Saab History

Saab Interior Design & Film Production

Posted on 24. Jul, 2007 by Ryan.

Starting the late Eighties throughout the Nineties, Saab-Scania of America, Inc. who later became Saab Cars USA, Inc. hired a company called “Cramer Productions” in Boston, Massachusetts to do a number of promotional videos ranging from product launches to informative technical training videos.

I have recently come into contact with one of the set designers that worked with Cramer Productions & the Saab Training Team during some of those years who was responsible for the design of these sets in addition to the interior of some of the training centers as well. He has kindly provided us both a rendering as well as a final product that has was personally responsible for designing and setting up.The rendering below is simply a work of art and the photograph below of the set design helps clarify that the two “SAAB” report videos in the film archive, are from 1990 and 1991 representing model years 91 and 92 respectively.

An enthusiastic thank you to Geoffrey Hall for donating his time and materials to Saab History.

Photo Credit & Caption: Geoffrey Hall Saab Dealership & Garage Facility rendered in 1989

Here is a video showing the “SAAB” report done in 1991 for the MY92 product launch that shows the Saab dealership set created for Cramer Productions back in 1989 by Geoffrey Hall.

Photo Credit & Caption: Geoffrey Hall The “SAAB” report studio set

Here is a video showing the “SAAB” report done in 1990 for the MY91 product launch with some good angles showing the set design pictured above also created for Cramer Productions in Boston, Massachusetts. Enjoy.

Continue Reading

2007 Saab Owners Convention Track Event

Posted on 20. Jul, 2007 by Ryan.

Photo Credit: Saab Aero Academy

This just in from the Saab Owner’s Convention committee:

If you plan on attending the 2007 SOC, and have thought about entering in the track event, now is the time to sign up for it and register for the convention as well. A special thank you goes out to the SOC committee as well as the Saab Aero Academy in Atlanta, Georgia for providing a great track photograph with a moment’s notice.

You will be in for one incredible time around the track with your beloved Saab, so please sign up today.

Here is the recent press release from the SOC team regarding the Saab Autocross event at the 2007 Saab Owner’s Convention in Troy, Michigan.

The SOC07 track event is now going to be a one-day event, held on Thursday August 23rd at Waterford Hills (same setting as before). Due to the low response so far, we had to make a decision for the track, so took a more realistic approach of offering a lower-cost one-day event for $175. Based on some initial responses, this may go over well, as some people have expressed a concern about getting additional time off to attend this. We still need more people to sign up for it to be a “go”, however, as we cannot subsidize this for a handful of people. However, the overhead is much lower, so it will take less than 30 for it to fly… all good news for those of you who want to or are considering attending.

We hope this appeals to everyone, but if its not a “go”, please understand we are doing our best to offer reasonably-priced competitive events to those interested among the Saab community. Continue to watch www.saabconvention.org for updated information. Registration is available at http://soc2007.eventbrite.com

Where: Waterford Hills Road Racing facilities which are located on the grounds of the Oakland County Sportsmen’s Club, 4770 Waterford Road, Clarkston, MI 48346.

When: August 23rd, Time: All Day – 9am-5pm

Who: Anyone can participate, but they must pre-register asap.

Continue Reading

Saab 9-3 SportComi Test-Drive – Vail, Colorado

Posted on 19. Jul, 2007 by Ryan.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

Vail, Colorado, the ski resort town that has had a long history with Saabs, most notably the Saab as the Vail Police department vehicle of choice for over 25 years. Recently, Vail Trail, a lifestyles magazine for the region has published an article about their experience test driving the 2007 Saab 9-3 SportCombi.

This writeup decribes the 2007 Saab 9-3 SportCombi in detail, that by the way, is apparently being heavily discounted now by Saab Automobile USA because the 2008 models will be hitting dealership showrooms in September followed by fully equipped models with XWD in January, according to a recent posting at Trollhattansaab.net

As one who has had the opportunity to experience the 2007 1.8t Saab 9-3 SportCombi this past June in Sweden first hand, I must say that this is an incredibly comfortable yet firm ride that keeps you connected to the road at every turn without fail.

Continue Reading

Ethanol (E-85) Prices in Minnesota

Posted on 18. Jul, 2007 by Ryan.

This past week, Minnesota ran an ethanol promotion in celebration of flag day where prices of E-85 were in some places as low as .85 cents per gallon. While this is a very low price in comparison to today’s prices, dating back to gasoline equivalents before the millenium, it would be interesting to see how low ethanol prices would normally be once the infrastructure throughout the United States was deemed fully ethanol E-85 capable.

Here is a direct quote by the communications director of the American Lung Association of Minnesota.

