After successfully securing protection from creditors, SAAB has turned to British sports car maker Lotus for advice on how to turn its business around.
‘Oh yea, premium aspirational sporty excellence,’ said Lotus CEO Dany Bahaha. ‘We have already given SAAB some tips on how to reinvent themselves. Heritage opinion-former premium system. First of all, they have got to keep hiring famous name top level management. Emotional aspirational premium sporty authenticness. Yes, we have Karl-Heinz Kalbfell and Claudio Berro and Bob Lutz and Gordon Murray and Swizz Beatz and so on. But there are still at least 45 people in the world who aren’t on the management team of Lotus. Upscale web-compatible lifestyle aspiration premium cash-rich, time-poor.’
Bahaha went on to outline the key idea behind Lotus’s reinvention which he believes could benefit SAAB. ‘They have got to start announcing new cars. One a week at least, or maybe six at once at a motorshow. Prestige iconic heritage premium quality performance appeal. And then some more at another motorshow. And some motorsport cars. So many new announcements that it is completely impossible to understand what is going on any more. That is what will save the company. You know, when I started this at Lotus, people said I was mad. But I am not. Weasel hats.’
Industry sources say that SAAB needs to act quickly to save its business following reports that John Towers has been spotted boarding a plane to Sweden holding a £10 note.
