SAAB CARS 1949 to 2011: A Pictorial History, history of a make that was failed

SAAB CARS 1949 to 2011: A Pictorial History
JULIAN PARISH
publisher (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$26.99 paperback, $11.99 ebook, available now

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: This handy full-colour guide covers the complete history of Saab’s cars. Chapters cover each of Saab’s models, including the 93 and 96 saloons that enjoyed much success in rallying, the 95 station wagon and the striking Sonett sports cars. The SaabO caravan and the Formula Junior racing car built during this period are also presented.

More than a dozen years after the last cars rolled off the production lines in Trollhättan, Saab still commands a keen following among car enthusiasts around the world. During the 60 years of its existence, Saab became renowned for the aerodynamic design, technical innovation and sturdy construction of its cars, which famously appealed to individualists and creative thinkers.

This handy full-colour guide covers the complete history of Saab’s cars. The story begins with the ‘Ursaab’ prototype and the original 92, which went into production in 1949 as the company branched out from aircraft manufacture after the war; it continues through to the final second-generation 9-5 models in 2011, launched when the company was struggling to stay afloat.

Individual chapters are devoted to each of Saab’s models, including the 93 and 96 saloons, which enjoyed much success in rallying, the 95 station wagon and the striking Sonett sports cars. The Saab caravan and the Formula Junior racing car that Saab built during this period are also presented.

These early models were followed by the larger 99 and the much-loved and highly successful 900 range. The book features detailed specifications for each version of these two models, including the first turbocharged variants, with which Saab has become synonymous. In 1985, the 9000 took the marque further upmarket and into partnership with Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo.

The guide continues into the 1990s and 2000s, when General Motors progressively took control of Saab’s automotive division. Its bestsellers during this period were its 9-3 and 9-5 ranges, based on GM platforms. Less well-known, especially in Europe, are its 9-4X and 9-7X all-wheel-drive models, not forgetting the 9-2X, a badge-engineered version of the Subaru Impreza. All these models are also presented.

Each chapter provides an introduction to the development and evolution of each model, as well as comprehensive technical information. Production numbers and dates are given, as well as details of limited editions. The book is extensively illustrated in full colour, with many archive photographs from Saab Automobile and the Saab Car Museum showing the cars’ interior and exterior design.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: The sad demise of SAAB in the financial collapse of 2008 came because of capitalist greed. How shocking, right?

contents

This aspect of SAAB's history is not, as you'd expect, foregrounded in this history of the company and its products. The quirky Swedish ugly duckling was always a niche player outside its homeland; when GM came calling after a less-than-stellar attempt at Europeanization with the 9000 model, it must've seemed like a forward path.

All roads end only after they go forward.

The SAAB fanciers in the US are pretty passionate about these very clearly different, obviously not mainstream, automobiles; they are fond of them for these reasons. Rolling examples of the owner's counterculture credentials. I mean, look at them in comparison to US cars!

the early 95/96 days

There were attempts to be more, shall we say, style-forward. The sporty little Sonett III was a badge of cool in the 1970s, the kind of cool that thought for itself not bought what it was told was cool:

But of course no car company makes its money on sporty cars. Those're "halo cars" that cast a stylish and sexy light on the cars people really need and thus usually buy. In SAAB's case, that was the 99 sedan in the 1970s, and its evolution the 900 sedan in the 1980s:

I'm still a bit sad that SAAB was treated the way it was by GM. The marketplace wasn't ever eager to buy their quirky products in bulk, of course; but it is always sad to see a viable niche go unfilled.