Celebrating 60 years of independent thinking
2007: Saab's 60th anniversary
Did you know that... James Bond, special agent 007, drove a Saab 900 Turbo? Or that Grand Prix driver Sir Stirling Moss once navigated for Saab rally legend Erik Carlsson? And that Saab not only produced aircraft, but also a series of ultra-light caravans?
Whatever your interest, this review of Saab's first 60 years is entertaining, informative, and even a little surprising in places - just as you would expect from the Saab brand.
The first Saab car was revealed to the automotive world on June 10, 1947, in a staff canteen at the aircraft company's Linköping headquarters in Sweden. Such humble beginnings marked the birth of what has become a major international brand, now represented in more than 60 countries all over the world.
In celebration of this diamond jubilee, Saab assembled a potpourri of 60 little 'gems', which we will be covering in Motoring over the coming months, starting with the first ten this month. The intention is to express something of the passion and tradition for innovative, independent thinking that continues to inspire the Saab brand and the development of its products today.
1. Greta Molander, a Swedish-born woman who began rallying in 1929, was the first driver to win a prize for Saab at the Monte Carlo Rally. She took the Ladies Cup in 1952, driving a Saab 92, ten years before Erik Carlsson achieved the first of his two Monte Carlo victories.
2. Saab once considered going into boatbuilding. In 1944, as war was drawing to a close, Saab the aircraft maker was looking to diversify into other products during peacetime. A number of aluminum-hulled boats, including some with hydrofoils in the bows, were built but, in the end, automobiles were considered to be a better bet.
3. It was back pain suffered by a senior Saab executive that prompted the development of the heated driver's seat, an innovation from Saab in 1971. The pain was particularly bad on cold, frosty mornings and a colleague devised a means of heating the driver's seat to minimise the discomfort. As the result was so effective, and also so popular, the solution was put into production.
4. A 1:10 scale model of an early Saab 92 prototype was tested in an aircraft wind tunnel in 1946. Such testing was very unusual for a production car manufacturer of the time but very much second nature for an aircraft maker. The final prototype's 0.32 coefficient of drag was exceptionally low for a production car of the time and would still be competitive today.
5. Rather like the first T-model Ford, you could have an early Saab 92 in any color you liked - as long as it was bottle green. The paint was readily available in surplus army supplies left over from the war. Saab did not offer a colour choice until 1952.
6. In 1993, Saab adopted a feature commonly found in aircraft cockpits when it introduced 'need to know' instrument and information illumination on the new Saab 900. The innovative 'Night Panel' feature on Saab cars allows the driver to eliminate potential distraction by switching off main fascia displays, except the speedometer and essential warning lights.
7. Saab engine guru Dr Per Gillbrand - often described as the father of the production turbo - has a very simple explanation for his commitment to turbocharging. "All engines have an oil pump, a fuel pump and a water pump," he said. "So why not an air pump, which is all a turbo really is? I think it's odd that all engines don't have one!"
8. Saab staged what is probably the world's highest car launch when it presented the Saab 9-5 Aero Wagon in 2000. At an airstrip near a New Mexico ski resort in the United States, 2,650 meters up in the Rockies, journalists were invited to carry out acceleration runs with the new Saab and other high-powered cars from premium class competitors. The results demonstrated how Saab Trionic engine management was able to maintain the turbo engine's performance, despite the thinner air of high altitude, while the other cars that were left behind.
9. In 1966, to keep the arrival of the upcoming Saab 99 secret, endurance testing of prototypes was carried out inside an old aircraft hangar. Non-stop runs were conducted as the prototypes circled round and round for several days at a time to test driveshaft durability.
10. The all-time best selling Saab is still the first generation 'classic' 900. A total of 908,817 were built between 1978 and 1993, of which 48,888 were convertibles. Widely viewed as one of the most charismatic Saabs, many 900s are still seen on the rod today, 13 years after production ceased. Some are treasured by collectors, but most are used for regular daily transport. Saab reliability and durability has enabled them to clock up extremely high mileages.
(To be continued)
Whatever your interest, this review of Saab's first 60 years is entertaining, informative, and even a little surprising in places - just as you would expect from the Saab brand.
The first Saab car was revealed to the automotive world on June 10, 1947, in a staff canteen at the aircraft company's Linköping headquarters in Sweden. Such humble beginnings marked the birth of what has become a major international brand, now represented in more than 60 countries all over the world.
In celebration of this diamond jubilee, Saab assembled a potpourri of 60 little 'gems', which we will be covering in Motoring over the coming months, starting with the first ten this month. The intention is to express something of the passion and tradition for innovative, independent thinking that continues to inspire the Saab brand and the development of its products today.
1. Greta Molander, a Swedish-born woman who began rallying in 1929, was the first driver to win a prize for Saab at the Monte Carlo Rally. She took the Ladies Cup in 1952, driving a Saab 92, ten years before Erik Carlsson achieved the first of his two Monte Carlo victories.
2. Saab once considered going into boatbuilding. In 1944, as war was drawing to a close, Saab the aircraft maker was looking to diversify into other products during peacetime. A number of aluminum-hulled boats, including some with hydrofoils in the bows, were built but, in the end, automobiles were considered to be a better bet.
3. It was back pain suffered by a senior Saab executive that prompted the development of the heated driver's seat, an innovation from Saab in 1971. The pain was particularly bad on cold, frosty mornings and a colleague devised a means of heating the driver's seat to minimise the discomfort. As the result was so effective, and also so popular, the solution was put into production.
4. A 1:10 scale model of an early Saab 92 prototype was tested in an aircraft wind tunnel in 1946. Such testing was very unusual for a production car manufacturer of the time but very much second nature for an aircraft maker. The final prototype's 0.32 coefficient of drag was exceptionally low for a production car of the time and would still be competitive today.
5. Rather like the first T-model Ford, you could have an early Saab 92 in any color you liked - as long as it was bottle green. The paint was readily available in surplus army supplies left over from the war. Saab did not offer a colour choice until 1952.
6. In 1993, Saab adopted a feature commonly found in aircraft cockpits when it introduced 'need to know' instrument and information illumination on the new Saab 900. The innovative 'Night Panel' feature on Saab cars allows the driver to eliminate potential distraction by switching off main fascia displays, except the speedometer and essential warning lights.
7. Saab engine guru Dr Per Gillbrand - often described as the father of the production turbo - has a very simple explanation for his commitment to turbocharging. "All engines have an oil pump, a fuel pump and a water pump," he said. "So why not an air pump, which is all a turbo really is? I think it's odd that all engines don't have one!"
8. Saab staged what is probably the world's highest car launch when it presented the Saab 9-5 Aero Wagon in 2000. At an airstrip near a New Mexico ski resort in the United States, 2,650 meters up in the Rockies, journalists were invited to carry out acceleration runs with the new Saab and other high-powered cars from premium class competitors. The results demonstrated how Saab Trionic engine management was able to maintain the turbo engine's performance, despite the thinner air of high altitude, while the other cars that were left behind.
9. In 1966, to keep the arrival of the upcoming Saab 99 secret, endurance testing of prototypes was carried out inside an old aircraft hangar. Non-stop runs were conducted as the prototypes circled round and round for several days at a time to test driveshaft durability.
10. The all-time best selling Saab is still the first generation 'classic' 900. A total of 908,817 were built between 1978 and 1993, of which 48,888 were convertibles. Widely viewed as one of the most charismatic Saabs, many 900s are still seen on the rod today, 13 years after production ceased. Some are treasured by collectors, but most are used for regular daily transport. Saab reliability and durability has enabled them to clock up extremely high mileages.
(To be continued)