Saab Back in Business, Production Lines Rolling

For the first time since April 6, when problems with unpaid suppliers led to the closure of Saab's production plant in Trollhattan, the lines of the facility were powered on again on Friday morning. The Swedish announced they plan to produce 100 cars in this first day, followed by a progressive increase in production until the car maker reaches the levels it had before the crisis.

The restart of production, which took place as announced by Saab ever since the beginning of the week, has been made possible thanks to the involvement of Chinese car dealer operator Pang Da, who committed to a sizeable investment in the Swedish operation. Coincidently, Pang Da's leaders are visiting their new partner on the same day production restarted.

Saab has some catching up to do, as orders have continued to build up since the stop in production more than a month ago. Some 6,500 customers are waiting for their cars around the world, including Pang Da, who purchased no less than 1,300 to sell in its dealerships.

“This is a great day for our company and it is great to see the plant running again. We have gone through a rough patch in recent weeks, but Saab is back in action again. I would like to express my deep gratitude to our fantastic suppliers who have worked so hard with us to make this happen, and to our loyal employees who have constantly stood by our side,” said Victor Muller, the man who for more than a year struggles to enter the history books as Saab's savior.