h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I would like to take a momeent to talk a bit about Swedish cars, and the SAAB, in particular (I don't really like Volvos at all).
The "Svenska Aeronautiska Aktie Bolaget" (SAAB) has reinvented itself these last couple of years, starting with scrapping the old model names (900 and 9000) and give the cars new ones (9-3 and 9-5). Basically, the 9-3 is just a further development of the SAAB 900 and the 9-5 is a SAAB 9000 with a few design changes and new gagdets, but it's still a kind of reinvention. This could have to do with the merger with GM. They have also started making an Estate model of the SAAB 9-5, a feature that has been absent since the SAAB 95 Estate in the 70's.

So, why do I like/love/adore the SAAB? Well, I was raised in a family where the SAAB has been used almost exclusively all of my life. (Dad slipped up for about a year and a half when he bought a Volvo 242 Automatic in 1985.) The first car of my brother's was a Saab 99, as was mine. This was because they were quite easy to work with, if anything broke down, and spare parts can be found anywhere in Sweden for a reasonable price. Also, they last forever, like the VW Beetle. My first SAAB 99 (-77) had 410.000 kms on the meter when I bought it in 1994, and 440.000 kms when I sold it on a year and a half later, and the chassis was still virtually free from rust.

Another thing that makes me like SAABs is that the company is one of the front-runners when it comes to devising safety features and other inventions in their cars.
Seatbelts as standard in all cars back in 1962, the first manufacturer to do so.
Side impact protection in the form of reinforcement members (2 inch solid steel bars) in the doors in 1972, the only manufacturer to have this for many years.
Collapsible steering column in 1978, enabling the driver to steer the vehicle even after a collision.
SAAB was the first manufacturer to develop a turbo-charging that could be pratcical for every-day use, this too in 1978.
Some of the designs in the past decade include the Night panel, blacking out everything except for the speedometer on the instrument panel, causing less distraction when driving at night, the SAHR (Saab Active Head Restraint), that controols the movement of the head and vertebrea in a rear-end collision, and the light-pressure turbo, which has less pronounced performance profile, and not the "kick" that the old turbo would give you.

Except for the Lotus Esprit, my dream car would have to be the new SAAB 9-3 Convertible.

Ok cool,

I also have a big thing for SAAB's. I have loved these cars for quite some time, I first owned one about 6 years ago a 99 EMS 2 door, Then I owned a Commodore ( Holden, an Australian car, as I live in Oz) then a SAAB 900 turbo. I had to sell that because I was give a Renault Fuego. I think its a good car but I would still ove my SAA 900 Turbo back again.

I suppose SAAB's have a love / hate relationship with people, most either love or hate them. I think the car is a very intellegent car, owned by people who love quirkiness, value and safety.

I thing my ultimate car would be a SAAB 900 Vigan convertable, Ball tearing speed in a SAAB fashion, ahhhhhhh bliss

Can I not just have fast jet pilot training and a SAAB Vigen...
Does SAAB still make trucks and things as well?

How could you ever have gotten rid of a 900 Turbo, Darbie? That's almost sacriledge! If you've got a car that you love, and someone gives you a new one, sell the new one and keep the old one that you love. Well, unless the new one is a newer version of the old car you've got already.

I agree that the Viggen versions of the SAAB cars are awesome. Have you seen the new 9-5 Griffin? Sweeet Jesus what a car.
The 900 Convertible Viggen has been replaced by the 9-3 Convertible Viggen. Same car, just a couple of new features and gadgets. Still a feast for your eyes.

Yes, Phil, SAAB still makes trucks, although they go by the name Scania and not SAAB. The only other things that I know SAAB makes are traffic airplanes and a little thing called Jas-39 Griffin, a fighter jet that has a tendency to crash during exhibitions and video recorded test flights.

The JAS-39 Gripen is built by SAAB and BAe Systems and features the classic Saab delta wing, with a couple of wingles at the front (similar to the earlier Viggen).
Scania was the name I could'nt remember, thanks LiS

Wingles? Is that what they're called? Good name, I must say.

ok try inserting a t in there between the e and the s to get winglet

Still a good name for them.

I love SAAB's too. My first car was a 1978 SAAB 96. My favorite SAAB is the 1966 Sonnett II stroker.

The company that makes trucks and airplanes is now separate from the one that makes cars. At least, I believe that is the proper split. General Motors bought SAAB's car division several years ago. Looks like they haven't offended *all* the faithful (judging by the posts here), but certainly many of chassis parts and even engines (at least the V6) are now shared with some more pedestrian Opel/Vauxhall models that comprise the majority of GM's European operations.

The GM people got a stroke of genious when they reintroduced the Estate to the ranks of the SAAB models. I'm not sure if they're using the same engines as the Opels, though. At least not the light pressure turbo engines which is part of most of the SAAB models today. Maybe the base engine is the same, but I'm not sure if the Opels are using the turbo charging like SAABs do.

The reason SAAB was sold to GM, was their disastrous figures in sales. I have only one thing to blame for that. The durability of the SAABs. I mean, how many othher cars (ie Japanese cars) made in the mid-70's, can you find in a running state today? There are lots of them in Sweden, although most of them are cars for a first-time driver. BUt they are great as first-time cars, since their parts are so easy to find everywhere in Sweden.

Oh, and for the record, I still wannt a SAAB 9-3 Convertible....

Okay, I have to say, for the record, that I think this sucks.
They didn't include the SAAB's in the article! I can agree that people may not think of it as a subject for an favourite car because it can, in fact, be seen as a bit boring, but they included the Allegro, which they admitted was "crap".
And we actually had a pretty good thread about the SAAB's too, compared to some other makes.
That's it, I'm going to write an independant SAAB article. Tomorrow....

I would be willing to collaborate with you on that.. I am a great Saab enthusiest. send mail to [email protected] if you would like help.
marv

Good deal. Mail is in the.. Well, mail!