STOCKHOLM — Luxury carmaker Spyker has submitted an improved bid for Sweden’s Saab to General Motors, just ahead of a key deadline that could prompt closure of the brand.
“We have continued a constructive dialogue with GM over the acquisition of Saab. We believe the Saab brand has lots of potential and would be keen to close a deal as quickly as possible,” Spyker chief executive Victor Muller said in a statement late last week.
GM, which three weeks ago said it would shut down the 60-year-old automaker, did not indicate how it would treat Spyker’s bid or any other bids for Saab.
At least two other bids for Saab were submitted to GM late last week, according to a report in Sweden.
“GM continues to receive and evaluate proposals for Saab,” GM said in a statement. “We consider any discussions to be confidential, and we won’t discuss any details until a decision is reached.”
More than 3,000 workers in Sweden will lose their jobs if Saab cannot be saved.
On Wednesday, GM chief executive Ed Whitacre said he was “not confident” of reaching a deal to save Saab.
Spyker’s primary backers include Convers Group, a Russian bank controlled by the Antonov family. Convers holds a 29 percent stake in Spyker and Alexander Antonov’s 34-year-old son, Vladimir, is chairman of the carmaker’s board.
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