It’s a bummer for fans of an automotive brand when a car company goes out of business -- and a much bigger bummer for the people who worked for the company and its suppliers. Another downside is that owners of the orphaned car can be left in the lurch when it comes to obtaining replacement parts with any semblance of ease or convenience.

While Swedish automaker Saab was by no means a volume seller, the brand had its fierce loyalists, and there are still plenty of models on the road -- which means, at some point, they’ll need spare parts. And even if Saab’s future looks pretty bleak because of bankruptcy, at least U.S. and Canadian Saab owners won’t be left to scouring junkyards for replacement parts. Saab Automobile Parts AB, the parts manufacturer, isn't subject to the bankruptcy proceedings the Swedish automaker is going through, so it’s stepping up to service an estimated 500,000 Saab owners in North America.

Saab Automobile Parts has struck a deal with Saab’s creditors allowing it to continue to use the automaker's factory in Trollhättan, Sweden to fabricate large replacement parts, such as body panels. It’s also contracted with Saab’s major suppliers to ensure that parts are available down the road.

And this isn’t a fly-by-night company: Saab Automobile Parts AB has been supplying factory authorized spare parts for 50 years. A new North American subsidiary will be based in Michigan, but the company hasn’t said exactly where or how many people will be on staff. But it did confirm that its warehouses will have about 70,000 parts in store, and will be able to ship out around 30,000 orders each day.

[Source: Autoblog]