Portal:Saab Automobile
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Introduction
Saab Automobile AB (/ˈsɑːb/) was a manufacturer of automobiles that was founded in Sweden in 1945 when its parent company, SAAB AB, began a project to design a small automobile. The first production model, the Saab 92, was launched in 1949. In 1968 the parent company merged with Scania-Vabis, and ten years later the Saab 900 was launched, in time becoming Saab's best-selling model. In the mid-1980s the new Saab 9000 model also appeared.
In 1989, the automobile division of Saab-Scania was restructured into an independent company, Saab Automobile AB. The American manufacturer General Motors (GM) took 50 percent ownership with an investment of US$600 million. Two well-known models to come out of this period were the Saab 9-3 and the Saab 9-5. Then in 2000, GM exercised its option to acquire the remaining 50 percent for a further US$125 million; so turning Saab Automobile into a wholly owned GM subsidiary. In 2010 GM sold Saab Automobile AB to the Dutch automobile manufacturer Spyker Cars N.V.
Selected general articles
Saab 98 was an automobile built by Saab in 1974 which never reached full production. Originally it was called X14, it designed by Björn Envall as a combi coupé based on the Saab 95 and using its floorpan. The prototype was assembled by Sergio Coggiola, who had already done work on the Saab Sonett III.
Only a handful of test cars were built up to 1976 before the project was abandoned when Saab decided there was no room in the market for a car between the Saab 95 and Saab 99. Read more...
The Ford Taunus V4 engine was a 60° V4 piston engine with one balance shaft, introduced by Ford Motor Company in Germany in 1962. The German V4 was built in the Cologne plant and powered the Ford Taunus and German versions of the Consul, Capri, and Transit. Read more...- SAAB Quantum was a series of five Saab automobile models built in the United States. The earliest used Saab 93 two-stroke engines, transmissions and suspension. The later used Saab 96 drivetrains and suspension parts.
The Quantum I was built in 1959, with a chassis computer engineered by Walter Kern at IBM in his spare time. It wore only the most basic bodywork at first. After initial testing and a race or two, it was replaced with moderately more complete bodywork which it still wears to this day. The Quantum II was nearly identical in every way, though built later. Both Quantums I and II were raced in the SCCA H-Modified class. They were pure prototypes and racing cars, never intended for production. Read more...
The Saab 99 is a compact executive car which was produced by Saab from 1968 to 1984. It was manufactured both in Sweden and Finland. Read more...
Ursaab, also known as 92001 and X9248, was the first of four prototype cars made by Saab AB, which at that time was solely an aeroplane manufacturer, leading to production of the first Saab car, the Saab 92 in 1949. The car is now in the Saab Car Museum in Trollhättan. The name "Ursaab" means "original Saab".
The model was developed by a 16-person team led by engineer Gunnar Ljungström and designer Sixten Sason. Read more...
Gunnar Ljungström (1905-1999) was a Swedish engineer and technical designer, specialised in aerodynamics and automobile industry, pioneering the early history of the Swedish car brand SAAB. Read more...
The Saab 9-7X is a midsize luxury SUV that was built by General Motors. The 9-7X was first revealed at the 2004 New York International Auto Show and was available starting in the 2005 model year as a replacement for the Oldsmobile Bravada. Read more...
The Saab 9-3 is a compact executive car that was originally developed and manufactured by the Swedish automaker Saab.
The 9-3 was first based on the GM2900 platform and subsequently changed to the GM Epsilon platform. Other vehicles using this platform included the Opel Vectra and Cadillac BLS. Saab's last owners, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) were assembling the 9-3 sedan (saloon) as Saab's only model, but the company declared bankruptcy after a few hundred cars were produced. Read more...
The Saab H engine is a redesign of the Saab B engine, which in turn was based on the Triumph Slant-4 engine.
Despite the name it is not an H engine or horizontally opposed engine, but a slanted inline-4. The H engine was introduced in 1981 in the Saab 900 and was also used in the Saab 99 from 1982 onwards. It continued in use in the 900/9-3, 9000, and 9-5. The 2003 GM Epsilon-based 9-3 switched to the GM Ecotec engine, leaving the 9-5 as the sole user of the H engine. The last model year for this family of engines was 2009. The tooling and know-how was sold to BAIC. Read more...- The Saab V8 is a V8 engine developed for Saab Automobile by Saab-Valmet. Only five prototype engines were built, with one being extensively road tested. The V8 engine was never put into production. Read more...
