Intro: Here is a spot of trivia for you. Saab is an acronym. It stands for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, which also gives a clue to the aeronautical origins of the Swedish specialist. Saab’s first car, the 92, appeared in 1949. It was front-wheel-drive, which was advanced for the time. The next model was the 93; a car that was launched in 1955, featured a two-stroke ’triple’ and led the company into a life of rallying, with the infamous large Swede, Erik Carlsson at the wheel. Despite its small capacity engine, it won a massive number of events and put the company on the international map. Triumph supplied its single-camshaft 1,709cc engine for the all-new 99 model in 1969.
General Motors took a stake in the company in 1991, which has now amounted to a take-over. Unsure of how best to direct its Swedish charge, GM has finally agreed that it must start to introduce some new developments, after a long period of relative inactivity.
After the new 9-5 and 9-3 a Subaru-derived 9-2 was introduced for the North American market to be followed by a Chevrolet-derived 9-7 SUV. Both models are featured at Saab (USA).
Saab made 114120 cars in 2003: split by 70,926 9-3 Sport Saloons and 43,194 Saab 9-5s. Saab Automobile also began producing new 9-3 Convertibles at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria, where almost 10,000 were manufactured last year. More than 6,000 examples of the previous 9-3 Convertible were also produced in Uusikaupinki, Finland.
For the USA-only 9-2X and 9-7X, please check Saab (USA) |