It was the most successful E85 promotion I have ever seen.
- Bob Moffitt
Communications Director
American Lung Association of Minnesota

Here is their press release describing this promotion:

Five Coops Offer ‘Flag Day’ Discount on E85, Some Sell the American-Made Fuel for Eighty-Five Cents a Gallon

TRUMAN, Minn., June 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Five Cenex(R) locations in Minnesota will offer special prices on E85 in celebration of Flag Day. E85 is a cleaner burning blend of up to 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline that can be used by an estimated 150,000 flex-fuel vehicles now in use in Minnesota. Flex-fuel vehicles can use either E85 or gasoline, or any combination of the two fuels. The American Lung Association of Minnesota is a strong supporter of E85, which is sold in more than 300 outlets in Minnesota, including many Cenex(R) locations.

The following Cenex(R) locations will offer special prices for E85 during the dates and times listed. Offer is valid while supplies last. Some limits on gallons purchased may apply:

Day: Location Time Offer
June 13: NuMart-Cenex 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 85¢ per gallon
2237 N. State St.
Fairmont

June 14: NuMart-Cenex 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 85¢ per gallon
302 N. 5th St.
Truman

June 15: NuMart-Cenex 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 85¢ per gallon
620 2nd Ave. S
St. James

Cenex Mid County 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 40¢ off per gallon
409 Paul Ave. S.
Cologne

Harvest Land Coop 4 – 7 p.m. 85¢ off E85 or biodiesel
710 Front St.
Morgan

“Offering E85 is good for the environment, good for our ag economy and a good strategic fit for CHS with core businesses in both grain and energy,” says Chad Pistulka, product manager for Cenex Refined Fuels.

The E85 promotions are sponsored by Cenex(R) and the Minnesota E85 Team: Minnesota Corn Growers Association, General Motors Corporation, National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, US Department of Energy Clean Cities and the American Lung Association of Minnesota. For a complete listing of other stations that sell the fuel, call 800-LUNG-USA or visit http://www.cleanairchoice.org/

Continue Reading

E-85 Availability – Minnesota is #1 in the United States

Posted on 17. Jul, 2007 by Ryan.

In the United States, Minnesota is known to be the number one State in the country for the percentage of immigrants that have come from Sweden compared to the rest of the country over a hundred years ago. Minnesota also ranks first in terms of having the largest availability of E-85 filling stations in the country according to e85vehicles.com

Minnesota is very similiar to Sweden in terms of geography and weather which is one of the reasons there was a massive immigration to Minnesota from Sweden. This immigration was also due to other factors such as the available land for farming combined with the Homestead Act in 1862. All of these factors combined, Swedes found the better employment opportunities in establishing family farms all over Minnesota in the late nineteenth century. This farming industry in Minnesota has progressed to the point today where it is growing, harvesting and processing foods into biofuels, ultimately producing Ethanol (E-85) and is clearly setting itself among the other nearby states as a self-sufficient biofuel industry leader.

Where Sweden is the leader in the Ethanol movement in Europe, Minnesota is clearly designated as the leader in the United States with over 300 stations strong and growing, totalling roughly one third of Sweden’s entire nationwide coverage. In Sweden, there are almost 900 E-85 filling stations covering the entire country according to the Swedish Ethanol Development Foundation. In Minnesota, this works out to about one E-85 pump per every 17,000 persons in Minnesota that has a population at just over 5 million people. In Sweden, there is roughly one E-85 pump per every 10,000 persons with their total country’s population totalling around 9 million people.

When Saab Automobile’s BioPower vehicles are finally imported into the United States in the near future, I wonder if Minnesota would be designated as part of a pilot program in testing the market? With Minnesota the leader in Ethanol availability whilst also being heavily saturated by Swedish immigrants that could be seen as partial to the Swedish Saab Automobile brand as well as to their own farming industry that produce E-85, one could argue that you couldn’t find a better State to begin with in testing the waters so to speak.

If you live in Minnesota, please contact us here describing your thoughts on the E-85 movement as well as what you know and understand about Saab Automobile’s BioPower program that is proving to be quite successful in Sweden.

Continue Reading

E85 Availability in the United States

Posted on 20. Jun, 2007 by Ryan.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

Today marks the official start of a campaign towards more environmentally friendly fuel alternatives for Saabs here in the United States. Saab History has a geographic opportunity being located in the United States Capitol, where it will begin an effort to see it that E85 (85% Ethanol / 15% Gasoline) becomes ubiquitous in our infrastructure. With the Saab 9-5 BioPower accounting for a large and growing number of sales in Sweden, and the new 9-3 models also now E85 capable, there are many individuals in the United States just waiting to get their hands on either model, but the only problem is and has been for a number of years now, E85 availability.

