Auto brands are tough sell

Cerberus may want to re-think one of its potential exit strategies from its ownership of Chrysler: selling brands like Jeep. Piecemeal sales don’t seem to be attracting much interest these days, even at fire sale prices.

General Motors announced today that it has been unable to find a buyer for Saab. This follows on its unsuccessful attempt to sell its Hummer brand, which it has been trying to unload since last June. Ford has had similar luck with its Volvo division; not even Volvo of Sweden is interested.

GM put its Swedish subsidiary on what the automaker calls “strategic review” in December. It has been involved with Saab since 1989 and has owned the company for the past nine years. GM believed it could make Saab a bigger brand in North America, but Saab’s best sales year here was in 1986, three years before GM bought in. Last year, 21,368 Saabs were sold in the U.S.