UPDATE 2-Dutch Spyker, Russian investor interested in Saab

* Spyker says talking to General Motors

* Russian Spyker shareholder backs interest in Saab

* Loss-making Spyker made 43 cars last year

* Spyker backed by Abu Dhabi rescue financing in 2007

* Shares in Spyker up 26.6 percent at 2 euros

(Adds detail on Russian Spyker shareholder)

By Reed Stevenson

AMSTERDAM, Dec 2 (Reuters) - A second small luxury car maker, Spyker (SPYKR.AS) of the Netherlands, is talking to General Motors [GM.UL] about buying Saab Automobile, weeks after the first, Sweden's Koenigsegg, abandoned its bid.

A spokesman for Spyker, which made 43 cars last year selling for 200,000 euros ($301,400) and upwards, said the Dutch auto maker was interested in Sweden's Saab and was talking to GM but declined to say whether it had submitted a bid.

Spyker, which itself has never turned a profit, said it had expressed its interest together with its Russian shareholder, Convers Group.

Russian banking tycoon Vladimir Antonov is the major shareholder of Convers Group, and he holds 29.9 percent in Spyker. Convers Group was not immediately available to comment.

Russian state-controlled Sberbank SBER03.MM and Canada's Magna MGa.TO tried to buy a stake in GM's Opel unit until GM decided to keep it last month. Russia is keen to obtain Western technology to re-energise its local car industry. [ID:nN03518816] [ID:nNLP502374

Shares in Spyker were up 26.6 percent at 2 euros by 1620 GMT, touching a 3-month high.

Last month, Koenigsegg, which makes sports cars valued at $1 million, pulled out of a deal backed by China's Beijing Automotive Industrial Holding Ltd (BAIC) to buy Saab, putting in doubt the future of the 60-year-old mass-market automaker, known for its 9-5 and 9-3 sedans. [ID:nN2418890]

U.S. automaker GM, which has been restructuring its European operations after a period in bankruptcy protection earlier in the year, has said it would consider offers for Saab until the end of December and then take steps to close it if nothing suitable materialises. [ID:nN01514083]

Spyker has had to secure financing since it was resurrected as a luxury car maker in 2000 to compete against Lamborghini, Ferrari (FIA.MI) and Bentley (VOWG.DE).

Its roots go back to 1875, to a family firm that once built a coach for the Dutch royal family and later moved into automobiles and aircraft, but was liquidated in 1926.

The maker of the C8 Aileron and D8 luxury sport-utility vehicle got rescue financing in 2007 from Abu Dhabi's sovereign fund Mubadala, which holds 23 percent, while Spyker Chief Executive Victor Muller owns 10 percent.

Saab has not made a profit since it was taken over by GM 20 years ago. It expects a loss of 3 billion Swedish crowns ($434.5 million) this year and again in 2010.

It needs huge investment to bring its models up to date and reverse a dive in sales in recent years, and many analysts believe the brand has little future in an industry struggling with overcapacity.

As for Spyker, CEO Muller told Reuters in July that it still needed to secure financing for 2010. [ID:nL742107] (Additional reporting by Gilbert Kreijger; editing by Will Waterman) ($1=.6635 Euro) ($1=6.905 Swedish Crown) ((reed.stevenson@thomsonreuters.com; +31 20 504 5002; Reuters Messaging: reed.stevenson.reuters.com@reuters.net))