New Saab 9-3 to get ZF Chassis

Saab are to tie-up with component-maker ZF to produce chassis for the Saab PhoeniX – the next Saab 9-3

Last week the interweb was rife with rumours that Saab were about to hit the skids. A story fuelled by (alright, entirely as a result of) comments attributed to putative investor Vladimir Antonov. Who was clearly mischief making.

Amazingly, Saab survived this last week and continues to move forward.

We’ve had the impressive Saab PhoeniX Concept at Geneva (rising from the ashes, etc…) pointing clearly at a post-GM era (and the 2013 Saab 9-3), and now we get the news that Saab are to tie-in with component maker ZF for a new chassis.

The new chassis will be made in a  new ZF factory just a couple of miles from Trollhattan. Sub-frames will be stamped out at Saab and then shipped to the ZF plant where they’ll get welded up and have chassis mounts, suspension and brakes added and then be shipped back to Saab.

All of which is another step in the rebirth of Saab as a proper Swedish car maker with its own parts supply and production, rather than a Swedish branch of GM.

Which, despite Vladimir Antonov’s mischief-making, does auger well for the future.