We drooled in detail all over the Koenigsegg CCXR (pictured) at the 2008 Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS) last October. Then we lost the moisture on our tongues when we found out the car would cost over R22 million to buy. So I’ve decided not to buy it. Instead I might consider a “lesser” Koenigsegg in future which if all goes according to the rumours, will be called a SAAB.
According to a Swedish television station Koenigsegg founder and CEO Christian von Koenigsegg has entered into an agreement with General Motors, the owners of SAAB, to buy the troubled Swedish car maker. Neither of the two parties were available to comment on this supposed deal, so at this stage it’s all in the rumour mill.
Koenigsegg had been one of the parties who submitted a bid for SAAB when it became apparent that GM would be selling it off. It’s not yet clear where the financing will come from but the report from Reuters and SVT says there is a Norwegian consortium in the mix there somewhere.
I sincerely hope their pockets are deep enough to keep SAAB going AND to make it work. For too long the company has been an oddity with no clear space of its own. Who knows, von Koenigsegg could turn it into the Audi of Sweden.
