Independence Day

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Trollhattan: Next Wednesday, February 23, all 3,800 employees at Saab Automobile put down their tools – to celebrate their birthday; The one-year anniversary of Saab’s rebirth as an independent car manufacturer is to be celebrated with a huge party where employees are joined by dealers, suppliers, VIP-invited and not least the media.

  • Factory party when Saab celebrates its one-year anniversary as an independent company
  • Live music, awards, anniversary figures and product exhibition
  • Launch of Saab’s latest product news including unique anniversary model
  • 300 specially developed anniversary cakes

Parts of Saab’s state-of-the-art factory in Trollhättan will be converted into an entertainment arena and the Saab car museum will be an open house. Many of the city’s bars and restaurants are also expected to attend the festivities as Saab Automobile celebrates its first year as an independent car manufacturer.

Anniversary Day falls exactly on the day one year after General Motors sale of
Saab Automobile to Dutch Spyker Cars N.V. When the agreement was signed, Saab’s new chairman Victor Muller spoke to a cheering crowd of employees, promising that day would be celebrated – and next week he and CEO Jan Åke Jonsson will speak.

The entertainment program at the factory will be packed with video shows, music performances, anniversary figures, awards, a photo contest on the theme “Independence” and presentations of Saab’s latest product news – including a unique anniversary model. In addition, all participants will be invited to a specially developed birthday cake made in a limited edition of just over 300 copies. The event will be recorded and broadcast live at select retailers around the world.

  • This is our Independence Day and we will celebrate that we are again masters of our own destiny, free to make our own judgments and make our own decisions, declares Jan Åke Jonsson.
  • Saab has come a long way in the last twelve months. We have reconstructed our operations both here in Sweden and throughout the world, we have implemented new working methods, entered new markets and entered into new cooperation agreements. We have also launched the largest product launch offensive in Saab’s history; new 9-5 Sedan and 9-4X Crossover in 2010, later this year will be 9-5 SportCombi and next year it is time for the next generation of Saab 9-3.
  • That is why during next week’s celebration we will look both forward and backward. We are at the beginning of a bright future for our company, concludes Jan Åke Jonsson and leaves the floor to its Chairman Victor Muller:
  • Saab Automobile comes back as an independent company with a new entrepreneurial spirit. All our free-thinking and innovative employees have been given free rein, it has always been a part of this company’s DNA profile, and our anniversary celebration next week is part of that process.
  • No other car manufacturer has equally loyal employees, equally loyal dealers – or, for that matter, equally loyal customers. With the new exciting models that we can already offer – and which we have going on – we have all the prerequisites for future success.

For the past twelve months, Saab Automobile has among other things

  • Concentrated all design, development and manufacture for Trollhättan
  • Reconstructed design and development processes
  • Introduced a global Saab-controlled network for distribution and sales
  • Signed agreement with new partners: e-AAM Driveline Systems, BMW as engine supplier, 9-3 ePower (electric car development with several partners)
  • Established SES (Saab Engineering Services) as a separate business division for marketing Saab’s expertise in various fields
  • Launched new Saab 9-5 Sedan and 9-4X, Saab’s first Crossover
  • Introduced a 180-horsepower turbo diesel which in the 9-3 SportSedan gives the class the lowest carbon emissions with only 119 grams per kilometer