Saab’s board of directors voted in favour of bankruptcy after concluding that efforts to restructure and revive the brand had failed. Since much of its business was sold off by General Motors (GM), in 2010, the car maker had struggled to find sufficient funds to continue trading. Subsequently, its directors now believe that filing bankruptcy is in the best interests of its creditors. It is expected that the Court will approve of the filing and appoint receivers for Saab Automobile very shortly. 

According to the BBC, attempts to attract new investment from China failed as GM, which owns part of Saab, objected to Chinese carmakers accessing technology licences.

Swedish Automobile N.V. (Swan) also announce that it does not expect to find any value on its shares and will write off its interest in Saab Automobile completely.

Saab, which has traded in the UK for more than 50 years, went into administration yesterday following a turbulent few years which resulted in suspended production in recent months.

Most worrying for owners, however, will be the financial impact of the car maker’s downfall, with the all important warranty protection at great risk.

Tens of thousands of owners could potentially lose their vehicle warranties. A poor reliability record as seen on reliabilityindex.com may well add to Saab owners woes; it shows that 53 per cent of Saab 9-3s (2002 onwards) suffer faults in an average year, with 30 per cent of those claims as a result of electrical problems.

Warranty Direct managing director, Duncan McClure Fisher said: “These are pretty scary times for Saab owners right now. There are very few people who can afford unexpected repairs in the current climate and when a Saab goes wrong, which it probably will do, there’s every chance owners will be left to stump up.”

"Under the Sale of Goods Act consumers may find some protection. If their car needs remedial work, depending on the fault and age of vehicle, they may be able to claim through the small claims court. Though there are question marks over the survival of its 58 franchised dealers (20 of which are exclusively Saab).

“Some solace will hopefully come in the form of our 25 per cent discounted Saab rates for comprehensive warranty cover.”

The Swedish car maker is still struggling to secure the finance it needs to continue production, while its operations in Britain have all but ground to a halt thanks to the continued supply problems. Saab GB has the sole rights to distribute Saab cars in the UK and has a 58 strong dealership network, of which 20 are Saab only sites. A subsidiary of Swedish Automobile N.V. (Swan), it employs 55 people from its Milton Keynes head office.

David Dunckley and Daniel Taylor of Grant Thornton UK LLP have been appointed joint administrators of Saab GB. The company’s board is of the opinion that administration gives the company and creditors the necessary legal protection until it has secured the required funding for the company.

Saab GB and its dealer network has been trading successfully in the UK for over 50 years, and is Saab Automobile’s largest sales market in Europe outside Sweden. The Swedish car maker was first founded in 1937, by 1990 General Motors (GM) had bought half the company’s shares before fully taking ownership of the brand in 2000. Its troubles began when GM sold the company in 2010, since that time the company has struggled to secure the necessary funding to reinvigorate the brand.

Being Swedish, the company knows a thing or two about dealing with cold weather driving, and is reminding drivers that winter tyres are not just suitable for driving in snow, but are also suited to conditions such as cold, rain, ice and slush thanks to their compound heating up in lower temperatures. Because regular summer tyres need higher temperatures to warm up, they become hard and lose grip more easily that winter tyres.

David Leighton, Business Development Manager for Aftersales at Saab GB, comments: "The average temperature across the country between November and March is less than 7 degrees centigrade.

"At such a low temperature, winter tyres are more effective at providing higher levels of safety than standard tyres and offer increased traction on the road. As a result, they reduce braking distances and suffer less wear and tear, thus offering not only peace of mind, but a cost-saving benefit too."

Saab dealerships are also preparing for the winter by stocking a range of products including AutoSock  Snow Socks to help motorists deal with driving in snowy conditions.

Developed by scientists working with the Norwegian Ski team, AutoSock Snow Socks are durable textile socks that fit over the driving wheels of a car to wick away water found between the ground and the tyres to offer a strong grip on the surface.

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David adds: "At Saab, we understand how difficult it can be to drive in the snow, which is why our dealerships are also stocking snow socks as an alternative to snow chains or winter tyres."

