Saab History

Photo Credit: SAAB Motors, Inc.

SAAB Motors, Inc. had a depot in addition to their service training facility in Hingham, Massachusetts where the SAABs were prepared for delivery at all of the dealerships in the United States.

What: SAAB Depot

Where: GSA Building (Demolished 2006) Shipyard Street, Hingham, Massachusetts

When: 1956 - 1961

Photo Credit: SAAB Motors, Inc.

In the United States, SAAB Motors, Inc. had their first official training facility in Hingham, Massachusetts. This SAAB Service training facility began operations shortly after the first shipment of two hundred and fifty of the first SAAB 93 models arrived for SAAB Motors, Inc. at the nearby depot, also in Hingham, Massachusetts.

According to the book, The SAAB Guide, it was none other than Rolf Melde, the chief engineer of SAAB Sweden who organized and operated this first stateside SAAB Service training school.

Here is a quote from the The SAAB Guide book about the service training facility.

“The men who attended it were learning how to service a car by means of the latest instructional aids, including special films and sectionalized mock-ups of the car and its unique engine.”

It is important to note that the first SAAB model 93 models were imported into the United States immediately following the successful victory of the Great American Mountain Rally that took place in New England in 1957.

What: SAAB Service Training Facility

Where: Hingham, Massachusetts (exact address not yet pinpointed)

When: 1956 - 1961

Today, Jay Leno, a native of Boston, Massachusetts introduces the public to his 1958 SAAB 93b that was the first SAAB introduced to the United States in Boston, Massachusetts in 1956. Jay Leno acquired his SAAB 93b from Tom Donney just a few years ago who has also been very supportive of Saab History recently with his time and resources. A true SAAB enthusiast with a passion for the two-stroke.

In this video, you can now enjoy a nice video tour directly on his website www.jaylenosgarage.com or below, that in great detail, describes the mechanics and design of the car while also giving us a real-world test drive of him driving the car with footage from inside and out.

Also, don’t forget to take a look at the more than twenty photographs of this vintage SAAB 93b available on Jay Leno’s online photo album as well.

*It is interesting to see that Leno’s SAAB 93b has a nice Vintage Saab Club of North America grille badge proudly attached.

I think that you will thoroughly enjoy the video as well as the photographs, so please pass it onto your friends!

Source: http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/

At the Saab Enthusiast Swap Meet on Sunday, June 10th on the last day of the Saab Festival in Sweden, I managed to find the SAAB 92 1:43 scale model that I have been looking for that was manufactured by Somerville in none other than refreshing watermelon green I have added this model to the Saab Scale model archive list.

Photo Credit: Saab History

The Saab Factory in Trollhättan, Sweden began production in December of December of 1949 of the SAAB 92. At that time, the factory still exhibited it’s aircraft heritage with an air traffic control tower and wind sock elements that were built back in 1937 when they were manufacturing airplanes. From 1947 until 1949, SAAB built automobiles such as the 92001 prototype (URSAAB) and the SAAB 92 in Linköping, Sweden.

At the time of completion of the SAAB factory in 1949, the space available for automobile production covered approximately 190,000 square feet (17,700 sq. meters). This space consisted of the press, body and assembly, engine & transmission construction, upholstery and paint shops and lastly final assembly and adjustment areas. The SAABs built per day at the time were three to four which resulted in 1,246 SAAB 92 cars built in the first year, model year 1950.

In the 10 years of airplane production and 57 years of automobile production that have taken place at the SAAB factory in Trollhättan, the classic Saab 900 that began production in 1979 and ended in 1993 and 1994 with the convertible still remains the leader in units producted with nearly 1 million (908, 810)

Today, the Saab Automobile factory has increased dramatically over the years to include a number of enhancements, additions and expansions to the press, body assembly and most recently the paint shop in 2000. The inventory system the factory uses today is referred to as “Just In Time” or JIT where all materials and supplies are made available only for what is being produced at the present time, therefore there will be no overstock or wasted materials.

It is also worth mentioning that all vehicles produced in the Saab Automobile factory in Trollhättan, Sweden are all built on specific demand from Saab Automobile dealerships worldwide.

The Saab Automobile cars that are produced at the factory today include the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan, Saab 9-3 SportCombi, Saab 9-5 Sedan and the Saab 9-5 SportCombi.

At the recent Saab Festival celebrating 60 years of an automobile manufacturer (3 years in Linköping, and 57 in Trollhättan), I had along with many, the opportunity to tour the factory. Factory tours are available year-round with advanced notice. While there are no opportunities for photos nor videos to be taken during the tours, I have been able to provide you some of the most recent footage of the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan being manufactured in the factory from the first model year, 2003.

Sources:

* Saab Automobile AB
* Sjogren, Gunnar A. The SAAB Way, the first 35 years of Saab cars, 1949-1984 Nyköping, Sweden Österbergs Tryckeri AB, 1984.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

2007-06-01

CONTACTS

Saab 60th Anniversary

Carlsson’s Choice: Erik Selects Six Favorites from Saab’s Hall of Fame

The career of Eric (Mr Saab) Carlsson, international rallying’s first superstar, spans six decades. It has taken him from test driving in Trollhättan, to the top of the podium in Monte Carlo and on to a globe-trotting role as Saab’s international ambassador. Here Erik chooses his six favorite Saabs, one from each decade. His recollections, and the cars themselves, tell the story of how the automotive aspirations of an aircraft manufacturer took wing.

As a young boy, Erik Carlsson used to stand on the perimeter of his local airfield in Trollhättan and admire the aerobatics of Saab aircraft flying overhead. Little did he know that Saab would one day start making cars and that he would play a key role in its growth as an auto maker.

Erik’s legendary exploits at wheel of the ‘little red cars from Sweden’ include two back-to-back victories in the Monte Carlo Rally and a hat-trick of wins in the British RAC Rally. His success in the early Sixties launched Saab as a global car brand and today, at 78 years young, Erik still plays an active part in Saab activities.

Preparing to lead the celebrations for Saab’s 60th Anniversary next week, he is happy to take up the theme by identifying his six favorite Saab cars, one from each decade.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

1950s
“I think we all have a special place in our heart for our first car, “ he says. “In my case it was a Saab 92, in green like they all were then, which I bought second-hand from a farmer in Trollhättan. It was 1952, I was 23 and I had started a job at a local garage.

“Saab was the big local company and they had just started making cars. It was an exciting time and the 92 really was something different from other cars, with its streamlined shape and aircraft engineering. Most cars then had a separate body and chassis bolted together, but the 92 had one single body structure, as most cars do these days. It was light but extremely strong, as I found in my rallying.

“It also handled really well with the front wheel drive. It had a small engine but I could go quicker than larger cars that had quite a bit more power.”

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

1960s
Erik’s success in local rallying events at the wheel of his 92 quickly led to full-time employment with Saab as a test and development and works rally driver. His ‘Saab of the 60s’ is the famous Saab 96 that brought international rally success for him and for the company. More than 500,000 examples were to be sold in a production run spanning almost 20 years.

“The 96 had more power, good suspension, disc brakes and great handling. We didn’t have a roll-over cage, but with the 96 you didn’t need one, as I appreciated a few times. Although I got the nickname ‘Carlsson on the Roof’, I don’t think I rolled all that many times. But I remember one occasion when I rolled over in a ditch and water was coming in. It was like sitting in an aquarium but the roof pillars were extremely strong so we weren’t drowned or hurt much at all.”

The aircraft engineering tradition of combining strength with light weight helped establish the popularity of the Saab 96 and in snowy and icy conditions Erik was able to fully exploit its sure-footed handling. But he also has a soft spot for the sister car of the 96, the Saab 95 wagon.

“Quite a few eyebrows were raised when I did the ’61 Monte Carlo with one. It was unheard of to use a wagon or estate car but the 95 handled and drove every bit as well as the 96. I was fourth that year. We used the wagon, together with its aerofoil on the roof, because it had just come out with a four-speed gearbox, which really helped on the steep alpine passes.”

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

1970s
Carlsson’s choice as ‘Saab of the 70s’ is the now iconic, black Saab 99 Turbo. “A lot of people at the time said we wouldn’t get turbocharging to work for passenger cars,” says Erik. “ I would say history has proved them wrong.”

These days, the words ‘turbocharging and Saab’ are as closely associated as ‘peaches and cream’ or ‘bacon and eggs’ , but back in 1977, exactly 30 years ago, when the 99 Turbo was unveiled, Saab surprised the automotive world by declaring that it had succeeded in ‘taming the turbo’ .

“The 99 was a great chassis and with the turbo we had real power to exploit its potential,” says Erik, who remembers secret forest test driving and his first experiences of the explosive performance on full boost. “We had to do a lot of work to control the boost, to stop the engine blowing up and to get the power on the ground. But, of course, we showed it could be done and just about everyone now uses turbocharging.”

The logic behind getting ‘big engine power from a small engine’, or ‘right-sizing’ as Saab calls it, is even more attractive these days, with the need to save weight, reduce bulk and improve fuel consumption. “Our top engineer, Pelle Gillbrand, who led the project, used to put it very simply,” says Erik. “He would explain that all engines have a fuel pump, a water pump and an oil pump – so why not an air pump? That’s all a turbo really is and he thought it was strange that all engines didn’t have one.”

With its wraparound, cockpit-inspired windshield, ‘clampshell’ hood and ‘self-repairing’ bumpers, the bold and distinctive looks of the larger Saab 99 took Saab upmarket, a process continued by its evolution into the ‘classic’ Saab 900, of which more than 900,000 were sold.

“The first production cars in jet black and cardinal red had Inca ally wheels, which were intended to symbolize the turbine of turbo, not a cheese-grater, as some people suggested,” laughs Erik. “It was, and still is, a very distinctive car. We had the ignition key between the seats on the floor and people were always surprised by that. But why not? There were valid reasons for it, to do with ergonomics and good crash impact safety. It’s like the throttle controls of an aircraft, between the seats in the cockpit. We still have it today and that’s another feature where I think we have proved the sceptics wrong!”

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

1980s
Carlsson’s choice for the ‘Saab of the 80s’ – the Saab 900 Convertible – surprised the automotive world when it was revealed as a design study at the Frankfurt Show in the autumn of 1983. “I don’t think anyone was expecting Saab to come up with a convertible,“ says Erik. “After all, it is not the kind of car that that a Scandinavian manufacturer was expected to produce, but it turned out to be an outstanding success.”

Back in the 80s, convertibles were not as popular as they are now and Saab was to play a pioneering role in establishing the attraction of an open-top car as a practical, all-year-round means of transport. “We always had a strong soft-top which was fully automatic, quick and easy to use,” says Erik. “That was an essential requirement and we were able show people this was a car that was good to own and drive in winter as well as summer.”

Initially produced for the US market, the first 900 Convertible soon went into production for global sale. “It was a great looking car, roof up or down, and looked like a completely new car, rather than a version of the 900 three-door model,” says Erik. “I still run a Saab Convertible at different times of the year. Even in winter, when it’s cold, you can have the soft-top down with the heater going and still be very comfortable.”

Over the years, Saab has organized keynote events for the Convertible, such as driving in the Land of the Midnight Sun, a 1,500 kilometer excursion through Sweden into the Arctic Circle to North Cape, the ‘roof of Europe’. Another favorite, led by Erik, has been ‘Rally Monte Carlsson’, which follows a route from the Mediterranean beach in Monaco up through the maritime Alps to a ski resort 2,000 meter above sea level. “You can be driving in warm sunshine with the top down and a few hours later be up in the snow and ice. It’s a great demonstration of what the Convertible has to offer,” adds Erik.

Over three generations, Saab has sold more than 250,000 Convertibles. In many European markets it has often featured as the top-selling car in its class.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

1990s
Fixed roof motoring was recommended in 1986 when Erik had led a team of Saab test drivers at the wheel of three 9000 Turbos on the famous ‘Long Run’ at the Talladega Speedway in the United States. Over almost 20 days, stopping only for fuel, tires and routine servicing, they established a series of.speed and distance records for standard production cars. The lead 9000 covered 100,000 km at average speed of 213.299 km.

In recognition of this achievement, a top sports flagship model, the 9000 Talladega was introduced. In the UK this was known as the Carlsson edition, Erik also lending his name to a 900 series version as well. These performance models were later given their ultimate expression in the Saab 9000CS Aero of 1993, Erik’s choice as the ‘Saab of the 90s’. It set a first template for top-of-the-range Aero models that continue at the pinnacle of Saab’s product range today.

