Saab History

A Saab Enthusiast Predicts Saab USA’s Future

Posted on 12. Nov, 2008 by Ryan.

As a follow-up to the illustration of poll’s titled “the people have spoken” about the future of Saab Automobile, one Saab Enthusiast writes Saab History to share his thoughts about Saab Automobile USA’s future as well!

Here is his piece in his own words:

Saab’s USA Future

I don’t know if the website monitors the news, but while proposing that Saab have its own head rather than sharing it with Cadillac and Hummer I would like to point out the following:

1) Hummer is not much longer going to be a GM brand as it is up for sale. Either it will be sold or dissolved, but GM is not going to invest in it anymore. Now the head of luxury products will only worry about two divisions – Cadillac and Saab.

2) Saab and Cadillac share parts – more than people care to admit. The Saab 9-3 Aero currently has a 2.8 L V6 engine that comes orginally from the Cadillac CTS. Saab engineers did add a Mitsubishi turbocharger (I believe) but it is still a Caddy engine. Cadillac is also selling a rebadged 9-3 in Europe as the BLS. True, it does not sell well but it is more product sharing. It is not such a stretch to have the same person running these two divisions.

3) Finally, as has been in the news a lot lately, GM is hemmoraging – badly. It lost over $6 Billion in the last quarter alone, and is on the verge of global bankruptcy. Saab in Europe is a break-even proposition right now, and Saab USA loses a ton of money. If GM is to cut costs where do you think they will cut first? Where they are losing money. My bet is that Saab USA may no longer exist if the company declares Chapter 11 and has to reorgranize. At best, it will offer three cars the 9-3, 9-4 and 9-5 – and they might be at Cadillac dealerships.

It is too bad that the auto industry is in so much turmoil right now and the global economy is in bad shape, but the reality is GM cannot afford two divsiion presidents – especially for a division as small as Saab is in the USA.

Sincerely.
A 2006 Saab 9-3 owner

Continue Reading

Saab Enthusiast Starts Saab 9-3 Turbo-X Blog

Posted on 06. Nov, 2008 by Ryan.

Photo Credit: Mr. Jorgen Trued

A Saab Enthusiast has started a Saab 9-3 Turbo-X blog, I guess it was about time!

The opening photo features his Turbo-X SportCombi on the backdrop of a Viggen Jet in Grastorp, North of Trollhättan, where I visited with my wife last year during the 2007 Saab Festival.

Continue Reading

Saab Enthusiast Hits 100,000 Miles While Matching Speed

Posted on 23. Oct, 2008 by Ryan.

Photo Credit: Chris Campbell

Chris, a frequent visitor to Saab History has provided a wonderful photo taken en-route to the recent Swedish Car Day 9 when his 2002 Saab 9-5 reached 100,000 on the odometer while he chose to match the speed, how appropriate!

Continue Reading

Saab Enthusiast Showcases Saab 9-3 Viggen

Posted on 23. Oct, 2008 by Ryan.

Photo Credit: Zach Wallace

A Saab enthusiast has just provided Saab History with a wonderful photo of his Saab 9-3 Viggen to showcase here on Saab History.

I really like this photo for many reasons, especially with how the Viggen has been kept original including those wheels!

If you have a photo that inspires you of your Saab, please submit it to Saab History here for others to view around the world!

Continue Reading

“Saabrina” The 1995 Saab 900 Electric Car Project Ends

Posted on 06. Oct, 2008 by Ryan.

Photo Credit: Mark Ward

I first covered Mark Ward of Missouri’s 1995 Saab NG900 Electric project titled “Saabrina“, back in December of 2006 when the project really got underway.

Over the past few years, I have illustrated the incredible progress he has made such as the drivetrain in September of 2007, the battery install in December of 2007 to the recent actual driving footage of the car this past February.

My most recent coverage included a nice interview with him here that covers all sorts of commonly asked questions.

Here is his final installation to the Electric Vehicle Community regarding this absolutely devastating blow to development. I should indicate that, he beat Saab Automobile to task by actually making an electric vehicle that runs and has proved it this past spring.