Available this October from Saab dealerships, the light-weight, reusable socks are ideal for storing in the car and are easily fitted to the driving wheels. Prices start from £54.95 including VAT.

In an attempt to boost sales, the troubled Swedish car maker has launched the service plan, worth up to £700, on all used cars up to five years old or up to 60,000 miles, giving customers the chance to drive away a fantastic vehicle without the worry of the annual cost of a service.

What’s more, all Approved Used vehicles purchased from a Saab dealership come with an industry-leading guarantee for a minimum of 12 months or 15,000 miles on vehicles up to 10 years or 100,000 miles, plus a comprehensive multi-point mechanical check and 12 months Saab AA Assistance.

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Starting 11th July and available until 30th September 2011, the two years’ free servicing offer includes parts, labour and VAT.

After running into cash floe problems, Saab recently secured further funding from Chinese car distributor Pang Da and manufacturer Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile to keep its operations going.

Both the 9-5 Saloon and the SportWagon benefit from more efficient diesel and petrol engines, all of which deliver reduced CO₂ emissions and improved fuel consumption. Refinements include a host of fine-tuning measures and the introduction of Start/Stop functionality. CO₂ emissions are reduced on average across the range by 4.7 per cent.

Saab chassis engineers have also made the latest 9-5 range even more fun to drive. Extensive testing and development work on UK roads has achieved greater ride refinement, particularly on rough surfaces.

Inside, the spacious cabin is given a new look with the addition of metallic-like trim finishes for both Vector SE and Aero variants. Satellite navigation and digital radio (DAB) also become standard on all models.

With the seatbacks lowered, the cargo deck is over six feet long and offers an adaptable load capacity of up to 1,600 litres, or 527 litres with the rear seats up. The side walls are completely flat and upright, creating a clean, open space without any hard-to-use corners or rear wheel arch intrusions. Compartments in the side walls and under the floor offer convenient stowage for small items.

The all-turbo powertrain line-up, with a choice of two diesel and three petrol engines, provides a power band with from 160 hp to 300 hp. CO₂ emissions  are projected to be just 125g/km for the saloon and 128g/km for the SportWagon with the 160 hp, 2.0-litre TiD engine with manual transmission . They qualify for zero-rated excise duty and benefit-in-kind company car taxation of only 18 per cent.

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"The latest 9-5 range offers customer benefits across the board, with lower emissions, improved fuel consumption, enhanced cabin features and even better driving dynamics," says Saab Great Britain Managing Director Charles Toosey. "The New 9-5 SportWagon is also a stunning addition to the range which substantially broadens the appeal of our product offer. It builds on Saab’s strong brand tradition for versatility, and will provide a compelling choice for customers who value distinctive design, premium quality and great flexibility."

The order book for the latest 9-5 range is now open with customer deliveries commencing in Autumn 2011. On-the-road prices range from £26,995 to £39,195, the SportWagon adding five-door versatility at a price premium of just £1,200 over the Saloon.

The game submitted for voting by Renee Smith and her family from Merseyside, requires back seat passengers to decide on four facial expressions. The players then face each other and cover their faces, revealing their expressions and if they are the same, they shout ‘snap’!

Other games that came top in Saab’s competition to find the most fun and innovative games that can be played on the move include: I Like Bananas, Island Shipwreck, Traffic Bingo, a themed Alphabet Game and Guess Upon a Rainbow.

Saab launched the national campaign earlier this year to bring back quality family time when in the car. The campaign encouraged parents to look at more interactive ways of keeping their children entertained when travelling as a family.

Charles Toosey, Managing Director at Saab GB comments: “Our ‘Bring Back Family Time’ campaign came on the back of a recent poll of UK parents, which showed that many parents were not taking advantage of the fantastic opportunity to engage with their children whilst travelling in the car.

“With family life being so hectic these days, travelling in the car is one occasion when we can really spend quality time with each other.

“Congratulations to our competition winner Renee and our runners-up and thanks to all the families who sent in their favourite car game ideas. We are delighted to announce the results and we hope that families will be inspired to make the most of the quality time spent together in the car as they play them.”

