Saab Automobile is a Swedish car manufacturer who was originally established to build aircraft for the Swedish Air Force in anticipation of the Second World War.
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Saab Car Reviews
Saab Overview
Brief History
Saab began as a company who built aircraft for the Swedish Air Force and were established in 1937. As the war came to an end Saab were forced to reconsider how they were going to use their resources, as there was no longer much demand for fighter jets, Saab saw the automobile industry as a good market to expand into.
In 1944 Saab began creating the first ever Saab passenger car which was completed by 1948 at the new Trollhätton site. The car, known as the Saab 92 was brought to the market in 1949 and sold 20,000 through the mid-1950s.
1960 saw one of the major revisions of the 92, the Saab 96 achieve great international success, selling approximately 500,000 examples. In the late 60’s Saab made their first car which didn’t have any ties with the original 92 model. It was a very innovative product with new features such as a wraparound windscreen, self-repairing bumpers, side-impact door beams and headlamp washers.
Over the next 3 decades Saab made partnerships with Scania-Vabis AB and Fiat and was eventually taken over by General Motors in 1989. Recently Saab have ran into a lot of difficulties and throughout 2011 were struggling to pay all of its employees. By 2012 Saab officially filed for bankruptcy bringing Saab’s 64-year long legacy in Sweden’s industrial history to an end.
Model Range
Some popular models include the Saab 9-3 and the Saab 9-5.
Saab 9-3
The Saab 9-3 is a medium executive car. The 9-3 serves as an entry-level luxury car and was designed to replace the Saab 900. The Saab 9-3 has been produced in two generations and several forms. The first generation came as a two-door convertible, a three door coupé or five-door hatchback. The second generation was available as either a two-door convertible, a four-door saloon, or as a four-door estate. The 9-3 was first produced in 1999.
Saab 9-5
The Saab 9-5 is an executive car. The 9-5 comes as a four-door saloon or as a five-door estate. The 9-5 was designed to replace the Saab 9000. The 9-5 comes with a variety of engine choices, including a diesel engine option. It also won awards for its innovative safety features. Production of the 9-5 began in 1997.