“The 9000 was a great car, very roomy and comfortable. It was a large hatchback that offered all the versatility of a wagon,“ says Erik. “With the rear seats down, you could carry a hell of lot and with the seats up it was just like being in a sedan.”

Saab was also introducing its own engine management system, Saab Trionic. With a processing capacity greater than the computers that put men on the moon, Saab Trionic was an ideal platform for the launch of the more powerful Aero. “The new 2.3 turbo engine gave fantastic torque and the Aero model was the quickest car we had ever produced at that time,” says Erik.

“The engine was extremely smooth with its balancer shafts and gave good power from very low revs. It really showed what we could do with turbocharging. You could be in almost any gear, just put your foot down and go. With the 9000 Aero, we asked everyone to ‘talk torque’ when describing what it was like to drive.

“It was a large car, but it handled very well and everyone appreciated how good the seats were. That is something Saabs has always been known for. Even the seats in my first 92 were very comfortable.”

The Saab 9000 five-door hatchback and sedan range took the Saab brand further into the premium car segment, and more than 500,000 were sold before production ceased in 1998..

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

2000s
When he’s not at the wheel of a Saab Convertible, Erik usually drives a Saab 9-5 Aero SportCombi, but this is not a contender for his choice of a Saab for the first decade of the new millennium. That honor goes to the Saab Aero X Concept, shown at the Geneva Show last year.
With its aircraft-like canopy and a V6 BioPower turbo engine capable of running on pure bioethanol fuel, offering the prospect of zero fossil CO2 emissions, the Aero X is a concept in tune with the demands of the new century.

“Sweden has a great tradition of concern of the environment,” says Erik “And Saab was first to introduce improvements like asbestos-free brake pads and CFC-free air conditioning systems. This car follows in that tradition, without sacrificing the sort of turbo performance we all enjoy.

“Looking at the Aero X, I see how far our cars have travelled in 60 years,” says Eric, who drove Saab’s first two-seater car, the lightweight Saab Sonett in 1956.

“But I think this is a good time to be looking towards the future, as well as enjoying the cars of the past,” he adds. “The Aero X is a very modern design and it shows that Saab will be making exciting cars in the future. We did not produce a concept car until 1985, now there have been several recently, which shows the Saab spirit is strong.

“That wraparound windscreen gives it a good Saab character. It is, of course, a design concept, but I’m not sure about the opening canopy without any doors, but then my first Saab did not have a boot lid and the doors opened from the front!”

In a more serious vein, Erik agrees that when his career with Saab began, the company’s cars were almost unknown beyond Scandinavia. And he is too modest to point out that his rallying success played a major part in establishing Saab outside its home country. The brand is now a global player, selling premium cars in more than 60 markets around world. Carlsson and Carlsson’s Choice can both take credit for helping to make it happen.

Erik will be reunited with his Carlsson’s Choice - and many other favorites - at Saab’s 60th Anniversary Festival in Trollhättan, from 7-10 June, celebrating the unveiling of the first Saab car exactly six decades ago.

In what could be the biggest-ever gathering of Saab fans and enthusiasts, more than 30,000 visitors are expected to come from all over the globe to enjoy a packed program of events. (Visit www.saabfestival.se for all the details)

Carlsson’s Choice:
Saab 92 (1950)
Monocoque construction, 2-door sedan, front-wheel-drive
Two cylinder, 2-stroke, 764 cc. 3-speed gearbox
Max. power: 25 hp @ 3,800 rpm. Max. torque: 59 Nm @ 2,000 rpm
Max speed: 105 kph.

Saab 96 (1960)
Monocoque construction, 2-door sedan, front-wheel-drive
Three cylinder, 2-stroke, 841 cc. 4-speed gearbox
Max power: 38 hp @ 4,250 rpm. Max torque: 80 Nm @ 3,000 rpm
Max speed: 125 kph. 0-100 kph: 25.6 secs

Saab 99 Turbo (1977)
Monocoque construction, 3-door hatchback, front-wheel-drive
Four cylinder, turbocharged, 1985 cc. 4-speed gearbox
Max. power: 145 hp @ 5,000 rpm. Max torque: 235 Nm @ 3,000 rpm
Max speed: 198 kph. 0-100 kph: 8.9 secs

Saab 900 Turbo Convertible (1986)
Two-door convertible, powered soft-top, four-seater, front-wheel-drive
Four cylinder, turbocharged, 1985 cc. 5-speed gearbox
Max power: 175 hp @ 5,300 rpm. Max torque: 273 Nm @ 3,000 rpm
Max speed: 205 kph. 0-100 kph: 8.7 secs

Saab 9000CS Aero (1993)
Monocoque construction, 5-door hatchback, front-wheel-drive
Four cylinder, turbocharged, 2290 cc. 5-speed gearbox
Max power: 225 hp @ 5,500 rpm. Max torque: 350 Nm @ 1,950 rpm
Max speed: 240 kph. 0-100 kph: 6.9 secs

Saab Aero X Concept (2006)
Monocoque construction, 2-seater coupé, canopy opening, all-wheel-drive
V6 BioPower, twin turbochargers, 2792 cc. 7-speed gearbox
Max. power: 400 hp @ 5,000 rpm. Max. torque: 500 Nm @ 2,000 rpm
Max speed: 250 kph (limited). 0-100 kph: 4.9 secs (projected)

Robert J. Sinclair was President of Saab-Scania of America from May, 1979 until he retired in Sept. 1991. Mr. Sinclair who has been quite active in the Saab community for a number of years since his retirement, attending Saab Owners Conventions, and other such events including the recent Saab 60th Anniversary launch in San Diego, has recently decided to kindly provide us a writeup in his own words about his early years with SAAB before he re-joined in 1979.

A thank you to Bob Sinclair for taking the time to provide this writeup in his own words, it is an honor to share this with the Saab community.

Regarding my first tenure with Saab (then known as Saab Motors, Inc., of course, and headquartered at 405 Park Avenue, NYC), I signed on as a Field Sales Representative in March of 1958. The management group at that time was as follows:

President - Ralph Millet, Exec. VP - J. Bruce McWilliams, Sales VP - John Potter, Service Manager - Bob Wehman

I don’t recall the name of the parts manager, who ran the parts depot at Hingham MA.

I was the second field sales rep hired. John Goff was the first. When I joined the company, John was assigned New England. I had all the rest. “All the rest” extended west to the Mississippi; south to the North Carolina border, as Saab was very much a regional operation in the early years. There was one service dealer at Culver City CA, Lindquist Motors run by Ingvar Lindqvist. For a year or so I covered the territory in a 93B stroker.

We then hired five more sales reps, and I was called into the home office with the title of Field Staff Supervisor. Soon after that, Harvey Janes was hired as PR Manager and Jim Dailey was hired as Advertising Manager. It turned out that he was a bit overly fond of liquid luncheons, and in due course he was released and I was asked to add responsibility for the company’s advertising. I knew literally nothing about advertising.

The first thing did was walk over to a bookstore on Park Avenue and buy a book: “The Fundamentals of Advertising.” Dissatisfied with the quality of the company’s press releases, I took up the self-appointed task of editing them before they were issued. The PR Manager wasn’t exactly thrilled by this, but I left him no choice. He eventually resigned, and I took on the PR job as well. During these times the Sales Manager, John Potter, had differences with Ralph Millet and was fired. My title was changed to Acting Sales Manager…and I continued handling advertising and PR as well. As I have often commented, “Life is a learning experience.” Those few years sure were a learning experience for me, still in my 20s.

After some time passed, the parent company sent Jonas C:son Kjellberg over to be Sales Manager; the same Jonas Kjellberg who returned to Sweden a few years later, but came back as President in 1972. Soon after that, Mr. Millet got approval to move headquarters from New York City to New Haven CT. Moving to New Haven wasn’t congruent with my personal career goals, so I resigned and joined Volvo’s eastern distributor with offices across the Hudson in Englewood Cliffs NJ. My title was Ad Manager, but I soon started handling the PR function, plus distribution and a few other activities. Basically, I because Marketing Manager of the distributorship, but my title remained Advertising Manager until 1967 when I was promoted to President of Volvo’s western distributorship headquarters at Torrance CA. In 1978 I moved back to Volvo North America headquarters, then at Rockleigh NJ, as VP Marketing. I resigned one year later to re-join Saab.

Click here to visit the interview of his later years (1979-1991)