The history of this Swedish car manufacturer began in 1937. Then the company was founded Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolagetengaged in the production of military aircraft. And it should be noted that the products SAAB well established itself in the skies over Europe, immersed in the chaos of World War II.
But with the end of the war, a good time for the manufacturer also ended. It was necessary to urgently look for something to do in peacetime. It was a logical step to start producing cars (such aircraft manufacturers as bmw и Mitsubishi). As a result, in 1947, a very unusual outwardly small car Saab 92.001, also known as "Ursaab", appeared. Interestingly, the number 92 in the name was inherited from aircraft - the last model was number 91.
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| Ursaab |
Technically, Ursaab was not much different from the same German models. Its uniqueness consisted in the aerodynamic design of the body - the drag coefficient of the car was 0.3, which was a real record of that time. In 1949, the company moved from Linköping, where it was founded, to Trollhättan, where it was headquartered until 2011. The mass production of the Saab 92 model, which was built on the basis of the Ursaab, begins. In total, up to 155, about 20,000 units of the 92nd model were sold.
In 1957, the 94 appears, and then, in 1960, the 96. The last model was the first that the company sold for export. A total of 550,000 Saab 96s were sold.
But the real step forward was the 99, introduced in 1968. It was a fundamentally new development, and not just a remix of the 92nd platform. The Saab 99 became a seminal model in terms of the company's future design. The car was implemented many technical innovations. These models participated and won several times in sports competitions (however, the company never paid much attention to racing). It should be noted that on the roads of Europe there are still modifications of the Saab 99, which were produced right up to 1984.
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| Saab 99 |
The same year 1968 was marked by the fact that Saab AB merged with truck manufacturer Scania-Vabis. Subsequently, this led to a change in the logo. Since 1984, instead of aircraft, car hoods Saab began to decorate the head of the Swedish heraldic lion with two rings, symbolizing the combined companies.
However, later, in 1990, a serious restructuring took place, which resulted in the emergence of an independent Saab Automobile AB. A little later, 50% shares of the company were sold to an American General Motors. By early 2008 GM fully acquired Saab by acquiring 100% shares, and successfully bringing the Swedish automaker to near-bankruptcy by 2008. But the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries became the time for the appearance of really very interesting models both externally and internally.
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| Saab 9-3 Aero |
February 2010 Saab went to the Dutch Spyker Cars NV. It was assumed that in the future a company would be formed Saab Spyker Automobiles. However, the Dutch failed to correct the situation and began to make attempts to promote the brand to the Asian market by offering part of the shares Saab Chinese hawtai motor group. The deal did not take place and negotiations began with Pang Da Automobile Trade Co., and later with Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co и Great Wall Motor Company Limited. It was almost possible to agree with the latter when the deal fell through due to the fault of the same GM, who did not want her technology to become available to the Chinese. As a result, in December 2011 Saab Automobile AB was declared bankrupt and ceased to exist. Another legendary car brand has become history.
