It’s official: GM sells Saab to Spyker Cars

Used Saab models in New Jersey may attract additional attention following the recent announcement that General Motors has sold the Swedish automaker to Spyker Cars.

After months of speculation that Saab would simply close its doors, the Dutch supercar manufacturer made a late bid and struck a deal that will pay GM $74 million in cash and $326 million in deferred shares of stock.

“We are very much looking forward to being part of the next chapter in Saab’s illustrious history. Saab is an iconic brand that we are honored to shepherd,” said Spyker CEO Victor Muller in a statement.

The deal will allow General Motors to concentrate on turning around Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac, the four U.S. car brands that they have decided to keep. The once imperialistic automaker is currently winding down Saturn and Pontiac and attempting to sell Hummer.

In the short term, GM will continue to provide transitional engineering services and powertrains to Saab, the Detroit Free Press reports. It is still unclear how long that relationship will last.

Many industry experts believe that absorbing Saab will be a challenging transition for Spyker, a company that employs 100 people and only manufactured 43 cars last year.