Saab is well-known for cars that were engineered properly and gave us a different driving feeling from the typical American cars we drive.
For the time this company made cars, the vehicles offered gave us a proud heritage to enjoy on the road. Today, we can still find some models that wear the Saab name, but if they are not from the previous century, those models were made with the influence of GM engineering and not completely from the Swedish team that we have admired for so long.
Where did this Brand Come From?
Every brand has a story to tell and comes from roots that aren’t always in the same business they are associated with. Would you ever think that Lamborghini started out, and continues to be, a company that builds tractors? When you see sports cars you would never think this is the case, but it’s a fact. For the Swedish car brand that we got to know so well, the time in business began as an airplane manufacturer. Understanding this is where Saab came from might set off some lights in your mind when you consider the build of the cars that were offered.
Preparing for War
The life of this company, which has had many iterations, began in 1937. Consider the European world of that time, and you’ll understand how important an airplane manufacturer was. The world, especially in Europe, was preparing for another war, with salty wounds still deep and painful from the first World War that had taken place only twenty years earlier. This airplane builder was creating planes for the Swedish Air Force, and the company was located in Trollhattan, Sweden. Without a doubt, this company was integral in the air warfare success of the Allied Nations.
A Name You’ll Never Pronounce
Just as you would have a hard time pronouncing names of cities or having a conversation using the Swedish language, the name of Saab is actually an acronym, which means it should probably be SAAB instead. The full name of this company was Svensak Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, which is how the name came about. The company relocated soon after being founded to the town of Linkoping where the Swedish University is located. This is where the idea of developing motor cars began; a thought that began in 1945 and eventually became a dream that was realized.
Airplane Influence in the Car World
Whether it’s the Germans or the Swedish, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of imagination when it comes to naming things. Look at the names you find from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi; all numbers, letters, and offer a logical pattern that you can easily follow. The same was true when Saab began building cars. The project was called Project 92 for a simple and unimaginative reason; 92 was the next production number in the sequence for the company. The Safir was Project 91, and it was a single-engine trainer aircraft that was followed by the car.
Thankfully, naming is about the only place where advanced European engineering minds tend to lack imagination. The vehicles that came from this company brought plenty of influence from the airplanes that bore the same brand name. The use of aerodynamics, an extremely important factor in lifting a vehicle off the ground and into the air, would e applied to the car project to improve the acceleration of the models that were being offered.
Bringing a Car to the World
The first car that came to the production line was first unveiled in June 1947, where it made its debut in Linkoping. It wasn’t until 1949 when the car was first produced for customers in Europe. The production facility was based in Trollhatten, and the car that was offered wore an iconic bottle green shape that would cut through the air and show off the aerospace influence that came from this brand.
Over time, more cars were produced and gave us something most other European models didn’t offer at the time: design, reliability, and safety. Sure, there were other cars that had impressive style, but no other brand could compete with Saab for reliability and safety in the 1950s and 1960s.
Defense and Security Continued to be a Focus
While the Project 92 success was easy to see, the team at Saab never lost sight of the fact that at their heart, they were an airplane manufacturer. This area of the company was expanded to become a company that served the global market for defense and security. This company has been building products for governments and corporations around the globe to offer security solutions, military defense products, and fulfilling civil security needs.
The End of the Cars for Saab
The defense and security side of the business was booming, and governments were placing orders for many years in the future. Unfortunately, the car side of things didn’t experience the same success. In 1989, General Motors captured fifty percent of the business of Saab Automobile and eventually purchased the entire company in 2000. This meant that cars that wore this brand name from 2000 until 2011, when the company filed for bankruptcy under the Saab Automobile AB name, the cars offered were made by GM.
Part of the demise of this brand under GM ownership is attributed to the automotive recession of 2008 when nearly every automaker in the world had to cut costs and tighten their belts.
No Cars, but Continued Success
You can look up the Saab name, and you’re going to realize this company is still going strong. The company continues to provide security and aerospace solutions to the world. This company is still one of the biggest companies in Sweden, with more than 16,500 employees and annual sales of nearly 3.38 billion dollars annually. You might hear about new airplanes, submarines, and weapons systems that all wear this name and come from a company that did much more than dip a toe in the automotive world; it’s a company that made some of the best cars in the industry for several decades.
This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.