000 unit decline from last year's (unprofitable) numbers. Saabs United also has a well reasoned look at the various sides, but still, for Saab lovers and watchers, this must all sound a bit crazy. But, hey... so is a Koenigsegg.