As the winning submission, Renee and her family have been rewarded with the ultimate fun family experience: a family ticket to Alton Towers, including accommodation at the amazing Alton Towers Resort Hotel, plus a complimentary Saab 9-3 SportWagon to drive for the weekend.

Saab’s cut-out-and-keep collection of the nation’s ultimate car games

Fancy a game of Backseat Face Snap?

Great, let’s go! Decide on four faces, such as happy, sad, pull tongues and funny face. Next, face your challenger and cover your face with both hands in front. Count together 1, 2, 3…the reveal!

Are you the same? Shout “SNAP!” or let’s try again!

Submitted by Renee Smith and her family from Merseyside

I Like Bananas!

When you see a car, say “I like…” followed by something of that colour. For example, if you see a red car, shout “I like tomatoes!” or for a green car, you might say “I like apples!” Take it in turns as a family, and the winner of the round is the first to spot a yellow car and say “I like bananas!”

It’s simple, it makes the journey fly by and it’s a great game for even the youngest of children.

Submitted by Rachel Edney and her family from Tamworth.

Island Shipwreck

You and your group of passengers are stranded on an island with sea surrounding you and all you have are trees, plants, a fresh water stream and your beach wear.

When you come across a lorry on your journey, choose one item for your island. For example, if you see a supermarket lorry, you could choose a case of vegetables, or if you see a van with DIY on it, you could choose some tools to build a house.  The idea is to write down all of the provisions you are collecting that you are going to need to survive on the island!

Want to make it harder or be more creative? You could choose items to create your very own paradise island or draw your island at the end of your journey. It’s amazing what lorries will pass you by!

Submitted by Dawn Whittaker and her family from Barnsley

Traffic Bingo Game

Give every passenger boards with small pictures or words on of things that you might find on your journey, such as speed limit signs, post boxes, and petrol stations (or perhaps you might want to make it harder with suggestions like windmills, cows and public telephones?). As you go along, tick off the boxes when you see the items on your board. The winner is the first one who has marked off the most boxes by the end of the journey.

Submitted by Emma Oldfield and her family from Chester

Themed Alphabet Game

It’s simple! Pick a theme, such as countries, fruit, movie stars, football clubs – anything that comes to mind! Work your way through the alphabet, taking it in turns to name something that belongs to your chosen theme. Can you find a word for those tricky letters such as Q, X and Z? Give it a go and see!

Submitted by Elisabeth Barnwell and her family from Milton Keynes

Guess Upon a Rainbow

Give passengers a wipe-clean piece of card or board, which has all the colours of the rainbow on: red, yellow, pick, green, orange, purple and blue. It could be coloured spots, squares or lines or you could even create the board in the shape of a rainbow. You each have to spot something red on your journey that begins with R, then something yellow that begins with Y, something pink that begins with P and so on, working your way through the colours of the rainbow.

Once you’ve found items for every colour, to win, you must find something that has two of the colours of the rainbow on it. Want to make it more challenging? The item you find must begin with any letter of the word RAINBOW!

Submitted by Jamie Harwood and his family from East Sussex

Over three generations in the last quarter of a century, the Saab has sold almost 300,000 Convertible models around the world. More significantly, for the Swedish car maker, the soft-top has accounted for as much as fifty per cent of total European sales.

Charles Toosey, Managing Director at Saab GB comments: "This year marks a momentous occasion for Saab, which we are delighted to be celebrating with our dealerships, staff and customers.

"At Saab, we are proud of our heritage and innovation, which has helped to shape the design, style and performance of the Convertible over the last 25 years, turning it into the exhilarating drive which it has become renowned for."

The journey of the iconic car began in 1986 when a production run of just four hundred Saab 900 Convertibles came off the line for the US market.

The Saab 900 Convertible impressed with its good looks and bespoke design without compromising on style. Above all, it fulfilled Saab’s uncompromising requirements of good quality build and materials and the orders reflected this. By the time the 900 Convertible went on sale in Europe that year, demand exceeded production capacity.

Seven years later and a second generation came to the market. Autumn 1993 saw the all-new Saab 900 Convertible arrive under the banner: "We didn’t invent the Convertible, but we made a Saab of it."