I am very sympathetic and my heart is with him as he indicates on his final blog entry.

Very Sad News to report much after the fact.

At 3:00 A.M. on the morning of April 17th 2008 a fire of unknown origin broke out in my garage. The Saab, all of my machinery and all of my work for 3 years was destroyed.
[...]

Continue Reading

Saab Sonett III Autocrosses in S. Portland, Maine Today

Posted on 28. Sep, 2008 by Ryan.

Photo Credits: Saab History

Ever since returning back to my native land of New England, I have slowly begun to fully immerse myself backin into the Saab Community once again.

Today was no exception to this immersion into the Saab Community where I got the opportunity to see Chris Moberg, chair of the Cumberland Motor Club, and long time Saab enthusiast with the New England Saab Association. Chris hit the wet tarmack today at the Maine Mall in South Portland, Maine with his 1971 Saab Sonett III “Yellow Thunder”.

Earlier that morning, I had my doubts that this event may not even take place due to the rain, but then I got to thinking that the wet element, would make for an appealing addition to an autocross.

This event was fairly well attended with just about every other make and class in attendance at this club’s last autocross event of the year.

After I patiently awaited along with everyone else in the pouring rain, “Yellow Thunder” finally made a tremendous entrance onto the closed parking lot course by rounding all cones within small tolerances of touching them and finished his first heat without breaking a sweat. After I saw the maneuvering Sonett make it without a hitch, I had to ask Chris about what techniques were used during the run as he stunned the crowd. His response was great and I quote “I never needed to exercise my emergency brake”.

This event triggered my memory of the recent Turbo-X test drive event that took place just North of Boston, Massachusetts back in May. What that day would have been if it were raining, now that would have been a better way to test the abilities of the new XWD cross-wheel drive system in addition to just performance.

The experience today was fun as visitor, even in the inclimate weather as we got to see some performance and handling at the same time, conveyed with multiple makes and models and varying levels of driving abilities.

If I were to be buying a new car, I’d be asking myself where I can both gain the skills of the driver as well as vehicle as capable as the Saab Sonett III. These types of venues would be great to have a Saab tent with 3-4 Saab vehicles with cross-wheel drive available for the public to test…in the rain. Saab was, as you would guest very under represented at this venue.

Let’s also keep this in mind, Chris and his 1971 Saab Sonett III had the “second fastest raw time of the day” ahead of many modern all-wheel drive vehicles!

To learn more about the Chris’s Sonetts including “Yellow Thunder”, please visit his website directly.

Continue Reading

GM Next Interviews Saab Enthusiasts At 2008 SOC

Posted on 03. Sep, 2008 by Ryan.

 
The folks at GM Next, have provided Saab History another installment from their coverage at the recent 2008 Saab Owners Convention.
 
In this film, they interview a number of the Saab Enthusiasts that attended the convention including one person’s high performance 9-3 Viggen and even Jon Williams, again, after being interviewed at the 2007 Saab Festival in Sweden.
 
A great segment showing true Saab Enthusiasts enjoying the camraderie of other enthusiats with their Saabs, of all ages.
 
Thanks to Gm Next for providing this footage once again to Saab History.

Continue Reading

The Art & Technique Of Driving Book – Carlsson & Moss

Posted on 03. Aug, 2008 by Ryan.

The Art & Technique Of Driving Book, a book written by both Erik “On the Roof” Carlsson & wife Pat Moss has recently arrived on the shelf of the Saab History reference library.

This book, published in 1965 covers exactly what the title describes consisting of the following chapters which should make for quite an interesting read.

Improvements, Driving Position, Adhesion, Cornering, Braking, Skidding, Tyres, Gear Changing, Reading the Road, Overtaking the Motorway, Ice & Snow, Fog, Rain, Dusk and Darkness, Driving in Traffic, Systems, Headlight flashers and Main Road Signals, Instruments, Car Characteristics & Competions.

If you are interested in this out of print book, I purchased mine for only $19.95 on Amazon in brand new condition, so perhaps there are others there as well that you can order, so please check out the library and check for yourself, I think there may be a few remaining.

Continue Reading