Will Saab Have More Soul With Koenigsegg at Helm?

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Koenigsegg Automotive, which has signed a memorandum of understanding with GM to buy Saab, has yet to become a household word in the U.S. But its founder makes it clear on the Swedish supercar maker's Web site that he believes that "our cars have souls," which may hint at the direction in which he'll take the well-loved Swedish brand.

Christian von Koenigsegg, 36, has yet to lay out a detailed plan for what he has in the works for Saab, even though GM issued a statement on Tuesday saying the deal "includes plans to launch several new products that are in the final stages of development."

But von Koenigsegg, a Swedish sports car fanatic and entrepreneur who founded Koenigsegg Automotive in 1994, offers a look at his automotive philosophy on the company's Web site. In addition, media reports say he believes his "entrepreneurial spirit" will benefit Saab, which hasn't turned a profit since GM's takeover in 2000.

"I truly feel that our cars have souls," he wrote. "We at Koenigsegg have poured our hearths [sic] into the creation of the cars and we are confident this can be experienced when driving one." In a touch that seems to come full circle with Saab's "born from jets" background, Koenigsegg has its headquarters and assembles its sleek supercars at a former air force base near Angelholm in southern Sweden.

"Formerly this cluster of buildings was occupied by the Swedish Air Force, and Koenigsegg's new assembly hall used to be a hangar for [Saab] Gripen fighter jets," according to a company statement. It also notes that several of its employees "previously worked with the maintenance and repairs of the fighter jets."

Fighter Jet Squadron nr. 1 of the Swedish Air Force was based at Koenigsegg headquarters before being closed down in 2003. "Their symbol, a ghost within a circle, now adorns the CCR and all future extreme versions of the Koenigsegg CC," said the company in a statement. "This is both to honour the predecessors and to show that the Koenigsegg crew feels they continue the legacy of Squadron nr. 1."

The automaker only sells about a dozen cars annually, according to the Associated Press, each priced between $1 million and $2.3 million. It currently has a staff of about 45 employees. The company says it has a private test track "both for fun and serious driving." A helipad is available for customers, many of whom are said to come from wealthy oil nations in the Middle East.

General Motors' statement on Tuesday confirmed that the next-generation 9-5 will be built at Saab's Trollhättan facility in Sweden.

In a Tuesday media Web chat on the GM FastLane blog, GM CEO Fritz Henderson said that "based on the preliminary plan, we would expect the buyer [Koenigsegg] to ask GM to build the 9-4x for the Saab brand. We will also provide support in terms of powertrain and other technologies."

Henderson added: "We have been consistently unprofitable with the Saab brand since our acquisition. Myriad reasons for this, but the brand has outstanding appeal, incredibly loyal customers and dealers, and we ran out of money just on the eve of launching the newest generation of Saabs, which we think will be outstanding. We look forward to supplying the buyer with selected products and technology to give them a chance to be successful."

Inside Line says: Perhaps a man who is convinced that cars have souls is the perfect person to lead Saab into the postmodern world. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent