Comments on: Saab classic 900 hatchback design with Aero-X design language? http://www.saabhistory.com/2006/09/06/saab-classic-900-hatchback-design-with-aero-x-design-language/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=saab-classic-900-hatchback-design-with-aero-x-design-language 1947 - 2011 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:10:05 +0000 hourly 1 By: Ryan http://www.saabhistory.com/2006/09/06/saab-classic-900-hatchback-design-with-aero-x-design-language/#comment-3880 Ryan Thu, 07 Sep 2006 14:08:30 +0000 http://www.saabvideos.com/2006/09/06/saab-classic-900-hatchback-design-with-aero-x-design-language/#comment-3880 John, Very well said. John,

Very well said.

]]> By: John http://www.saabhistory.com/2006/09/06/saab-classic-900-hatchback-design-with-aero-x-design-language/#comment-3879 John Thu, 07 Sep 2006 10:56:22 +0000 http://www.saabvideos.com/2006/09/06/saab-classic-900-hatchback-design-with-aero-x-design-language/#comment-3879 It's an interesting one, this. The classic 900 is an unmistakeable car. It's a 'marmite' car: you either love it or hate it. (For Scandinavians substitute 'marmite' with 'salt liquorice'!) Either way, the classic 900 is iconic. An enduring model that evolved little over it's 15 year life-span, a model that has pure Saab DNA that can be traced back through to Sixten Sason's original wing-profile, aerodynamic and aesthetically pleasing 'UrSaab' of 1947. I think we have to be careful about this whole retro-thing. When VW first previewed their Beetle concept back in the early 1990s it was braver than what we ended up with. Fiat has a cracking little concept for the original Fiat Cinquecento (Fiat 500). Lamborghini has recently gone down the retro-auto route with the Muira. Then there's the Mustang, the Ford GT and the ubiquitous Mini from BMW - an excellent example of how to do retro-auto. If The General had the cash to splash and, more importantly, was brave enough to really get into the Saab DNA of safety, function defining form, innovation, and so on, rather than trying to develop just another euro-saloon, then perhaps we would get somewhere. I believe they call it 'thinking outside of the box'. Well, Saab has been doing that automobiles since 1947. It’s an interesting one, this. The classic 900 is an unmistakeable car. It’s a ‘marmite’ car: you either love it or hate it. (For Scandinavians substitute ‘marmite’ with ‘salt liquorice’!)

Either way, the classic 900 is iconic. An enduring model that evolved little over it’s 15 year life-span, a model that has pure Saab DNA that can be traced back through to Sixten Sason’s original wing-profile, aerodynamic and aesthetically pleasing ‘UrSaab’ of 1947.

I think we have to be careful about this whole retro-thing. When VW first previewed their Beetle concept back in the early 1990s it was braver than what we ended up with. Fiat has a cracking little concept for the original Fiat Cinquecento (Fiat 500). Lamborghini has recently gone down the retro-auto route with the Muira. Then there’s the Mustang, the Ford GT and the ubiquitous Mini from BMW – an excellent example of how to do retro-auto.

If The General had the cash to splash and, more importantly, was brave enough to really get into the Saab DNA of safety, function defining form, innovation, and so on, rather than trying to develop just another euro-saloon, then perhaps we would get somewhere. I believe they call it ‘thinking outside of the box’. Well, Saab has been doing that automobiles since 1947.

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