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From little i know about auto industry/history, Saab already knew their car business was unprofitable by the late 1980s when they split the company into the heavy truck business (which is profitable) and the car business (which has not been profitable). Volvo was split the same way (and now Ford is stuck with that unprofitable car business).
GM was kinda dumb enough to come in and buy Saab Automobiles believing they could turn it around into an asset. Buying Saab was GM's huge mistake (kinda like founding Saturn, etc). They did absolutely everything they could to make Saab efficient, reliable and profitable. It failed, every Saab product failed, the company completely failed. Nothing about the parts Saab used from GM were subpar compared to when the company was independent. Everything was a vast, vast improvement. If Saab (and Volvo for that matter) had valid business cases and had any hope at all the Swedish government or EU would step in to preserve them. But they don't and the governments realize that all these companies would be are permanent wokers charities. It was apparent to me and objective industry observers years ago that Saab was a basket case that GM was wasting their time with. No different than Saturn and Pontiac (or Mercury).
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