UPDATE 3-Saab says bid deadline dropped, to resume output

* GM continues wind-down process and takeover review - Saab

* Saab to restart production lines after partial shutdown

* Spyker CEO says Jan. 7 new GM deadline for Saab offer

(Adds Spyker Cars CEO's comments)

By Gilbert Kreijger and Ben Berkowitz

AMSTERDAM, Dec 30 (Reuters) - General Motors [GM.UL] has
extended a Dec. 31 deadline for bids for its Swedish car brand
Saab, which will restart some production lines in January after
a shutdown, Saab said on Wednesday.

GM had given itself to the end of this month to consider
bids for loss-making Saab while continuing a process to wind
down the company, which has drawn interest from Dutch luxury
carmaker Spyker Cars (SPYKR.AS) and others.

Spyker Cars Chief Executive Victor Muller said in a text
message GM had extended the deadline for a final offer from
Spyker Cars until Jan. 7, in an extension of GM's original Dec.
31 deadline for a deal. Muller added he believed there are
multiple bidders for Saab.

A spokesman for GM in Europe said he had no information on
the deadline being cancelled and could not immediately comment.

The Swedish government has said it would allot 542 million
Swedish crowns ($75 million) to measures, mainly for education
and job schemes, to help deal with the thousands of jobs set to
disappear if Saab shuts down.

Abandoning the 60-year-old Swedish auto brand would
eliminate 3,400 jobs in Sweden and hit 1,100 Saab dealers.

In the meantime, Saab will restart some production lines
again in January for its new 9-5 model and Cabrio, Saab
spokesman Eric Geers said.

"We have the orders and we have to deliver them as usual. We
also have the orders for the 9-3 and others. The factory has to
continue again," Geers said.

"We are preparing the wind-down process. At the same time we
are open to options, to bids that come in. Therefore the
deadline has also been dropped," Geers said.

GM was still in talks with potential bidders but Geers only
named Spyker Cars and declined to talk about other parties.

Loss-making Spyker has been keen to buy Saab to benefit from
its technical resources and its distribution network.

Spyker, backed by Russian and Arabic investors, lodged a
renewed fast-track offer to buy Saab on Dec 20.

The surprise new offer from Spyker -- which made 43 luxury
cars last year against Saab's sales of 93,295 -- came just two
days after talks with GM over a rescue of the loss-making
Swedish manufacturer collapsed.

Spyker's Muller has said if a deal is achieved, Saab and
Spyker would operate as sister companies where Spyker could
benefit from Saab's technical resources and its distribution
network, while Spyker would bring entrepreneurial skills to
Saab.

China's Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp bought a
number of car designs from Saab earlier this month.
[ID:nTOE5BM00Z]
(Editing by John Stonestreet and Rupert Winchester)