While traveling recently in Sweden during the 60th Anniversary Saab Festival, I could not help but notice that just about every refueling station had an E85 pump. It was a difficult reality for many of us to return to the United States and experience a virtually non-existant E85 infrastructure. This reality today needs to change for the climate as well as for Saab Automobile USA, where the BioPower could also prove to be a best seller here stateside as it in Sweden.

In this campaign there are a number of important objectives, but reducing our carbon emissions is the first priority to help slow down global warming to keep this planet healthy today and in the future, and E85 is the next logical step in assuring this objective because the technology to harness this fuel is ready and available.

This campaign will begin with a thorough research program that in parallel, will include an iterative dialog with leaders on Capitol Hill written and in person, all of which will be covered here on Saab History.

In moving forward, it is interesting to note that in Washington, D.C., there are “officially” two E85 stations, but as you can see from the database records below thanks to http://www.e85refueling.com/, they are not publicly accessible. If there is a place to start with E85 availability, I will begin here in Washington, D.C. to see to it that E85 becomes a reality for the general public.

Bolling Air Force Base
Washington, DC 20032
* Private facility. No public access.

DC Fleet Management Admin. Fueling Location
1835 W Virginia Ave., NE
Washington, D.C., DC 20002
* Government fleet vehicle use only.

Continue Reading

Rocky Mountain Saab Club Donates to Saab History

Posted on 01. Jun, 2007 by Ryan.

The Rocky Mountain Saab Club has recently made another extremely generous donation to Saab History film project by donating the money needed to transfer the remaining vintage Saab film, Saab-Scania 22 Minutes & 22 Seconds. This donation signifies the conclusion of the first phase of of the “Saab Film Project” that began back in the fall of 2006 when a number of 16mm reels were donated by John Moss, former employee of Saab Cars USA, followed by a number of additional films also provided by Dan Prescott, former PR rep of Saab Cars, USA, Inc. The second phase of this project will commence later this summer when I will be taking on a number of yet to be identified films by another former Saab Cars, USA employee.

The Rocky Mountain Saab Club or RMSC is an active club that is open to any and all Saab Owners and Enthusiasts in and around the “Denver, Boulder and Front Range Areas” of Colorado, USA. This donation follows their last donation back on April 10th.

The RMSC holds a number of annual events that range from technical workshops, repair and maintenance demonstrations to car shows and even dinners and picnics. In in addition this activitity, the RMSC has been starting a number of restoration projects, most notable the recently completed “Project Laura” 1970 SAAB 96 that I have featured previously. Their latest restoration project is known as “Red Bull” which is a 1961 SAAB model 96 two-stroke.

As mentioned previously, I will be providing information about what may be arguably the clubs largest project, the 2009 Saab Owners Convention. I will be providing updates as they come for everyone about this event.

For more information about the RMSC, please visit their website directly http://www.rockymtnsaabclub.com

A tremendous thank you once again to Bruce Harbison, Tom Nelson, Jerry Danner and the rest of the the Rocky Mountain Saab Club for believing in the content that is provided on Saab History for the Saab Community to enjoy and cherish for years to come. It is clear that the RMSC truly embodies Saab Enthusiasm at all levels. Thank you for your support and we’ll see you in Trollhättan, Sweden to share in the celebration of Saab Automobile’s 60th anniversary at the Saab Festival

Continue Reading

Saab 9-2x Owners Gather at Wachusett Mountain Resort

Posted on 30. May, 2007 by Ryan.

Photo Credit: Saab History

On June 17th, 2007, Saab 9-2x Owners will be travelling from all over the North East region of the United States to join in on the festivities at one of the largest Subaru Festivals in North America this year that is taking place at Wachusett Mountain in Princeton, Massachusetts.

This event is being sponsored by the New England Subaru Club and will be running a number events throughout the day at this location.

The Saab 9-2x was a joint endeavour between Saab Automobile and Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru) and was offered only in the United States market from 2004 until 2006 and is now considered by this enthusiastic group of individuals who frequent the Saab9-2x forum, a collector’s item.

Here are some of the features of the event:

Parking for over 2000 attendees
Huge vendor midway
Live DJs spinning throughout the day
Thousands in prize give-a-ways
Technical seminars
Kids tent
Car show and awards
Race and rally car expose
Special Subaru celebrities and keynote speaker
And much, much more to be announced….

For more information on the Saab 9-2x, please visit the following posts:

Saab USA Heritage Collection – Saab 9-2x
Saab 9-2x, A Tribute (2004-2006)

For more information on this event, please visit the event website directly here

Continue Reading