Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder
The long-winded story of Saab's sale finally came to a close this year, with the brand born from jets adding a propeller to the mix in the form of Dutch sports car company Spyker, which reached a deal to purchase the struggling Swedish automaker from GM. With Saab now in the relatively safe hands of Spyker, the partnership is taking another turn, with Spyker CEO Victor Muller revealing plans to sell the brand’s exotic sports cars through Saab dealerships.
The move will effectively double the number of dealerships Spyker cars are currently sold in around the world and in the process get the lineup in view of potential new customers who otherwise may never even see or hear of the brand.
“We are signing up Spyker dealerships left, right and center,” Muller revealed to Automotive News during a recent interview. “It's wonderful that the company that saved Saab is also benefiting from having done that in its own business.”
Last year Spyker sold just 36 cars in total, worldwide, but the company has ambitious plans to boost sales. It currently has just 35 dealerships around the world but with Saab’s help this number could shoot up to 90 by the end of the year.
Saab will be able to help Spyker in other ways as well. Both brands benefit from sharing certain assets and technology services. This includes the sharing of engineering know how and technologies, sharing of activities in marketing and sales, and the sharing of certain parts and components in order to obtain access to supplier and partner resources.
Pictured above is the Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder, which in the U.S. starts at $214,990 for the Coupe model.
[Automotive News, sub req’d]
