Saab hopeful after Spyker removes bid deadline

An unidentified Dutch billionaire is behind Dutch sportscar maker Spyker's last-ditch bid to buy ailing Swedish carmaker Saab from US automaker General Motors, a Swedish newspaper reported Tuesday."Several sources close to the talks refer to a Dutch billionaire," daily Svenska Dagbladet said.Spyker renewed its bid for loss-making Saab on Sunday, two days after GM broke off talks with the Dutch group and said it would begin winding down the iconic Swedish brand.Representatives from GM and Spyker held fresh talks on Spyker's new bid on Monday in Stockholm.

US auto giant General Motors will not consider Dutch sportscar maker Spyker's renewed bid for Saab and is planning to shut down the Swedish brand, a Swedish newspaper reported Thursday."Saab's board had a short meeting yesterday. GM representatives were on the phone from the US. And the discussions were entirely about the shutting down Saab -- not about the new bid," wrote daily Svenska Dagbladet (SVD).GM announced last week it would wind down its loss-making Swedish unit Saab after breaking off sales talks with Spyker.

US auto giant General Motors will continue to consider offers for its Swedish brand Saab beyond a December 31 deadline even as it moves to shut the carmaker down, a Saab spokesman said on Wednesday."The 31st of December deadline is not valid any more because GM announced that it will start the wind-down but at the same time that the bids that are coming in they will also evaluate," spokesman Eric Geers told AFP.

General Motors announced a "binding agreement" to sell its Saab division to Dutch luxury sports car maker Spyker, giving an 11th-hour reprieve to the storied Swedish brand.As part of the agreement, Spyker will form a new company, Saab Spyker Automobiles, which will carry the Saab nameplate forward and avert the planned liquidation of Saab.The announcement appears to end a series of on-again, off-again deals for the Swedish automaker, amid intense fears of job losses in the Scandinavian country.

General Motors announced a "binding agreement" to sell its Saab division to Dutch luxury sports car maker Spyker, giving an 11th-hour reprieve to the storied Swedish brand.As part of the agreement, Spyker will form a new company, Saab Spyker Automobiles, which will carry the Saab nameplate forward and avert the planned liquidation of Saab.The announcement appears to end a series of on-again, off-again deals for the Swedish automaker, amid intense fears of job losses in the Scandinavian country.

AP - Dutch company Spyker Cars NV said Tuesday it has completed its $74 million purchase of loss-making Swedish carmaker Saab Automobile AB from General Motors Inc.

Swedish government officials and unions were to hold crisis talks on Saab's fate on Monday, as analysts expressed doubts about Dutch sportscar maker Spyker's renewed bid for GM's loss-making unit Saab.The meeting was to be held just hours before Spyker's new bid expired at 2200 GMT on Monday."We have to try every possibility to save Saab," Swedish Enterprise Minister Maud Olofsson told Swedish radio a few hours before the meeting, adding however that she was skeptical about Spyker's chances of succeeding in saving Saab.

Swedish government officials and unions held crisis talks on Saab's fate on Monday as analysts expressed doubts about a renewed bid by Dutch sportscar maker Spyker for GM's loss-making unit Saab.The meeting took place just hours before Spyker's new bid was to expire at 2200 GMT on Monday."We have to try every possibility to save Saab," Swedish Enterprise Minister Maud Olofsson told Swedish radio a few hours before the meeting, adding however that she was sceptical about Spyker's chances of succeeding in saving Saab.