Saab: The Quintessentially European Car

A commercial Saab says it all: "If anything, then there will always be people against you. If you stand for anything, nobody is against you and none for you." From what Saab has given its history of 57 years, it is clear that the road has taken Saab. The single flow and shape of the Saab is a legacy of 16 aircraft engineers who founded the company in 1949, only one of whom had a driver's license. This is evident in the interior cockpit type, Saab parts, aerodynamic body, imitating the awareness of the characteristics of the aircraft in an overall design of the machine. A line in the song Tori Amos Ireland ', the "driving in my Saab, to my way of Ireland," the rise in Europe clearly Saab. The name Saab is actually an acronym for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, or Swedish Aircraft Company. After World War 2, the demand for fighter jets and the company has fallen in the production of Saab cars. December 1949, Saab began manufacturing its first ground-based vehicle, the Saab 92, so named because it was 92 the design process the company of the aircraft. Saab 92 has the streamlines and definitely a plane - the steep windshield curves upward and then declined gradually toward the rear. If you put wings on each side of the Saab 92, the car fits right in the middle of World War 2 aircraft. Late 1980 overproduction resulted in heavy losses and General Motors later bought the Saab brand. General Motors in the practice of rebadging vehicles in their line, as Saab has attracted some criticism and alienated loyal Saab. This has contributed to worsening Saab sales data in the United States, an irony to see the records of sales for Saab in Europe, history. Saab is intrinsically linked to the races. The first Saab models have succeeded in rallying, in particular during 1960, with the famous rally driver Erik Carlsson and Saab as Stig Blomqvist dominate the European circuit. Erik Carlsson won first place in Rally 1000 Lakes (1957), the Rally of Sweden (1959) and the Rally of Germany (1959) in a Saab 93. Saab 96 below will help to win the RAC Rally (1960, 1961, 1962), (1961 Acropolis Rally) and the Monte Carlo Rally (1962, 1963). Stig Blomquist continue the winning tradition of first placing in numerous events late 60 to 70, riding Saab 96 V4. In 1980, Saab stopped attending the rally car racing, when it has become increasingly specialized and offer limited value for improving the standard production cars from Saab. Being a small company, Saab could no longer support its financial and Fielding race car standards for cars, you lose the most advanced race. Saab's participation in the race car led to several innovations. It introduced the turbo engine, active head restraints, headlight washers, impact absorption and self-repairing bumpers and side bars to protect against shock. Saab is aware of both races and origins of aviation and this knowledge continues to shape the transformation of parts and Saab models.