The Saab 93, pronounced ninety three, is the second production automobile that was manufactured by Saab that was first presented on December 1, 1955. It was styled by Sixten Sason and had a longitudinally-mounted three-cylinder 748 cc Saab two-stroke engine giving 33 hp (25 kW). The gearbox had three gears, the first unsynchronised. In order to overcome the problems of oil starvation on overrun (engine braking) for the two-stroke engine, a freewheel device was fitted. In 1957, two-point seatbelts were introduced as an option. The 93 was the first Saab to be exported from Sweden, with most exports going to the United States. A Saxomat clutch and a cabrio coach (large cloth sunroof) were available as options.
On September 2, 1957 the 93B was introduced. The original two-piece windshield was also replaced with a one-piece windshield. Read more...
Saab Automobile AB (/ˈsɑːb/) was a manufacturer of automobiles that was founded in Sweden in 1945 when its parent company, SAAB AB, began a project to design a small automobile. The first production model, the Saab 92, was launched in 1949. In 1968 the parent company merged with Scania-Vabis, and ten years later the Saab 900 was launched, in time becoming Saab's best-selling model. In the mid-1980s the new Saab 9000 model also appeared.
In 1989, the automobile division of Saab-Scania was restructured into an independent company, Saab Automobile AB. The American manufacturer General Motors (GM) took 50 percent ownership with an investment of US$600 million. Two well-known models to come out of this period were the Saab 9-3 and the Saab 9-5. Then in 2000, GM exercised its option to acquire the remaining 50 percent for a further US$125 million; so turning Saab Automobile into a wholly owned GM subsidiary. In 2010 GM sold Saab Automobile AB to the Dutch automobile manufacturer Spyker Cars N.V. Read more...- Saab 9-X is a concept car by the swedish car manufacturer Saab Automobile, designed by a group of ten Saab designers, including Michael Mauer (born 1962) and the project leader Anthony Lo. It was first shown in September 2001, at the Frankfurt Auto Show. The 9-X was designed to combine the qualities of a coupe, roadster, station wagon and pickup truck in the same car.
The car used a four wheel drive system along with an all aluminium, 300 hp (224 kW) 3.0 L turbocharged V6, mated to a six speed manual transmission and 19 in tires. It featured fiber optic headlights, and a completely keyless ignition system. Read more...
The Saab 900 is a compact luxury automobile which was produced by Saab from 1978 until 1998 in two generations. The first generation from 1978 to 1993 is known as the "classic" and the generation from 1994 to 1998 is known as the "new generation".
The "classic" Saab 900 was based on the Saab 99 chassis, though with a longer front end to meet U.S. frontal crash regulations. The 900 was produced in 2- and 4-door sedan, and 3- and 5-door hatchback configurations and, from 1986, as a cabriolet (convertible) model. There were single- and twin-Zenith carburettor, fuel-injection, and turbocharged engines, including both Full Pressure Turbo (FPT), and, in European models during the early 1990s, Low Pressure Turbos (LPT). Read more...
Saab Aero-X is a concept car built by Saab, which was unveiled at the 2006 Salon International de l'Auto.
It is powered by a 2.8 L twin turbocharged V6 running on pure ethanol that produces 298 kW (400 hp). 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) is predicted to be 4.9 s and top speed is 255 km/h (158 mph). It has a seven speed manual transmission controlled by paddles on the steering wheel. Read more...
The Saab 900 is a compact luxury automobile which was produced by Saab from 1978 until 1998 in two generations. The first generation from 1978 to 1993 is known as the "classic" and the generation from 1994 to 1998 is known as the "new generation".
The "classic" Saab 900 was based on the Saab 99 chassis, though with a longer front end to meet U.S. frontal crash regulations. The 900 was produced in 2- and 4-door sedan, and 3- and 5-door hatchback configurations and, from 1986, as a cabriolet (convertible) model. There were single- and twin-Zenith carburettor, fuel-injection, and turbocharged engines, including both Full Pressure Turbo (FPT), and, in European models during the early 1990s, Low Pressure Turbos (LPT). Read more...
The Saab 9-3 is a compact executive car that was originally developed and manufactured by the Swedish automaker Saab.
