Spyker's Viability Plan for Saab Replicates Koenigsegg's

Spyker is now seen as Saab's only hope to stay alive and it appears the Dutch manufacturer has already established a detailed viability plan for the Swedish unit. Spyker representatives have already met Sweden's IF Metall union leaders, with some people involved in the matter revealing that its proposal is very similar to the one presented by Koenigsegg, the Swedish entity that also held talks to buy Saab.

"Spyker is anxious for this to become a reality," Stefan Lofven, chairman of the union, told Reuters in a statement. "From what we can see, this seems serious. They have put in a lot of time and money into this."

Although Spyker's officials emphasized that it would pull out of the deal in case GM accepts the offer to sells Saab parts to other interested bidders - which actually happened a few weeks ago - the Dutch manufacturer submitted a new bid last weekend. Spyker is now aiming to reach an agreement with General Motors before the December 31 deadline after which the US-based manufacturer intends to start winding down Saab.

"Despite our collective eleventh hour set-back, we are returning to the table with a renewed offer, that addresses every known issue brought to light during the initial negotiations and that has the full backing of the Saab Management. The new offer eliminates the need for an EIB loan approval prior to year end, for example, which will allow the deal to be concluded within GM's deadline," Spyker CEO Victor R. Muller said in a statement.

"Our efforts are based on our passion for saving an iconic brand that we would be honored to shepherd, and the jobs and livelihoods of thousands of loyal Saab employees, suppliers and dealers around the world. Some 1,500,000 Saabs are on the road today and their proud owners would no doubt welcome the survival of this phenomenal brand," he added.