2010 Saab 9-5 Aero Xwd on 2040-cars

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Saab 9-3 production has restarted

If you're one of the small cadre of Saab drivers, first of all, kudos to you. Because as Top Gear pointed out, Saab drivers are among the most intellectual drivers out there. Secondly, we've got good news for you, because the 9-3 has officially resumed production at the Trollhättan plant in Sweden.
For those of you who may not have followed the story, a quick refresher: Founded in 1947, Saab Automobile AB was an independent automaker until 1989 when General Motors began the decade-long process acquiring it. Unable to make it profitable, GM sold Saab to Spyker in 2010, but that Dutch automaker proved unable to make a go of it, either, and finally shut it down a year later. Much of Saab's assets were acquired by National Electric Vehicle Sweden, which in turn is partially owned by the Chinese city of Qingdao, which pledged to get production back online by the end of the year.
NEVS has apparently made good on its promise, bringing 600 workers back to the factory to resume production of the 9-3 much as it was when a workforce of 3,500 labored on it and its stablemates prior to the bankruptcy. The reborn 9-3 will be sold in Sweden and in China, with an electric version to bring some other updates sometime next year.

Rally legend Erik Carlsson dies at 86

The motorsports world has lost a legend with the passing of famous rally driver Erik Carlsson at the age of 86. If you've ever seen a photo of a vintage Saab sliding around a corner or blasting through tree-lined roads, there was a good chance that Carlsson was behind the wheel. The man was so tied to the Swedish auto brand that he earned the nickname Mr. Saab. Carlsson experienced his greatest competition success in the late '50s and early '60s when he scored victories in premier events like the Monte Carlo Rally (pictured above). Among his more impressive performances were consecutive wins in '60, '61, and '62 Britain's RAC Rally. His three-cylinder, 750cc Saab 96 wasn't insanely powerful, but Carlsson made it a monster in the world of rallying. In 2010, Saab named a special edition 9-3 after him and honored his victory at the RAC Club in London. Beyond being impressive behind the wheel of a rally car and a longtime Saab brand ambassador, the driver had a habit of rolling his car during competition to earn the moniker "Carlsson On The Roof." According to Classic and Sports Car, he also wrote the book The Art and Technique of Driving that detailed his left-foot braking method, and it was co-authored with his wife, fellow racing driver Pat Moss. Our condolences go out to Carlsson's friends and family.

Deal brokered to get Saab warranty service honored at GM dealers

When Pontiac, Hummer and Saturn were killed off, at least current owners never had to question where they would have to take their vehicle in case it needed to be serviced. The same couldn't be said for Saab owners... until now. General Motors and Saab Automobile Parts North America (the remaining entity of the bankrupted automaker) have signed an agreement that provides 179 service centers to current Saab owners to receive factory-trained technicians and official Saab replacement parts.
These warranty service providers will have all the tools, training and parts to maintain and repair Saab vehicles, and they will also have access to a technical assistance center for the technicians. Next year, SPNA will also set up a customer assistance center, which will likely be most useful in helping current owners find repair shows, as well as a program called Saab Secure to give added service support to owners of late model (2010 and 2011 model year) Saab vehicles. Finally, to make sure customers have a sufficient parts supply to keep their cars on the road, SPNA operates out of a 153,000 square foot warehouse in Michigan that has the ability to ship more than 3,000 parts orders per day.
GM's official press release on the agreement is posted after the jump.