Koenigsegg says Saab cash goal is reasonable

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Christian von Koenigsegg, founder of the sportscar maker that plans to buy Saab Automobile, said on Wednesday that Saab's cash flow goals were "fairly reasonable" but hinged on economic conditions.

Saab owner General Motors announced a deal on Tuesday to sell the money-losing Swedish carmaker to Koenigsegg. A new firm, Koenigsegg Group, has been formed for the takeover, with backing from Norwegian and U.S. investors.

"We are contemplating different scenarios according to what the market looks like and how that affects the business plan," Christian von Koenigsegg told Reuters in an interview. Asked whether the new company could reach a positive cash flow as expected by Saab after 2010, he said: "That sounds fairly reasonable, but it all depends on the market conditions and if there is a turnaround in the economy."

Koenigsegg said the business plan was undergoing stress tests and that he was cautious about the outlook for 2009 due to the downturn in the global economy.

"Our ambition is to turn the company around and keep it for the long term," he said. "We are entrepreneurs. We are not venture capitalists."