Swedish car maker Saab has risen from the ashes of bankruptcy and production resumed at the Trollhattan plant today. The firm has undergone a shaky past that included ownership by General Motors and sportcar manufacturer Spyker and the doors to its manufacturing facility shut on April 6, 2011

Rights to the quirky models were purchased by National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) - owned by a Chinese renewable energy investor in June, 2012. NEVS claimed that it would re-open the plan and provide jobs for several hundred producing the 9-3 model in Sweden and has made good on the claim when production commenced earlier today. Most of Saab's production will, it is said, take place in China going forward.

As the name suggests, the new owners to the rights of Saab models plan to roll out electric models in the not too distant future. For now the cars still feature turbocharged petrol engines driving the front wheels, as has always been the case.

For 2014 they plan a facelift and a China-only electric version. The 9-3 will be sold initially in Europe and China, but no word if/when we will see a return to South Africa.

Original article from Car