Saab Auto's Reorganization Stalls
STOCKHOLM — The administrator overseeing stricken Swedish car maker Saab Automobile's restructuring is seeking to end the process, potentially paving the way for creditors to put the 64-year-old brand into bankruptcy, Saab's owner Swedish Automobile NV said on Wednesday.
Administrator Guy Lofalk filed a court application to end the voluntary reorganization of Saab Automobile and two subsidiaries, the Netherlands-based company said. Saab Automobile and its creditors will now have until Dec. 15 to submit their views before the court decides on Dec. 16 whether to terminate the restructuring, reported The Wall Street Journal.
In his application to the court, the administrator, Guy Lofalk, said that the car maker lacks sufficient funds to continue the reorganization. Mr. Lofalk couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
Saab has been operating under creditor protection since September, as it tries to restructure its operations. Should the court terminate the restructuring process, the protection will end and applications from suppliers for the company to be ruled bankrupt are likely to be reactivated.
Production has been suspended since April due to a lack of sufficient funds to pay suppliers and employees. Plan by two Chinese companies—Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co. and Pang Da Automobile Trade Co.—to invest in the firm have run into trouble due to resistance from its former owner General Motors Co.
GM, which owns the technology on which several Saab models are based, doesn't believe that a Chinese takeover of Saab would be in the best interests of its shareholders given its sizeable Chinese operations. It has said it won't continue to license its technology to Saab under the proposed ownership change.
Swedish Automobile said on Monday it is in talks with Youngman and a bank in China about taking an equity interest in Saab Automobile.
"Youngman is the one we are talking to right now. We are working hard on this, day and night," Saab Automobile spokesman Eric Geers said but declined to go into detail on the deal and declined to say whether Pang Da Automobile Trade Co. is now out of the picture.
More Industry

Penske Auto Group Deal a Record
The deal to take the dealership and transportation services company private sets a new pace for industry buy-sell transactions.
Read More →
War Toll a Damper on Used Auto Prices
Cox Automotive found wholesale depreciation to be elevated in September amid high fuel prices and this year's unusual hurricane season.
Read More →
Bridge the Maintenance Gap
With many drivers missing recommended maintenance, service departments offering transparency and efficiency have a better chance of reaching financially strained consumers.
Read More →
California Store Has New Owner
The longtime dealership in the northern part of the state is known for robust fleet sales and has served the state capital for 115 years.
Read More →
BMW Plant Pursues Cleaner Energy
BMW Group Plant Leipzig has utilized hydrogen to help power its production since 2013, but a new pipeline is planned to take it to another level.
Read More →
Auto Affordability Inches Up
The latest Cox Automotive and Moody’s Analytics index shows a slight increase in new-vehicle affordability despite high prices.
Read More →
Ohio Auto Group Under New Ownership
After 79 years with the Schluter family, Mansfield Auto Group has been acquired by Missouri-based Clement Auto Group.
Read More →
RV Group Expands Carolina Footprint
Blue Compass RV Columbia Northeast is the 13th RV dealership owned by Blue Compass in the Carolinas.
Read More →
Agent Acumen
An Agent Summit panel of people who’ve been supporting auto dealers for years gave both timely and timeless advice for those starting out or mulling the prospect.
Read More →
Missed Maintenance Creates Opportunity
As families get back on the road and into daily school routines, service drives have an opportunity to capture customers who are behind on recommended vehicle maintenance.
Read More →