The 9-3 was first based on the GM2900 platform and subsequently changed to the GM Epsilon platform. Other vehicles using this platform included the Opel Vectra and Cadillac BLS. Saab's last owners, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) were assembling the 9-3 sedan (saloon) as Saab's only model, but the company declared bankruptcy after a few hundred cars were produced. Read more...
The Saab 9-3 is a compact executive car that was originally developed and manufactured by the Swedish automaker Saab.
The 9-3 was first based on the GM2900 platform and subsequently changed to the GM Epsilon platform. Other vehicles using this platform included the Opel Vectra and Cadillac BLS. Saab's last owners, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) were assembling the 9-3 sedan (saloon) as Saab's only model, but the company declared bankruptcy after a few hundred cars were produced. Read more...
Saab Sport is an automobile from Saab, launched in 1962 as a replacement for the Saab GT750. It used the same body shell as the Saab 96, with slight modifications and with a different interior configuration and equipment. From the outside it could be differentiated from a standard 96 by the twin chrome stripes along the lower part of the sides.
The engine was an 841 cc two-stroke, three-cylinder engine with one Solex carburetor per cylinder, giving 52 hp (39 kW). The engine was lubricated via a separate tank for two-stroke oil, allowing the use of ordinary petrol. The gearbox had four gears. In order to overcome the problems of overrun for the two-stroke engine, a freewheel device was fitted. The car also used disc brakes at the front, something that was unusual at the time, and the wheels had four studs instead of the five used on the 96 and were of a stronger build, to withstand the extra workload. Read more...
Sixten Sason (born Sixten Andersson; 1912–1967) was a Swedish industrial designer, noted for his work in designing several generations of Saab automobiles. Read more...
General Motors Company, commonly referred to as General Motors (GM), is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Detroit that designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes vehicles and vehicle parts, and sells financial services. With global headquarters in Detroit's Renaissance Center, GM manufactures cars and trucks in 35 countries. Its predecessor company was originally founded by William C. Durant on September 16, 1908 as a holding company. The company is the largest American automobile manufacturer, and one of the world's largest. As of 2018, General Motors is ranked #10 on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.
General Motors produces vehicles in 37 countries under various brands, the largest of which are Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Holden, Wuling, Baojun, and Jiefang. Annual worldwide sales volume reached a milestone of 10 million vehicles in 2016. The company's main market is China, which accounts for 40% of global sales volume. Its second largest market is its home country of the United States. Read more...
The Saab 9-4X is a compact luxury crossover SUV that was introduced at the 2010 LA Auto Show 2010. It is based on the all-wheel-drive GM Theta Premium platform, which also forms the basis for the Cadillac SRX. Production of the 9-4X began in 2011 at General Motors' Ramos Arizpe Assembly in Mexico, but stopped before the end of that year due to the bankruptcy of Saab. Read more...
The Saab Catherina is a 1964 prototype automobile, commissioned by the Swedish automaker Saab, designed by Sixten Sason and made at the workshops of the Aktiebolaget Svenska Järnvägsverkstäderna (ASJ - the Swedish Railroad Works) in Katrineholm, Sweden (hence the name). It is a red, two-seat sports car with a targa top.
Sason, who was working as a freelancer for Saab, made some drawings of a small sports coupé in the early 1960s. As Saab was planning to introduce a sports car model, the company commissioned him to adopt the design for mass production. The project began in January 1963 and in May the assembly of the prototype started at the ASJ. The prototype was first displayed, however, only on 24 April 1965, at the Linköping Sports Centre. Read more...
The Saab 90 is a compact executive car from Saab made from September 1984 to 1987. It was manufactured at a facility in Uusikaupunki (Nystad), Finland, at that time owned by Saab and Valmet. The 90 was a continuation of the Saab 99 and it was basically a Saab 99 from the B-pillar forward with the rear of a Saab 900 sedan. The 90, while easier to build than the 99, was still considerably more labour intensive than the more modern 900.
