Things have not been the same for AMI (Amalgamated Motor Importers) after the independent family-owned business was made to relinquish its rights to distribute Saab late in 2003.

Things have not been the same for AMI (Amalgamated Motor Importers) after the independent family-owned business was made to relinquish its rights to distribute Saab late in 2003.

By the time of the announcement by General Motors (GM) early in 2004 that it would be assuming control of the then Delta Corporation, independent distributorship of Saab by AMI had already been halted, AMI chairman Peter Gobel said.

“GM assumed control of Saab a while back, which was the main reason AMI was kicked out,” Gobel said. “GM decided that Saab should go to Delta/GM and this made sense to them at the time.” Saab Automobile is a GM-owned company.

“We were told to stop operating, which we did, but Delta (and later GM) did not do anything to fill the space. It was only after someone complained and launched an internet campaign against GM that it started to notice Saab owners. It was then that it was announced that GM would be taking over control of Saab.”

Earlier reports in the stated AMI had claimed that GM was directly responsible for the closure of its business in October 2003.

Speaking to CARtoday.com on Thursday, Gobel reiterated by saying,” It’s through no fault of AMI that Saab ended up the way it did. AMI withdrew from the matter once GM took its decision.”

Gobel said that under his company’s guidance, Saab in SA had achieved record sales and enjoyed a greater distribution network. He stressed that contrary to reports, including those carried on this website, AMI had not been liquidated, though it had “lost its main source of business”.

The company is currently exploring other opportunities within the automotive distribution field with little success.

Original article from Car