Who Will Adopt Saab’s Orphans?

Saab is done for. So it goes.

But, what of the brand loyalists? What will they do when they’re done swallowing sadness and it’s time to buy a new car? Who will offer a new home to the Saab orphans?

Autotrader looked through its cross shopping data to see what other brands Saab shoppers considered during their hunt for new wheels.

Saab’s biggest heir: BMW. Not surprisingly, the top four brands were European. Japan took slots five through seven. Ford and Chevrolet took spots nine and ten, respectively.

Here are the top ten brands, and the percentage of Saab shoppers on AutoTrader in 2009 that also looked at those brands.

1.         BMW – 33 percent
2.         Audi – 31 percent
3.         Volvo – 29 percent
4.         Volkswagen – 27 percent
5.         Toyota – 27 percent
6.         Nissan – 26 percent
7.         Honda – 24 percent
8.         Mercedes-Benz – 24 percent
9.         Ford – 23 percent
10.       Chevrolet – 22 percent

The press release follows.

AUTOTRADER.COM CROSS-SHOPPING DATA SHOWS BMW TOP CROSS-SHOPPED
VEHICLE AMONG SAAB SHOPPERS

ATLANTA – December 18, 2009 – With the announcement today that GM will shutter its Saab division, BMW may be a winner, according to cross-shopping data from AutoTrader.com, the ultimate automotive marketplace.  Thirty-three percent of Saab shoppers also looked at BMW vehicles while researching and comparing new and used vehicles on AutoTrader.com, a larger percentage than looked at any other brand.

Audi, another German manufacturer, may also see some new customers, as 31% of Saab shoppers also looked at Audi models listed for sale on AutoTrader.com.

“The top four brands Saab shoppers also looked at while on our site were all European, showing some preference for European styling and handling among Saab shoppers,” said AutoTrader.com President and CEO Chip Perry.  “As the Saab brand is shut down, it is likely many of those buyers will gravitate to those other European brands, although our shopper activity on AutoTrader.com shows Saab buyers are also interested in some American and Japanese brands.”

The top 10 brands that Saab shoppers also looked at on AutoTrader.com during 2009 and the percentage of Saab shoppers that also looked at those brands are:

1.         BMW – 33%
2.         Audi – 31%
3.         Volvo – 29%
4.         Volkswagen – 27%
5.         Toyota – 27%
6.         Nissan – 26%
7.         Honda – 24%
8.         Mercedes-Benz – 24%
9.         Ford – 23%
10.        Chevrolet – 22%

About AutoTrader.com

AutoTrader.com, created in 1997 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is the Internet’s leading auto classifieds marketplace and consumer information website.  AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location millions of new cars<http://www.autotrader.com/research/newmodel/index.jsp?sort_type=ALL>, used cars<http://www.autotrader.com/research/used-cars/index.jsp?rdpage=SUBNAV> and certified pre-owned cars<http://www.autotrader.com/research/certified-cars/index.jsp?rdpage=SUBNAV> from thousands of auto dealers and private owners.  The site attracts about 15 million unique monthly visitors.  Through innovative merchandising functionality such as multiple photos, videos, detailed descriptions and comprehensive research and compare tools, AutoTrader.com unites new and used car buyers and sellers online to improving the way people research, locate and advertise vehicles. AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises.  The venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is also an investor.  For more information, please visit www.autotrader.com<http://www.autotrader.com/>.

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