Saab plant might build small Cadillac for Europe – report

Two variants based on GM's Ypsilon platform shared by the Saab 9-3 and Opel/Vauxhall Vectra are being considered as the basis for a Cadillac targeted at European sales, according to sources within GM quoted by Automotive News Europe.

ANE says a Saab-based Cadillac saloon would be assembled at Saab's plant in Trollhattan, Sweden and a convertible version by Magna-Steyr in Austria.

According to Ton Van Soest, CEO of Kroymans Corp., Europe's privately-owned Cadillac importer appointed last October, "We have excellent potential in Europe, especially if we have a small model."

Cadillac sold approximately 800 cars in Europe in 2003, but that could grow to 10,000 a year by 2010, or more with the addition of a medium-size model, according to Kroymans. The concessionaire's belief in the brand's future in Europe is reported to have been confirmed by an investment of $50 million in a network of 25 large stand-alone dealerships.