Saab Automobile AB, General Motors Corp.'s (GM) Swedish unit, said Friday a Swedish court has approved its request for protection from creditors.

Saab filed the request earlier Friday with the Vanersborg District Court in a bid to reorganize and emerge within three months as a functioning company that is independent from GM.

"We are now recreating Saab Automobile as an independent unit," Saab Chief Executive Jan Ake Jonsson said in a statement.

Company Web site: http://www.saab.com, www.gm.com

-By Ola Kinnander, Dow Jones Newswires; +46-8-5451-3097; ola.kinnander@dowjones.com