The last remaining cars from a once-popular automaker left at its main production facility are heading to auction
More than 75 years after the first mass-produced Saab was completed at the Trollhättan factory, the final cars remaining at the site are heading to auction.
At its peak, the Trollhättan factory, which is located around 50 miles north of Gothenburg, Sweden, had around 10,000 people working at the site.
Several million Saab vehicles left the Trollhättan factory between December 12, 1949, and 2011, when the Swedish company declared bankruptcy.
Saab filed for bankruptcy in December 2011 after failing to secure funding from Chinese investors, and then-part-owner General Motors was hesitant to allow these carmakers to access technology licences.
The manufacturer suspended production in April 2011, with workers complaining at the time that they had not been paid properly.
The final three Saabs heading to auction are the 9-3 Aero models built in 2014 with low chassis numbers, making them particularly rare.
Several development vehicles from the Nevs era, with Nevs buying Saab Automobile's bankrupt estate in June 2012.
The three Saab cars being auctioned will leave the Trollhättan factory for the final time in the coming weeks
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Nevs, which stands for National Electric Vehicle Sweden, became the successor to Saab and released vehicles based on the iconic Saab 9-3 model.
Some of the models up for auction will include an electric 9-3 built in China and developed in Trollhättan, and a 9-3 Aero that was used to collect road data for autonomous driving testing.
Interested customers could also get their hands on an electric vehicle equipped with in-wheel motors and an electric car featuring a combustion engine range extender.
Nina Selander, CEO of Nevs, which currently owns the cars being auctioned, said: "For us, this is a way to honour the Saab era.
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An autonomous Nevs 9-3 pre-production prototype will be up for auction
|KLARAVIK
"Saab continues to leave its mark on so many people and means so much to so many. Even today, the brand undeniably holds a special place in many automotive hearts.
"By allowing the final remaining examples to move on with dignity, we want to pay tribute to Sweden's proud automotive history."
Ms Selander described the auction as a "unique final opportunity" to see the Saab cars in their original environment and bid on a piece of Swedish history.
The auction of the seven Saab cars will begin on May 21 through the Klarabik platform, with a final event at the Trollhättan factory on May 30.
An electric Nevs 9-3 that was built in China and developed in Trollhättan will also go under the hammer
|KLARAVIK
The public will be able to attend the factory for free to view the iconic Swedish models before they leave the Saab site for the last time on May 30.
Drivers looking to get their hands on the Saab and Nevs models can bid via the Klaravik platform, where they will be sold without a reserve price.
Carita Nero, CEO of Klaravik, added: "Considering Saab’s place in Swedish history, these auctions are truly prestigious and unique.
"We usually say that 'every used vehicle has a story to tell,' and this really feels like proof of that."