Chinese Koenigsegg investor wants Saab technology

Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation, the Chinese automaker that intends to become a minority shareholder in Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg, says that it wants access to Saab’s technologies in exchange for helping to boost the company’s market share in China.

Koenigsegg is expected to acquire Saab from General Motors within the next few weeks.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Beijing Auto’s Detroit-experienced president, Wang Dazong, said that his company wants access to some of the GM-engineered technologies in exchange for helping Saab grow in the rapidly-developing Chinese market.

GM balked at Chinese interest in its Opel division, which it was selling earlier this year, but the Detroit automaker has said that it will eventually cut off its support to Saab after it is acquired. GM retains a 35 percent interest in Opel and plans to share technologies with the German unit, but not long after Koenigsegg acquires Saab, GM will cease helping the small Swedish brand.

Wang has only been with Beijing Auto for a little over a year, but his automotive industry experience stems from a 21-year career with GM in Detroit. In China, he’s seen as a savior for the relatively small Beijing Auto, which survived China’s recent industry consolidation but remains considered a “Small Four” player, not a “Big Four,” as China’s eight-largest automakers are considered.

He hopes that access to Saab’s superior technology will help Beijing Auto’s products. The company has already recruited engineers laid off from Detroit and has high sights to become a major player, at least in its domestic market.