"I can't confirm that we are the only potential buyer for Saab, but I think it is unlikely that there will be other potential buyers left," Spyker Chief Exectutive Victor Muller told Dow Jones Newswires.

A Swedish government official earlier Tuesday said it had been given the go-ahead to analyze an approach from a lead bidder as it considers a request to act as guarantor to EUR400 million in European Investment Bank loans to Saab. The approval process stalled last month, after a consortium led by Koenigsegg Automotive pulled out of a deal to buy Saab.

Swedish State Secretary Joran Hagglund, the government's main liaison with the auto industry, said GM is working to complete a deal before the end-of-year deadline, but declined to name the party involved.

"There is one buyer that is a main alternative, even if GM has made it clear that it won't announce anything on the way but is focusing on finishing the negotiations that are needed to achieve the timetable by year-end," he said.

GM said Monday it had sold certain Saab assets, including intellectual property for two sedans and equipment to produce the cars, to China's Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co.

Bucharest Herald