The 900's rear end made the trunk and fuel tank larger than in the 99, while keeping the car smaller than the 900. It was only available as a two-door sedan and came with the 2.0 L Saab H engine, giving 100 hp (74 kW). It was available with both four and a five-speed manual transmissions, with the five-speed receiving closer gearing, front and rear spoilers, and lower profile tires. The valve seats were hardened so it could run on unleaded fuel. It also had a new starter motor, and the steering wheel was more upright than the one in the 99. Read more...- :This article is about the 1959-1978 Saab station wagon/Estate car. For the models produced between 1997 and 2011, see Saab 9-5
The Saab 95 is a seven-seater, two-door station wagon which was produced by Saab from 1959 to 1978.Saab 95 
Overview Manufacturer Saab
Saab-ValmetProduction 1959-1978 Body and chassis Class Compact Body style 3-door station wagon
3-door sedan delivery vanLayout FF layout Related Saab 93
Saab 96Powertrain Engine 841 cc 2-stroke I3
1,498 cc Ford V4
1,698 cc Ford LC V4 (USA)Transmission 4-speed manual Dimensions Wheelbase 2,500 mm (98.4 in) Length 4,300 mm (169.3 in) (1969-1978) Chronology Predecessor Saab 93 Successor None. The 95/96 model series ended with the end of production of the 95 in 1978 and the 96 in 1980
Initially it was based on the Saab 93 sedan, but the model's development throughout the years followed closely that of the Saab 96 after the 93 was taken off the market in 1960. It was introduced in 1959, but because only 40 were made in 1959, production is often said to have started in 1960. Read more...
Saab PhoeniX is a concept car produced by Saab which was unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.
The concept car's name was chosen at a time when the troubled Saab company had just been sold to Spyker (and liberated from General Motors), ready to rise again, like the mythical bird the phoenix. However, at the time PhoeniX was unveiled, Saab went formally bankrupt, unable to cover their bills. Read more...
Gunnar A. Sjögren ("GAS", 1920–1996) was a Swedish engineer who worked for Saab Automobile and the author of The SAAB Way - the first 35 years of Saab cars, 1949-1984. Read more...
National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB, abbreviated as NEVS, is a Swedish holding company that has acquired the assets of Saab from a bankruptcy estate in 2012. The company focuses on the development of electric vehicles.
NEVS will be the trademark of the company’s products including the first electric vehicle based on the 9-3 platform with start in 2017. On 21 June 2016, NEVS announced they will no longer use the Saab trademark. Read more...
The Triumph slant-four is an inline four-cylinder petrol car engine developed by the Triumph Motor Company. It first appeared in 1968 in a car from Saab. The first Triumph model to use the engine did not appear until 1972. With an original capacity of 1.7 L, displacement grew over time to 2.0 L. Production ended in 1981. Read more...
Saab 92 is the first production automobile from Saab. The design was very aerodynamic for its time, with a drag coefficient (cx or cw) of 0.30. The entire body was stamped out of one piece of sheet metal and then cut to accommodate doors and windows. Full-scale production started December 12, 1949, based on the prototype Ursaab. All of them were of the Deluxe version. A standard version was advertised, but nobody was interested in buying it so no standard versions were produced.
The engine was a transversely mounted, water-cooled two-cylinder, two-stroke 764 cc, 25 hp (19 kW) thermosiphon engine based on a DKW design, giving a top speed of 105 kilometres per hour (65 mph). The transmission had three gears, the first unsynchronised. In order to overcome the problems of oil starvation during overrun (engine braking) for the two-stroke engine, a freewheel device was fitted. The suspension was by torsion bars. Read more...
The Saab 9-X Biohybrid concept car was developed by Saab in 2008, and first shown on the Geneva Motor Show. It is based on the GM Delta platform, and was thought to give an idea of the cancelled Saab 9-1X.
It has keyless entry and small cameras instead of rear-view mirrors. On the roof, there is a solar panel, like in the Saab EV-1, for charging the battery, both when driving and when parked. The headlights are automatic. A front mounted camera detects if you meet another car. Read more...
The Saab 9-5 is an executive car that was produced by the Swedish automobile maker Saab.
The first generation 9-5 was introduced in 1997, for the 1998 model year, as the replacement to the Saab 9000. At the time, the car represented a significant development for the manufacturer. In the United States, the 9-5 was introduced in the spring of 1998, for the 1999 model year. Read more...- SAAB Toad, or Paddan in Swedish, was a development car SAAB made in 1966 to test out the new chassis, drive train and engine for the Saab 99. Read more...
The Saab B engine is an inline four-cylinder petrol car engine developed by Saab Automobile. A redesign of the Triumph slant-four engine, the B engine displaced 2.0 L and first appeared in 1972. The B engine was used in both the Saab 99 and 900 models. Saab began to phase the engine out in 1981. Read more...
