SAAB in the Rearview Mirror

In our 3rd and final installment with guest Dave Schurk we discuss some additional forgotten stories from the Long Run, Opel Sintra production at the GM Doraville Assembly Line utilizing Saab Manual Transmissions and Dave’s liaison involvement, testing over 2000 transmissions alone at a rented Lotus parts warehouse, enjoying the Olympic Games in Atlanta and working at the 1998 Palm Springs Dealer...

Continuing my conversation with Dave Schurk, this time without any bear interruptions, but with some actual visiting bear video, we continue our discussion about Port functions, FAPS, Stevedores and convertibles. We also visit new topics including accessories such as the infamous Air Flow kits, the first Long Run logistics, functions and scary moments, legendary Saab Engineer and race car driver O...

Despite being interrupted by a bear, this week’s guest is long time Saab Technical Services employee Dave Schurk. Part One of our conversation begins with Dave’s early career working for his local Peugeot dealership including servicing my father’s 1974 Peugeot Diesel 504! Dave has had an illustrious and varied career involving testing vehicles and products, fixing vehicle in ports, travels to Swed...

One of the most influential and widely read Saab Bloggers and Webmasters in the “Saabosphere” and eventual Saab employee, my guest this week is writer, reporter, photographer and videographer Steven “Swade” Wade. Steven started writing about his love for Saabs in 2005 and created several highly popular websites including TrollhattanSaab.net, SaabsUnited.com, Inside-Saab.com and Swadeology.com. Thr...

Joining me this week on the Podcast is longtime Saab and Saab contracted employee Bob Allard. Bob started at Saab in 1985 in Orange, Connecticut and stayed on until long after the Norcross, Georgia office was vacated. Bob was involved in the early days of computer equipment and software at Saab including Univac, IBM PS 2s, IBM AS/400 and Lotus Notes 123 just to name a few. He set up countless empl...

So many memories came flooding back that Vincent and I knew we had to record a Bonus episode! Join us as we chat about Vincent’s many good times at Saab both professionally and personally. Vincent shares more photos of the good times, talks about the Saab swag he helped create, shares additional memories of the 1992 Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel meeting, the changeover from the Saab-Scania logo...

Join me this week on a fascinating journey with my guest Vincent Donroe-Wells. Vincent started as a contracted Account Manager, then came on board with Saab tackling various responsibilities including Merchandising, Auto Shows, Advertising and eventually National Sales Promotion Manager encompassing all previous jobs and adding many new programs and experiences. Vincent was an instrumental part of...

This week’s guest is the effervescent long time Saab Connecticut employee Valerie Torphy. Valerie regales us with stories from her long extensive career in Sales and Marketing which included working with brochure production, dealer analysis, dealer Saab signage, prospective dealer franchise analysis, dealer meetings scouting, meeting production, used company car auction programs, and coordinating...

There are several ex-Saab employees that can truly be referred to as  “legends”. Arsey Miller is one of those people. Join me for an extensive conversation with Arsey as we discuss his years with Saab in jobs ranging from District Parts, Service and Sales Manager, Regional Sales Manager, National Product Display and Sales Training Manager. As well as all of these diverse positions Arsey was instru...

  This week I renew an old friendship with someone I worked very closely with and learned a lot from starting from my early days at Saab – Angela Leibowicz. Angela started at Saab in Customer Service for the Eastern Region and eventually became the National Consumer Relations Manager. She has many great stories from her years at Saab including applying for a job because she liked the building, dev...

This week witness my most ambitious multi-media YouTube Podcast yet with guest Walt Lawson. Walt started with Saab in 1982 washing cars at the Saab fleet shop. From there he became a Technician, a Technical Representative and then moved to Training Instructor at the Southern Region Technical Training Center before leaving Saab and moving on to Kia Motors. Our lives crossed twice long before either...

Joining the Podcast this week is ex-Saab District Sales Manager and 9-3 Product Manager Doug Blank. Doug’s interesting career includes his time as a Radarman on a U.S. Navy Destroyer to a vehicle painter on the Jeep assembly line and several jobs at Saab as a District Sales Manager and the 9-3 Product Manager. Doug has some great stories ranging from the questionable color choices out of Sweden wh...

Original Parts Help Line Creator Eric Weiss joins me this week on the Podcast. Eric started at Saab as a “Senior” Consumer Relations person where I followed in his footsteps as he transitioned shortly to my future role running the Parts Help Line. He then became a field Service Representative calling on 15 dealers in Connecticut and Rhode Island. A short time later he moved up to the Eastern Regio...

Joining me this week is long time Saab employee Dan David. Dan joined Saab in 1973 and finished his career in 2005. While at Saab he held several positions in Service, Warranty, Parts, Product Development, Customer Retention, Marketing and many combinations of them throughout his career in the USA and Sweden. He has many interesting tales of working with Saab USA founder Ralph Millet and many subs...

My guest this week is another dear friend and longtime Saab employee-Dale David. Dale worked numerous jobs at Saab including Warranty Claims Processor and Supervisor, West Coast Service and Parts Representative, Sales Trainer and Facilities Brand Image and Design Manager. Dale talks about her love of Saab Cars, her time “behind the windshield” as a Field Rep, her true feelings about Saab Way train...

This week’s guest is long term Saab employee John Libbos. John was with Saab from 1987 to 2012. His many jobs included several Technical Services positions and later as Project Manager for the 9-5 and 9-4X. He also spent several years working in Sweden in the late 90’s as the Aftersales Project leader for the Saab 9-5 being fully immersed in Swedish language and culture. John was stationed in most...

This week’s guest is former Saab Parts Director Doug Williams. Doug worked in the Norcross, GA headquarters in the late 90’s through his early retirement in 2001. During his tenure the parts division moved over 100 million in parts and accessories per year with the help of a dedicated staff. Innovative ideas were put into place such as overnight dedicated delivery to dealers of parts and Saab badg...

I am joined in this week’s episode by long time Saab employee Gary Dagesse. Gary has had numerous field and management positions at Saab. He started in the early 90’s and stayed up until almost the very end of the Spyker years in 2011. He also worked for Ford, Porsche, Jaguar/Land Rover and Nissan and talks about his experiences in the non-Saab world. He also just recently completed a lifelong buc...

One of my many ex-bosses, my mentor, my sometimes life coach and most of all my friend, Mike Raflowitz joins me on the Podcast. Mike had a long and varied career at Saab ranging from Field Representative to operating Saab of Japan (thus the Saab Japanese intro). Mike "Raf" is fun to talk to and is a great story teller and he has some great ones from almost running over a group of astronomers in a...

This episode's guest is former Saab Training Department member Dave Kapitulik.  "Kap" details his road to being an educator and training instructor/course designer at Saab Automobiles.  Dave's long career started in Technical Services and to educating Saab Technicians from all over the USA's east coast. Dave talks about his numerous trips to Sweden, the great co-workers he had and his post Saab ca...

Join me for our first episode featuring ex-Saab Field Representatives John Ritter and John Sokol. We discuss how each became interested in the automotive business, their long careers at Saab, their favorite meetings, brushes with celebrity, life after Saab and much more.