If Saab can do it, why can't we?

[DSdriver]

Good news this morning, Saab are going to resume manufacturing on the old production line.

This set me thinking, are there any old production lines lying mothballed in the UK so that we could all get together and start making Autoshite Sierras or something?

[Barry Cade]

If we get independence, I'm sending Alex Salmond a note to restart production of the Hillman Imp. That'll balance the books.

[Skizzer]

^ If you tell him they'll be wind powered, he'll even pay you to do it.

[srad34]

I think if they started to remake the old chod, it would take away their appeal for me.....

 

They are Autoshite because they were made in another time, generally when men went to work in dungarees and white shirts, had pencils behind ears and bolted things together with spanners, not air tools!   

 

Ahhhhh, happy days

[NorfolkNWeigh]

The only difference between Saab 9-3s and Imps is that there would be some interest in the Imp, unfortunately the 9-3 was out of date and overpriced 3 years ago ,all it's going to compete with in the sales charts inow is the MG6. Why are they building this and not the 9-5 ?

[Lacquer Peel]

Because the 9-3 is based on an old GM platform, the 9-5 is based on a current one.

[Fat_Pirate]

Mk3 Cavaliers!  We could completely corner the fleet market with those. They will only come in matt brown with an orange vinyl interior, but there will be a choice of 99p-style wheeltrims for the lucrative 'lifestyle' market.

[Station]

Saab might succeed as they have a loyal native consumer base.

UK car production wouldn't as everyone in the UK hates everything for some reason (especially British cars). (see Top Gear).

[gary_davidson]

last I heard the TVR factory in Blackpool was being turned into an ice rink so we are out of luck on that one

[Cavcraft]

Because as soon as something like that shuts in Britain it's knocked down to make myriad shoe box 'apartments' for the landlords and the desperate.

 

Chances of big scale manufacturing coming back when it's gone? Fuck all.

[Station]

Can you see repmobile drivers seeking the latest BMW 320 every year on finance, succumbing to the lure of a £20,000 mk3 Cavalier, which has somehow been funded by insane investors who are out to lose all the money they have. Or maybe a 'new' Rover 420, with sales boosted by the support of Jeremy Clarkson in a Top Gear review?

[oman5]

It's great news that SAAB is back, I hope they can weather the shaky start up long enough to develop their own new car as the 9-3 is shite.

[HillmanImp]

What did Nissan do with the Bluebird tooling? I imagine people that own chip shops are a bit lost for a suitable car since they started getting thin on the ground.

 

Even better if we could lob in an engine that runs on chip fat.

[cms206]

I can see it now...

 

"COME TO CHESTER NOW FOR A CHOICE OF QUALITY PRESOILED AND **NEW** VAUXHALL CAVALIERS AND CORSA B SPAZZTRONICS FROM CAVCRAFT!"

 

I'd buy one. And my Mrs wants a spazztromatronic Corsa B as her first car. BRITSH IS BEST

 

[trigger]

We could by a load of old Mk2 Astra's and Mk3 Cavailers, maybe change some of the styling, play about with the engines a bit and sell them on as something new.

 

Oh hang on, Daewoo's already done that.

[RedSparrow]

The only things that would sell well if you started knocking them out again would be something like the old mini or Jag e-types because they're a bit of an icon.

And that's not going to happen because of modern safety standards.

[Rocket88]

I wonder if there are any defunct car maker's names that weren't swallowed up by mergers, takeovers etc. For example, who owns the Lanchester name?

[Inspector Morose]

Lanchester was bought by Daimler IIRC and that went into Jaguar so my guess would be TATA!

[Six-cylinder]

I want a new Triumph Vitesse convertible, How do I get that one?

[Lankytim]

Bring back LDV! The world needs cheap shit vans.

[Skizzer]

The only things that would sell well if you started knocking them out again would be something like the old mini or Jag e-types because they're a bit of an icon.

And that's not going to happen because of modern safety standards.

 

<pedant>

Lynx do knock out E-Types (http://www.lynxmotors.co.uk/e-type.asp), although not in enough volume to have to worry about current safety regs.

</pedant>

 

Back on Saab, I was rather fancying one of the short-lived 'new' 9-5s when the get a bit cheaper, just because they're rare and nobody wanted them because of OMG NO MAIN DEALERS.  Probably have to wait for them to go bust again now.  Still, if all they're offering is the tired old 9-3 then I won't have to wait too long.

[Station]

I liked the 9-3??? Surely not that bad?

[Lukas]

Based on an old GM platform, so on the Opel Vectra C. Wasnt such a bad car back then and is not bad now, but it´s not competitive with the other/newer competitors in it´s class anymore.

[Station]

Oh, that little 'Clarkson' gem!

[AnthonyG]

Are you sure this is in Sweden and not in China? I think this is to satisfy a Chinese market order - can't see making cars in Sweden and selling them in China really makes much sense. Plus there is a complicated arrangement with the brand which is owned by Saab aero. I don't think we will be seeing them back in Europe any time soon.

[AnthonyG]

Also 9-3 is a ten old design now, even if it was totally new in 2003, which I don't think it was.

[pompei]

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/business/dentists-hail-return-of-saab-2013120281618

[oman5]

Only for sale in sweden and china at the moment. I guess because they no longer have a global dealer network. It'll be interesting to see if the proposed electric vehicle will be a step forward, or more of the current 80 mile range/200 quid a month battery rental/ 50% dearer than the petrol model bollocks.

[ShiteRider]

I've just had a look at evil bay, fuck me Saabs* are bargainous at the moment! why am i driving a delapidated fiesta/crusty cortina.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*i'm only looking at spares and repairs ones, because i try to live a blue nun lifestyle on rolla cola money.

[Justin Case]

Is the Maestro production line lying forgotten in some corner of Bulgaria?  I think that you know where this is leading