A visit to Ekman Car & Boat in Sweden

A workshop with a passion for Saab cars

During the spring, my colleague and I went to Ekman Bil & Båt (Ekman Car & Boat) in Gustavsberg, Sweden, who specialize in the service and repair of Saab cars.

A brief history of the workshop

The workshop, which in the past has had the board of director of Saab-Scania, Marcus Wallenberg as a customer, started out in its current state in 1999 but was then taken over by the current owners Rickard, Micke and Thommy in 2016.

Originally, the company was founded as early as 1963 by man named Leif Ekman when they used to carry out the service and repairs of boats and boat heaters. They went out to their customers and helped them on site with their boats, so no boats were ever taken into the workshop. There, it was the cars that filled the workshop instead!

When did Saab come into the picture?

During the early 2000s, the workshop became authorized for Saab, and now they have at least 3-4 Saab’s inside their workshop every day to be serviced or repaired. This can be anything from regular maintenance according to the service protocol, to various wear and tear repairs.

Almost anything that has to do with Saab cars, the workshop knows how to do it, except for body work and paint jobs. In the video below you can watch as one mechanic works on a Saab 9-3 which had a problem with its door locks. It’s never fun when the car won’t lock properly – but no problem is too big or too small to fix for the guys at Ekman Bil & Båt. The car also got an annual service at the same time.

A large and loyal customer base

There’s no doubt that Ekman Bil & Båt are great at looking after the Saab car community. They have a lot of regular Saab customers and among their large customer base, they are well known for taking good care of both their customers and their beloved cars. During the time we visited the workshop, we met a loyal customer coming in to leave their car with the team, which we love!

It’s always busy here! The workshop owners tell me that there are customers that drive all the way from the other side of Stockholm to Gustavsberg (where the workshop is located) to get their car serviced. Sometimes, customers even come all the way from the nearby cities as well. A lot of cabriolets also come to the workshop since they are known for their expert knowledge of our topless favourite.

A Saab heart with a personal touch

It’s important to offer both the customer and the car the unique service that they deserve. The workshop sometimes helps customers to find used spare parts that are more economical than new parts to keep older cars on the road. Maybe that’s why they have so many loyal customers, because they know that they won’t be surprised when they pay the bill.

If there’s a problem with a car, for example the engine lamp is on, the guys at Ekman Bil & Båt will often go out and look at the car so no need to book a time in the workshop weeks later. The advantage of a smaller workshop is to be able to offer fast and professional service, without compromising on quality. This also gives the customers a more personal relationship with the workshop and the technicians who work on their car, which in turn increases customer loyalty.

When I talked to the owners at Ekman Bil & Båt, they told me that they want to continue working with Saab and keep the brand alive and well for as long as possible. In other words, they have a true heart and passion for Saab cars.

Here below you can watch a short video from when we visited the workshop when they were working on a customer’s Saab.

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