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In these unsettling times, when giant automakers face bankruptcy and the automotive world seems to be turned inside out, it's nice to have at least one benchmark that doesn't move.

That's why it's reassuring when Saab Managing Director Jan-Ake Jonsson proclaims that the Swedish automaker is on the verge of profitability. Heck, it seems as if at least the last half-dozen Saab managing directors have made the same prediction.

It's a ritual dating back to 1990, when General Motors bought 50 percent of Saab Automobile AB. It became a full-fledged liturgy 10 years later when GM acquired the rest of Saab.

The road to sustainable profitability has been long, winding and tricky to negotiate.

At first it was thought that all Saab needed to do was lower its costs by leveraging GM's European vehicle architectures. That led to the 9-5 and a new 9-3. Saab tried to keep the brand's innate quirkiness with unique design cues and features such as a floor-mounted ignition key, but everyone knew the cars were Opels — even if they were assembled by trolls somewhere near the Arctic Circle.

The next thing Saab needed was an SUV. So GM gave Saab a version of the GMC Envoy and called it the 9-7x.

Ta-da!

But somehow Saab still couldn't get enough traction.

Then came what was sure to be the game-changer: Since GM had an alliance with Subaru, Saab ought to have a version of the Subaru Impreza WRX. And sure enough, the 9-2x was created.

But still no miracle.

It made me wonder what the Swedish translation is for "The more things change, the more they remain the same.''

Oh, well. One thing is certain: If Saab ever finds the road to sustainable profitability, it will be a sure sign of the automotive apocalypse.

And I'm not ready for that. At least not yet.