The last Saabs stored at the car maker’s defunct factory in Trollhättan, Sweden, have been sold at auction for a combined price of £80,000, more than a decade after the manufacturer’s collapse.
At a special event hosted at the vehicle plant last weekend, fans of the brand were invited inside for the very last time before the final seven models stored inside were sold to the highest bidders.
Three are among the last Saab models to come off the assembly line before the company filed for bankruptcy in April 2011.
The remaining four are electrified Saabs rebranded as NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden) – the Chinese-backed company that took control of the car maker in 2012 but recently went under.
Klaravik, a Swedish auction house, said the seven vehicles were subject to a week of intense bidding online, reaching a combined final price of just over one million Swedish kronor on Saturday.
Bosses said the sales will guarantee that ‘Saab’s legacy – through its devoted following – will live on for many, many years to come’.
The last seven Saab cars from the once-popular Swedish brand have been sold at auction over the weekend. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2011
The most fiercely contested lot was a 2018 NEVS electric car, which ultimately sold for 252,000 kronor, equating to almost £20,000.
The three final Saab cars also saw strong late bidding, with winning bids of 142,000 kronor (£11,250), 159,000 kronor (£12,600) and 177,000 kronor (£14,000).
Each example has an incredibly low chassis number and is said to be among the last mass-produced Saabs in existence.
However, all three have seen some use, clocking mileages of between 11,452 and 36,437, as staff used the cars around the site.
Also up for grabs were two other ‘secret’ NEVS electric prototypes.
These are all based on the 9-3, with one equipped with autonomous driving hardware as part of the company’s bid to develop its own driverless system.
The winning bid was around £9,300.
Another car in the auction collection is a unique ‘Range Extender’ – a prototype hybrid that uses a combustion engine as an on-board generator for the battery, allowing electric power to be delivered to all four wheels.
It is believed to be one of a kind and was snapped up for just under £5,000.
At an event hosted at the vehicle plant last weekend, fans of the brand from all over the world were invited inside for the very last time to watch the online auction for the seven cars end
Bosses said the sales will guarantee that ‘Saab’s legacy – through its devoted following – will live on for many, many years to come’
Klaravik said the sale was about something bigger than the size of the winning bids.
Instead, it was about ‘paying tribute to Saab in a manner befitting the industrial institution it has been for so many years,’ explained chief executive Carita Nero.
‘The fact that the cars and the auctions have been covered in 47 countries around the world speaks to the legendary status Saab still holds,’ she said.
‘We are also proud to have demonstrated the broad reach and visibility that Klaravik brings to a sale of this kind.’
On Saturday, Saab enthusiasts from near and far gathered in Trollhättan to witness the conclusion of the auctions.
Several hundred people turned out to celebrate the Saab era, with some having travelled all the way from the US and other parts of Europe to be there in person.
‘It has been a day filled with so much emotion,’ said Nina Selander, chief executive of NEVS.
‘Above all, it has been wonderful and truly moving to see how much Saab means to so many people.’
‘Giving people the chance to come here, enjoy themselves and connect with fellow Saab enthusiasts over a memorable day was always our goal – and on that front, we really feel we succeeded.’
The Saab sold for the biggest figure was this rebranded NEVS electric car with just 3,800 miles on the clock. The winning bid was 252,000 kronor, equating to almost £20,000
This end-of-production Saab 9-3 with just 1,843 miles on the clock sold for around £14,000
This electrified 9-3, equipped with autonomous driving hardware as part of the company’s bid to develop its own driverless system, sold for around £9,300
All seven were purchased by Swedish private individuals or companies, several of them based in the western parts of Sweden.
‘Seeing the final prices reach such heights is, of course, hugely gratifying and shows that Saab’s legacy – through its devoted following – will live on for many, many years to come,’ Selander added.
Saab is the biggest European car maker to have gone into liquidation in recent history.
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Just 20 years ago, the Swedish manufacturer was at its peak, selling 133,167 passenger vehicles globally in 2006 under the stewardship of General Motors.
The brand was also incredibly popular in the UK.
Links to Saab’s aeronautical business producing cutting-edge fighter jets made it stand out as a daring luxury alternative to market-leading German rivals such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
But Saab Automobile officially filed for bankruptcy in 2011 when General Motors’ fortunes nosedived.
Production at the company’s Trollhättan factory stopped in April 2011 as a result, but restarted 12 months later after NEVS took over and former Saab engineers returned to the shuttered factory under orders to deliver vehicles for a new green era.
This saw the development of the Emily GT – an electric saloon fitted with revolutionary in-wheel motors that evoked the classic Saab spirit.
However, lightning struck twice when Evergrande collapsed in 2021, and by September 2025 the Trollhättan site had shuttered for good.
Saab Automobile officially filed for bankruptcy in 2011 when its parent company – General Motors – hit financial trouble. Production at the Trollhättan factory (pictured) ceased in 2011
DVLA records suggest there are nearly 70,000 Saabs still in the UK, though around 30,000 of these are declared off the road
A Saab Gripen F fighter jet (pictured) being delivered to the Brazilian Air Force this week
According to DVLA records, there are still approximately 37,000 to 41,000 Saabs actively licensed in the UK.
In addition, there are roughly 28,000 to 30,000 examples declared off the road (SORN), meaning there are nearly 70,000 Saabs still in existence across the country.
And while the car-making arm of the business is now defunct, the Saab name continues to live on in other fields.
It remains a world leader in the defence and security sectors, with the company still producing fighter jets as well as submarines.
