The Dutch sportscar maker Spyker has extended its bid deadline for Saab indefinitely, in order to give parent company General Motors (GM) more time to respond.
Spyker made a renewed bid for Saab on Sunday, two days after Michigan, US-based GM announced it would shut down the loss-making Swedish unit.
Previous talks between GM and Spyker, which is 30 per cent owned by the Russian banker Vladimir Antonov, had collapsed. The Swedish companyÔÇÖs new offer is an 11-point proposal addressing each of the issues that caused the talks to fail first time around.
The company has said the new offer also has the full backing of Saab management, and does not need a loan from the European Investment Bank.
ÔÇ£We have made every effort to resolve the issues that were preventing the conclusion of this matter and we have asked GM and all other involved parties to seriously consider this offer," said Spyker CEO Victor Muller.
He continued: "Our efforts are based on our passion for saving an iconic brand that we would be honoured to shepherd, and the jobs and livelihoods of thousands of loyal Saab employees, suppliers and dealers around the world.
ÔÇ£Some 1,500,000 Saabs are on the road today and their proud owners would no doubt welcome the survival of this phenomenal brand", he added.
Spyker manufactures a small number of niche sports cars that sell for Ôé¼140,000 or more. Last year, the company produced just 43 vehicles and made a loss of Ôé¼24.8 million.
Sixty-year-old Saab employs about 3,400 people in Sweden. Its closure could lead to more than 8,000 job losses, including subcontractors and others dependent on the carmaker.
On Monday the Swedish government held a crisis meeting with local officials from Trollhaettan, south-western Sweden, where SaabÔÇÖs main plant is located, to discuss ways in which it would help the region and those who face losing their jobs.
It has said it will allocate kr542 million (Ôé¼52 million) towards education and job schemes to assist those who could be affected.
Earlier this year, GM had agreed a purchase with a consortium led by SwedenÔÇÖs Koenigsegg Automotive, but the deal collapsed in November.
GM bought a 50 per cent stake and management control of Saab for $600 million (Ôé¼419 million) in 1989, gaining full ownership in 2000 for an additional $125 million (Ôé¼87 million).
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