Could Saab Have Been Saved? Koenigsegg Didn’t Hesitate!

The Missed Revolution: When Koenigsegg Nearly Took the Wheel at Saab

In 2009, the Swedish supercar builder Christian von Koenigsegg shocked the automotive world by stepping into negotiations to acquire Saab from General Motors. Although the deal collapsed before completion, Koenigsegg’s intention was never just about saving a struggling brand—it was about transforming Saab into something radically different. Something the world hadn’t yet seen: a Swedish-made electric car leader.

In 2015, during a Q&A session published on the Koenigsegg Company Blog, Christian offered a glimpse into what drove his interest:

“Saab had fantastic and underutilized car development facilities… We had many technologies from the Koenigsegg side that we could quickly and efficiently integrate into the Saab cars to make them more desirable and exciting. Things such as suspension and handling, turbo patents, reduced back pressure systems, FreeValve engine systems… Basically, it was a unique opportunity to enter that market with a good brand and a good factory at what would have been a very affordable price.”

The failed acquisition, often dismissed as an overreach, was in fact a calculated opportunity to inject Koenigsegg’s disruptive DNA into a mainstream platform. And according to Koenigsegg himself, it could have worked.

“I Always Loved Saab”: Koenigsegg’s Personal Connection to the Brand

From the beginning of the recent Sveriges Radio interview, Koenigsegg’s passion for Saab is evident:

“I always loved Saab. Incredibly cool cars. Unique. Walked their own path. With that aviation heritage. Even though they had four-cylinder engines, they sounded cooler than most thanks to their turbo setups. And great performance for a family car.”

This wasn’t just about business. For Koenigsegg, the opportunity to save Saab was emotional. And it came unexpectedly, sparked by engineers and financiers who approached him with an idea he initially dismissed:

“They said, ‘We’re on our knees here. Wouldn’t you want to make a bid for Saab?’ I said, ‘No way. That’s the last thing I can imagine.'”

The Turning Point: When the Red Carpet Rolled Out in Trollhättan

Everything changed when Koenigsegg visited the Saab plant with investors from the US and China:

“We got the red carpet treatment. And I realized: this I understand. Mass production isn’t my thing. But Saab can do that. What they lacked was a spark — innovation, entrepreneurship. And that’s what I bring. That’s my black belt.”

The team assembled a strong proposal. According to Koenigsegg, their consortium beat out nearly 20 competing bidders. But winning the bid didn’t mean closing the deal.

Why the Deal Fell Apart: Bureaucracy vs. Entrepreneurial Agility

Despite being awarded the right to purchase Saab, the Koenigsegg Group ultimately withdrew. The reason? GM’s financial plan was too optimistic, and Sweden’s national debt office offered only conditional support:

“The business plan was very optimistic. We said this would need a lot more money. And if we’re putting in more capital, we need outside support to rescue this national treasure. But the Riksgälden wouldn’t guarantee the loan from the EIB unless we agreed to rigid terms.”

The turning point was the restriction on future strategic changes:

“As entrepreneurs, the only thing we know is that the business plan will change. If we can’t adjust course, we won’t put in the money.”

The EV Plan Before Tesla: A Missed Chance to Leapfrog History

Perhaps the most revelatory part of the interview is Koenigsegg’s admission that his team had planned to turn Saab into an electric vehicle manufacturer:

“Our idea was to build electric cars. And this was in 2008 — there was no Tesla then, nothing. Saab, with its factory, staff, and skilled engineers, had a hundred times better starting position than Tesla did. Why not?“

Koenigsegg genuinely believed that under his guidance, Saab could have become the Swedish Tesla. But as he noted:

“I didn’t decide everything. I had to adapt. It turned out the way it did. It was hard. It was expensive. But it was an incredibly exciting experience I wouldn’t want to be without.”

Could Saab Have Been Saved?

Koenigsegg doesn’t hesitate:

“Absolutely. It would’ve been a long, tough journey. But I see no fundamental reason why it couldn’t have worked.”

In a parallel universe, Saab might have become Europe’s EV pioneer, years ahead of Tesla. The engineers, the infrastructure, the brand loyalty—the building blocks were all there.

What was missing? A system agile enough to allow bold decisions.

 A Glimpse of What Could Have Been

Christian von Koenigsegg’s reflections, both in 2015 and today, paint a picture of Saab not as a relic of the past but as a missed opportunity for the future. His plan wasn’t to turn Saab into another Koenigsegg — it was to use his disruptive thinking to breathe life into a national icon, at a time when the world wasn’t yet ready for what he envisioned.

And if history had played out just slightly differently, we might today be talking about Saab in the same breath as Tesla.

We could’ve saved Saab!

Watch the full interview thanks to Marcus & Manuel Saab Channel who brought this radio segment to YouTube:

In the interview titled “We Could’ve Saved Saab!”, Koenigsegg speaks candidly to Swedish Radio (SR) about what really happened behind the scenes of the Saab deal.