The Saab 9000 is an executive car that was produced by the Swedish company Saab from 1984 to 1998. Representing the company's foray into the executive car scene, it was developed as a result of the successes of the turbocharged 99 and 900 models. The 9000 remained in production until it was replaced by the Saab 9-5 in late 1997, although some final cars were produced into 1998.
Saab designed the 9000 as part of the Type Four platform in conjunction with the Italian automaker Fiat Automobiles. Fiat retailed similar derivative versions as the more basic Fiat Croma, the luxury-themed Lancia Thema, and the sports-oriented Alfa Romeo 164. Unlike the 164, which shares only the chassis, the Croma and Thema are outwardly similar to the 9000. As such, much of the bodywork appeared interchangeable between the 9000, Croma and Thema; for example, the doors. However, because Saab fitted heavier side impact protection they will not fit. Also the front of the Saab is radically different from the Italian siblings due to the much improved crash protection. Only seven different parts are actually interchangeable. The 9000's body was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Saab designer Björn Envall. Read more...- Björn Envall, born in 1942, is a retired automobile designer. He was head of the design department at Saab.
He started his career in the 1960s at Saab as an apprentice under Sixten Sason, especially helping with the design of the Saab 99 and the ill-fated Saab Catherina sports car. In fact, after the failure of that design to be accepted by Saab, he designed (on paper only) a further and progressive two-seater, which was never built. Read more...
Saab Sonett I Original prototype #1
The Saab Sonett is an automobile manufactured between 1955 and 1957 and again between 1966 and 1974 by Saab of Sweden. Sonetts shared engines and other components with Saab 96s and 95s of the same era. It was mainly intended for the lucrative American export market and was only offered intermittently in the Swedish domestic market (model years 1968 and 1972).
The first prototype, now known as the Sonett I, was a two-seat, open-top, lightweight roadster racer which, ten years later, evolved into the commercially distributed Sonett models II, V4, and III. Read more...- Spyker N.V. (formerly known as Spyker Cars N.V. and Swedish Automobile N.V.) is a Dutch-based automobile company that produces high-end sports cars. It is the holding company of the Spyker Cars marque. In 2010, the company acquired Swedish car manufacturer Saab Automobile from General Motors. In September 2011, Spyker announced the impending sale of its supercar division to Greenwich, Connecticut based North Street Capital, and subsequently changed its name to Swedish Automobile. However, it has since been revealed that the transaction did not occur leaving the future of Spyker uncertain. Read more...
The Saab 99 is a compact executive car which was produced by Saab from 1968 to 1984. It was manufactured both in Sweden and Finland. Read more...- Saab AB (originally Svenska Aeroplan AB, later SAAB and Saab Group;
listen (help·info)) is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile. Between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania-Vabis, known as Saab-Scania. The two were de-merged in 1995 by the new owners, Investor AB. Despite the demerger, both Saab and Scania share the right to use the griffin logo, which originates from the coat of arms of the Swedish region of Scania. Read more...
Not to be confused with the General Motors EV1
Saab EV-1, or Saab 900 Turbo EV-1, was developed by Saab in 1985 as a fully functional and roadworthy future concept car, EV-1 stands for ´Experimental Vehicle One´. Read more...
The Saab 9-5 is an executive car that was produced by the Swedish automobile maker Saab.
The first generation 9-5 was introduced in 1997, for the 1998 model year, as the replacement to the Saab 9000. At the time, the car represented a significant development for the manufacturer. In the United States, the 9-5 was introduced in the spring of 1998, for the 1999 model year. Read more...
The Saab 900 is a compact luxury automobile which was produced by Saab from 1978 until 1998 in two generations. The first generation from 1978 to 1993 is known as the "classic" and the generation from 1994 to 1998 is known as the "new generation".
The "classic" Saab 900 was based on the Saab 99 chassis, though with a longer front end to meet U.S. frontal crash regulations. The 900 was produced in 2- and 4-door sedan, and 3- and 5-door hatchback configurations and, from 1986, as a cabriolet (convertible) model. There were single- and twin-Zenith carburettor, fuel-injection, and turbocharged engines, including both Full Pressure Turbo (FPT), and, in European models during the early 1990s, Low Pressure Turbos (LPT). Read more...
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Selected images
1975 Saab 96
Saab's main production facilities in Trollhättan
1995 Saab 900SE NG convertible
Saab 9-3 sport combi
Second generation Saab 9-5
The Saab 99 was launched in 1969 as an all-new design.
1956 Saab Sonett I
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