The production lines at Saab Automobile’s Trollhättan plant have begun rolling again, marking the start of a new era for the Swedish carmaker as an independent company.

To mark the occasion, Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson, Spyker Cars CEO Victor Muller and Trollhättan Plant director Gunnar Brunius took up positions on the line alongside assembly workers as the first batch of cars was built.

Production at the Trollhättan plant was originally halted for seven weeks. Now, following the purchase of Saab by Spyker, the first cars to be built by Saab as an independent company will soon be delivered to customers.

“Today’s resumption of production is a milestone in the history of our company” said Jonsson.

“We are up and running as an independent manufacturer and I am delighted to share the experience on the line alongside our workforce. They have shown tremendous commitment to the company and we are all now focused on ramping up production to meet customer demand.”

First on the line was the new Saab 9-5 saloon, destined to join a test fleet prior to the model’s official launch later this year.

Further down the line was a Saab Convertible, now also being produced in Trollhättan as part of the concentration of Saab operations in Sweden. With the introduction of the new 9-5 SportWagon next year, a total of five model lines will be produced at the plant.