This second generation model and its Saab 9-3 evolution in 1998 became an icon, with more stylish design, a move to a hydraulically -powered soft top and increased storage capacity.

2003 brought a whole host of innovations to the Saab Convertible with the launch of the third and current generation, which features the fastest soft-top in operation in its segment, automatic climate control adjustment for a ‘top down’ heating mode and superior interior styling.

Saab convertibles to buy or lease at CabrioletCar.co.uk

The current Saab Convertible was the first soft-top car to achieve a maximum, five star EuroNCAP rating for its ‘DynaCage’ rollover protection, pop-up rear roll bars and integrated front seatbelts.

Saab celebrated the first anniversary of its rebirth as an independent company in February 2011 by launching an exclusive Independence Edition of its 9-3 Convertible.

The 1.9-litre TTiD Independence Edition Convertible is based on the top-of the-range Aero specification with a 180hp engine, six-speed automatic transmission and unique Amber Orange metallic paint finish, a limited edition serial number etched into the rear side windows, distinctive interior trim and comprehensive equipment.

Just 366 examples have been produced; one for each day during the first year and one extra for the start of a second year. Only 80 of these vehicles have been produced for the UK and are on sale at dealerships now.

Anyone who owns a Saab three years or older automatically qualifies for free membership to the Saab Service Club and until 1^st September, participating Saab dealerships are offering members a complimentary MOT test.

Members whose vehicles are approaching their first MOT test or have Saab vehicles over three years old can simply download a voucher from the Saab Service Club website and contact the dealership to book their free test.

With a team of factory trained technicians on hand, Saab offers the experience and expertise to help keep customers’ cars in the best condition possible, using genuine Saab parts that are covered by a two year manufacturer’s warranty.

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David Leighton, Aftersales Business Development Manager at Saab GB comments: “The Saab Service Club offers a cost-effective way to keep Saabs in perfect running condition through their lifetime of ownership and members can now take advantage of the free MOT offer available to them immediately after registering.”

For more information on the Saab Service Club and to register for free as a member, visit http://www.saabserviceclub.co.uk.

Complimentary MOT offer ends 1st September 2011 and excludes Northern Ireland.

Played over nine holes, with two flags on every green, golfers use a limited number of ‘PowerPlays’ to score extra points when aiming at the harder Black Flag, creating exciting risk-and-reward decisions on each tee. Reigning US Open Champions Graeme McDowell and Paula Creamer, Ryder Cup stars Paul Casey and Ian Poulter will be among the 12 male and female Tour stars competing for this inaugural title. The event provides a thrilling start to Saab Golf Week and tees off at 5pm on Bank Holiday Monday.

Saab GB is also delighted to announce that it will be the new title sponsor of the Saab Wales Open. The tournament will be staged for the 12^th time at The Celtic Manor Resort and is one of the leading events on The European Tour International Schedule.  Attracting a record 43,000 spectators last year, this event is likely to prove just as popular with Europe’s top-ranking golfers.

Both events will be broadcast live on Sky Sports along with dozens of global TV networks ensuring that the event will reach millions of homes worldwide.

Saab will be displaying its full product range during Saab Golf Week which includes the eagerly awaited Saab 9-5 SportWagon which will arrive in dealer showrooms in September and is the first time UK customers will see it in the metal. Also making its UK debut is the Saab Phoenix, an exciting concept car which showcases design features and technologies to be seen in the next generation of products from Saab – a real crowd pleaser. Test drive opportunities of the Saab model range will run throughout the week.

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VIP car parking and access to the Hospitality Pavilion, opposite the 18^th Green, is offered to all Saab owners attending the PowerPlay Golf: Ignition tournament, simply by showing their Saab key fob on entry.

Charles Toosey, Managing Director at Saab GB, commented: “Saab is proud to sponsor the Saab Wales Open and be a partner of PowerPlay Golf as they take this next step towards an even more exciting future for the sport. The Saab brand, with its long tradition of experience marketing, and the PowerPlay Golf format are an excellent match.”