THE LAST CHAPTER: The Saab story ends definitively in Trollhättan. The last "treasures" of the Swedish plant, put up for auction

TROLLHÄTTAN, Sweden – In a hush that now dominates the once vibrant halls of the Stallbacka factory, Swedish automotive history is preparing for its final act. After more than a decade of dramatic attempts at resuscitation, the story of the Saab brand and its successor, NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden), is coming to an end. On May 21, 2026, the factory gates will open for the last time for a symbolic auction: the last eight vehicles remaining in the factory’s possession will be sold to the public.

A 14-year agony

Saab Automobile AB was declared bankrupt in 2012, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and unconventional design that defined the Scandinavian spirit. Salvation seemed to come from the Chinese-Swedish consortium NEVS, which acquired the assets with the aim of transforming Trollhättan into a global hub for electric cars.

However, the road was strewn with insurmountable financial obstacles. Although NEVS briefly resumed production of the 9-3 in 2014, the collapse of Chinese real estate giant Evergrande (NEVS’s majority owner) cut off its financing lines. In February 2023, the company went into “hibernation mode,” laying off 320 of its 340 employees. Hope also flickered through the Emily GT project – a revolutionary electric sedan secretly developed by former Saab engineers – but negotiations to sell the project to Canadian EV start-up Electra failed miserably in May 2024.

The 8 collector's items: From gasoline to the electric future

The auction, which will take place on the Swedish Klaravik platform between May 21 and 30, represents a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire pieces of industrial history. The eight machines offered for sale with no reserve price tell the story of the technological transition in Trollhättan:

1. Three Saab 9-3 Aero (2014): These are pre-series cars equipped with gasoline engines, among the last assembled under the Saab logo before the rights to use the name were withdrawn by the aeronautical group Saab AB.
2. Three NEVS 9-3 electric prototypes: Experimental vehicles used for the development of electric propulsion, some being assembled in China and finished in Sweden.
3. A hybrid "Range Extender" prototype: An extremely rare test car that used a combustion engine only to charge the batteries, a technology that Saab was exploring before its demise.
4. A Hengchi 5: An electric SUV produced by Evergrande's automotive division, present at the plant for technical evaluations and approvals.

A farewell with open doors

The auction, scheduled for May 30, will be marked by a special event at the plant. Those who bid or are passionate about the brand will have the unique opportunity to tour the factory before it is fully taken over by new tenants (such as Polestar, which has already leased part of the space for R&D) or converted.

For many locals in Trollhättan, this moment is more than just a sale of assets; it is the end of an era that began in 1947, when the first Saab 92 rolled off the assembly line. While the “Saab spirit” will live on through fan communities and technologies that have migrated to other brands, the Stallbacka plant is closing its production register for good under the auspices of Erik Carlsson’s legacy or the Turbo models that amazed the world.

From May 31, Trollhättan will no longer be the "Saab city", but just the place where Sweden once built cars "born from airplanes".