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Autoline Detroit: SAAB President Says Company is Now Profitable

26 April 1999

Autoline Detroit: SAAB President Says Company is Now Profitable

    DETROIT, April 23 -- On the television program "Autoline
Detroit" Joel Manby, the president of SAAB Cars USA, said the company is now
profitable in the United Sates.  And he added that the parent company has
stopped losing money.  "Globally, we are definitely going to make money this
year," Manby said.
    Manby also admitted he wanted to see GM buy Volvo and merge it together
with SAAB.  "You could share platforms and take the brands distinctively," he
said.  He said Ford's acquisition of Volvo will likely speed capital spending
at SAAB, and noted that he would like to get cross-over vehicles, which are a
combination of sport utility vehicles and passenger cars, based on the SAAB
9-3 and 9-5 platforms.  And he said SAAB should get all-wheel-drive.
    Other topics that Manby talks about on the program is SAAB's efforts to
reduce the number of dealers it has in the United States, how it is beginning
to use independent service centers outside the traditional dealer network.
And he addresses the new and novel advertising campaign that the company
recently adopted.
    "Autoline Detroit," hosted by John McElroy, Editorial Director of
Automotive Industries magazine, airs Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on Detroit Public
Television.  Videotapes are available at http://www.theautolink.com.
Underwriters of "Autoline Detroit" are Visteon Automotive Systems and General
Electric.  It is produced and distributed by Blue Sky Productions.