Saab lovers across Europe have already gathered in solidarity for the car make, and GM has noticed. Last week, just before GM was ready to cut Saab completely, they resigned its position and kept the brand on for an extended deadline. As companies continue to make offers for Saab the clock keeps on ticking. Guess we’ll find out by January 7th, according to General Motors, what will happen to Saab. We hope to have protest photos up by week’s end, and more news concerning your favorite Swedish auto maker!

“Following Friday’s announcement that GM will begin the orderly wind down of Saab, GM has received inquiries from several parties. We will evaluate each inquiry. We will not comment further until these evaluations have been completed.”

It seems as though the Swedish are trying like hell to keep Saab alive, along with beer and those little red fish candy things. Oh man, those are delicious!

“Despite the best efforts of all involved, it has become very clear that the due diligence required to complete this complex transaction could not be executed in a reasonable time. In order to maintain operations, Saab needed a quick resolution,” said GM Europe President Nick Reilly. “We regret that we were not able to complete this transaction with Spyker Cars. We will work closely with the Saab organization to wind down the business in an orderly and responsible manner. This is not a bankruptcy or forced liquidation process. Consequently, we expect Saab to satisfy debts including supplier payments, and to wind down production and the distribution channel in an orderly manner while looking after our customers.”

Saab will continue to honor warranties, while providing service and spare parts to current Saab owners around the world.

As part of its efforts to become a leaner organization, GM began seeking a buyer for Saab’s operations in January. Last week, Saab Automobile AB announced that it had closed on the sale of certain Saab 9-3, current 9-5 and powertrain technology and tooling to Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings Co. Ltd. (BAIC). GM expects today’s announcement to have no impact on the earlier sale.

As the company continues to reinvent itself, GM has been faced with some very difficult but necessary business decisions. The focus will remain on the four core brands – Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC – and several regional brands, including Opel / Vauxhall in Europe. This will enable the company to devote more engineering and marketing resources to each brand and model.

Sounds like a great chance for the Saab name to continue, even in a dwindling auto market. The company filed for bankruptcy protection on Feb. 20 in an effort to sell the unit. The danger of collapse is still very eminent, as GM is in serious preparations for Ch. 11. The Swedish government does not appear to be ready to provide money to help Saab survive. “Saab counts on a positive cash flow already in 2011 as well as a good return with a production of 150,000 cars,” according to other reports. Saab made 93,000 cars in 2008.