Saab importer headed for 7m-euro turnover

Augusta Motors, the domestic importer of Saab, expects to see turnover increase by 75%, to 7m euros, from around 4m euros in 2006. According to company representatives, turnover was primarily bolstered by a sales increase for the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan model. According to APIA statistical data, in the first eight months of this year Saab sold 67 units on the Romanian market. For 2007, Horatiu Ionescu, manager of Augusta Motors, estimates a sales volume of around 120 units, up around 40% from 86 units sold in 2006. Besides the Bucharest showroom, the importer also owns four domestic dealerships, in Arad, Oradea, Timisoara and Brasov. The Saab dealership network is controlled by General Motors, which plans to open offices in economically developed areas in Romania, with Constanta as the most likely location for a new office in the future.