Photo Credit: Saab History

Saab History has received the Saab 600 1:43 scale model from Nordland Scale model cars in Germany.

The Saab 600, as you may know, was the first vehicle jointly developed with Saab & Fiat that eventually led to the Saab 9000 model series, however it was only sold in Sweden.

I have added this model to the collection and have placed it in the models section here online for your reference.

Photo Credit: Saab-Lancia

The Saab-Lancia 600 was produced from 1980 until 1982. It was a Saab-Scania / Lancia partnership that was created in order to share the financials in creating a platform that would eventually set the stage for the successor, the Saab 9000, three years later.

The Saab 600 was a rebadged Lancia Delta and that set the stage for the Saab-Scania & Fiat-Lancia-Alfa Romeo partnership.

The Saab 600 was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, which was a front-wheel drive, 4-door hatchback.

This model for SAAB came equipped with the following specifications:

Exterior:

5-door hatchback. F/F, 1425kg, Saab grille and Saab wordmark badges, 165/70r13 aluminum alloy wheels

GL, GLS, GLE Models.

Interior:

Cloth seats, rear seats fold down for hatch.

Chassis:

Unibody frame, diagonal cross brake system, vacuum servo, handbrake on rear brakes. Macpherson strut suspension and sway bars.

Engine:

4-Cylinder, 2-port weber carburettor, 1,498cc, 45 liter fuel tank, compression ratio 9:2:1

Transmission:

5-Speed Transmission

Dimensions:

Wheelbase 2475mm/″
Front Track 1400mm/″
Rear Track 1400mm/″
Ground Clearance 15cm/″
Turning Circle 11.25m/3″‘
Length 3885mm/″
Width 1620mm/″
Height 142cm/″
Performance Max Speed /165 kph
Acceleration 0-60 mph 12.5 secs

Global Production:

Model Year – Units

1980 MY – ?
1981 MY – ?
1982 MY – ?

Sold in Sweden & Norway only.

The original of SAAB using the numerical nomenclature 9, is that this number was an indication that the project was a non-military, but a civilian project.

The SAAB Scandia 90 (pictured above) was the first civilian project, followed by the SAAB Safir 91, then finally the automobile being SAAB 92001 in 1946, and the beginning of production models with the SAAB 92. Here is a list of all of the the projects from the beginning until the present.

For more information about these models, please visit our “Saab designs by model number” reference list.

90 SCANDIA
91 Safir (Aircraft)
92001
92
93
94 Sonett I
95
96
97 Sonett II & III
98 Prototype
99
90
900
9000
9-5
9-3
9-X
9-2X
9-3X
9-4X
9-6X (cancelled)
9-7X

In the 1980s, Saab Automobile partnered with Lancia. Saab even at the 1980s did not have the finances to create a new platform, so Saab chose to go with with the Lancia Delta platform. The Lancia Delta was also sold as the Saab 600 in Sweden. The 1985 Lancia Thema also shared a platform with the Saab 9000, Fiat Croma and the Alfa Romeo 164

The Saab 600 was a rebadged Lancia Delta, sold by Saab after a deal with Lancia (this deal was a part of the co-operation between Saab Automobile and Fiat-Lancia-Alfa Romeo, in the 1980s, which also resulted in the ‘Type 4′ project, which provided the common platforms for the Saab 9000, the Lancia Thema, the Fiat Croma and the Alfa Romeo 164). The 600 was developed because, at the time, Saab did not have the finances to support the production of entirely new models and looked to other companies in order to provide a new model line-up.

The Saab 600 was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and, in common with the company’s other models, was a front-wheel drive and a hatchback, with a rallying pedigree. Saab helped with the design of the 600/Delta. As a result of this Scandinavian input, both the Saab-Lancia 600 and the Lancia Delta had better resistance to rust than most Italian cars and were better suited to a cold climate. The Lancia Delta earned the European Car of the Year Award in 1980.

The Saab 600 was sold in Sweden only.

Source: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_600

Now that we have the facts, we realize that the Saab 9-2x was not the first time this type of project was executed with Saab Automobile. I also think that since Saab Automobile has a 9-2x Aero in their Heritage collection, they should also have the Lancia 600 in the there as well, or at least have one at the museum in Sweden given that this vehicle was only available in Sweden.