Rear View Mirror: ABSOLUTELY SAABULOUS

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Oct 24, 2004 | by Brian Twomey

ORIGINALLY an aircraft manufacturer, Svenska Aeroplane Akiebolaget decided to build cars just after the end of World War 2 in an effort to stimulate industry and capture the slowly expanding car market in Northern Europe.

The first Saab car, the aerodynamic 92 or 'Ursaab', went into production in 1947.

From the 92, the shape of Saab cars evolved through the 1953 92B and into the 93 in 1955.

Saabs breakthrough car was the 93F and subsequent 96.

Cheap to run with two stroke engines, the 96 was innovative with dual circuit brakes from 1964 and a Ford V4 engine.

It had huge success in rallying and while it was superseded by the 99 in 1967, remained in production.

1970 saw the launch of the rakish, rare Saab Sonnet sports coupe. The 99 saw Saab's sales rise throughout the 1970's and was the first Turbo engine Saab car from 1978.

This was a major event for Saab who are generally regarded as pioneers of Turbo technology. By 1980 the 96 finally ceased production.

It made way for the definitive Saab, the 900. Hugely popular, the 900 and the larger 9000 from 1984, helped Saab create a following in the United States and gave Saab a strong, safety conscious range of cars to match Volvo for popularity.

The 900 was replaced by a new model in 1994 and this car became the 9-3 from 1998. The current range are the all new 9-3 and 9-5 executive saloons. Saab is now part of General Motors.