12.1.2004
Saab reports all-time US record and second best ever worldwide

Saab Automobile sold a total of 131,706 cars last year, a 9 percent increase against 2002 and the second best global result in the company's history.

In the US, Saab enjoyed its best-ever year, selling 47,914 cars and beating the previous 1986 record volume by about 500 units.

" It is rewarding to see how a new product, like the 9-3 Sport Sedan in combination with intensified dealer development and competitive offers, can result in increased sales in the US. Now we must keep this trend going and continue to grow with the help of the Saab 9-2X", says Hans Karlander, Director of Sales Management at Saab Automobile.

In the European markets, Saab's major gains came in Sweden, Italy and Great Britain.

"Saab's position on the Swedish market differs from everywhere else. It's therefore very pleasing to see Saab moving forward with a market share as big as 10.4 percent", adds Karlander. "In Italy we had a very satisfactory 33 percent increase in sales compared to 2002. With a strong performance by the 9-3 Sport Sedan, together with the new 9-3 Convertible, 2004 is looking like a really great year in Italy. Globally, we are looking forward to continued growth this year, hopefully at an even higher speed, when the new Convertible model hits all the markets and we have a broader product portfolio thanks to the 9-2X in the US."