RIP Saab (A Thread for Saab Lovers)

Saab 9e: The Electric Hatchback Trollhättan Wasn't Able To Build - Jalopnik​

This unique Saab EV is one of a kind; no one else in the world has one. Here’s how it ended up driving around upstate New York.​

Some brands have cried out for electric cars for years.

Take Subaru: its eco-minded audience snapped up every one of the mediocre Crosstrek Hybrids it deigned to put out. As a Subie driver myself, I can firmly attest that many of my fellow owners—y’know, the kayak-carrying, Golden Retriever-toting, Sierra Club-tote-bagged ones—would go for an all-electric Subaru in a heartbeat. (Small numbers of a Subaru EV will finally arrive for 2023.)

Similarly, Volvo’s buyers have proven receptive to its plug-in hybrids. It will soon have a whole lot more models with plugs, including an all-electric XC90 7-seat luxury crossover. Its new corporate sibling Polestar is now EV-only after one early plug-in hybrid.

Missed opportunity

Electric cars could have been the place where Saab stole a march on the rest of the car market.

The Trollhättan maker defined quirky decades ago, when Subaru was still selling 360 minicars. It took a sensible Swedish approach to new technology, adding features — turbochargers, blackout “night dash” lighting, ignition locks on the transmission — for explicit engineering reasons.

An EV would have slotted right into Saab’s lineup, especially since its owner GM had pioneered the modern electric car with its mid-1990s launch of the EV1. That aerodynamic oddball was sold through the dealers of another small brand: Saturn.

Then GM’s 2009 bankruptcy and government-backed restructuring abruptly killed off four of its eight brands entirely: Hummer, Pontiac, Saab, and Saturn were all executed.

Saab had always been special, and its passionate following spanned Europe as well as North America. In due course, GM sold off the brand, the products, the workforce, and the factory.

Dutch supercar maker Spyker couldn’t make it work, but in June 2012, a newly formed company called National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) bought Saab Automobile’s bankrupt estate with Chinese backing.

Saab would now be an all-electric car company, with the outgoing 9-3 as the vehicle to be electrified. Except that in the end, NEVS wasn’t allowed to use the Saab name.

Despite a flashy 2017 launch event, little more was heard until the electric NEVS 9-3 staggered into production in mid-2019.
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Read the full article at the link below:

jalopnik.com

Saab 9e: The Electric Hatchback Trollhättan Wasn't Able To Build - Jalopnik

Some brands have cried out for electric cars for years.
jalopnik.com jalopnik.com
 
At $7,200, Is This 2008 Saab 9-3 SportCombi An Orphan You Might Adopt?

A six-speed stick might make this a wagon worth wanting.

Saab has been gone for a decade, and cars like today’s Nice Price or No Dice 9-3 SportCombi are reason enough to miss the marque. Let’s see if this Swedish wagon’s price makes it worth buying or is just another miss.

Calling yesterday’s 1976 Cadillac Seville a boat, as was conjectured by a number of you in the comments, could be construed as having missed the “big” picture. As far as ’70s American luxury cars went, the Seville was one of the slimmest and most compact. It would, in fact, be the smallest Cadillac on offer until the debut of the lamentable Cimarron in 1982. Small as it was for the era, the $7,000 price tag on yesterday’s car proved too unwieldy for most, and the Caddy fell in a 57 percent No Dice loss.

Cadillac introduced the Seville to counter insurgent imports that at the time were defining a new form of high-end luxury. One such company that in that import vanguard was Sweden’s Saab which offered quirky four-cylinder-powered cars at prices that could buy you a V8 from one of Detroit’s Big Three. As we know, time wounds all heels, and in 1989 Saab was absorbed into General Motors, which was the biggest of those Big Three carmakers.

jalopnik.com

At $7,200, Is This 2008 Saab 9-3 SportCombi An Orphan You Might Adopt? - Jalopnik

Saab has been gone for a decade, and cars like today’s Nice Price or No Dice 9-3 SportCombi are reason enough to miss the marque. Let’s see if this Swedish wagon’s price makes it worth buying or is just another miss.
jalopnik.com jalopnik.com

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There’s a New Saab 9-5 Trapped in This Abandoned Saab Dealership in Massachusetts

It’s a classic Saab story—and a future barn find.

When a car brand dies it's a surprisingly emotional moment not just for the folks who worked there, but also for owners and fans alike. As a result, brand loyalists often hold on to every last string as dealers close up shop and the notion of "what's next?" turns into "what could have been." Saturn, Mercury, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac are just a few you might remember (others are found on a Wikipedia page dedicated to this), but then there's Saab.

Recently, a Facebook group dedicated to pictures of old or now-shuttered dealerships reminded the world that this quirky brand once existed. The now-defunct Swedish automaker went belly-up in 2012, yet somehow a Saab-branded dealership remained a time capsule of what once was. And when we learned that there was still a car in that showroom, we had to take a look for ourselves.

Upon close inspection, the sedan—presumably new from what we can tell through the glass—was none other than the brand's flagship: a Saab 9-5 Aero Turbo6 XWD.

As you may have guessed by that mouthful of a name, this particular variant is equipped with all of the best bits the 9-5 had to offer. Namely the sporty front and rear bumpers, 300-horsepower 2.8-liter turbocharged V6, and all-wheel drive. For those wondering, this was not offered with a manual transmission; all V6-powered 9-5s were only equipped with the six-speed automatic.

The dealership is Village Saab in Acton, Massachusetts, and according to comments on the post that originally pointed out the defunct store, it didn't actually close its doors officially until the late 2010s. Its Facebook page shows that it transformed into a used car dealership after the automaker closed down its dealer network, though its last posts were from 2017.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/41327...Ijy9j-gZ3iFqZ_3P4ESVUTE9aWVTF-_Ju6Xyru2btaOkY


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10 Cool Facts About The Saab 900 - Hotcars​

The Saab 900 is one of the most innovative cars ever, which probably explains why it was so popular with architects and designers.

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One of the driving, or flying in this case, forces when it came to supplying fighter planes for WWII was Saab. The company was well-known for their robust fighter planes that the armed forces used for the duration of the war.

After the war was over, demand for fighter planes had come to a spluttering halt. Saab, thanks to an idea and not having any particular use case for fighter planes, decided to try out building cars. From the very beginning,

Saab did things very differently.

After a few less than successful models in the 1960s and prior, Saab finally struck gold with the original 900, which debuted in 1978. It soldiered on across two generations until 1998, before being replaced by the heavily GM-influenced 9-3.

Like the company itself, which unfortunately went bankrupt, and all of their other models, the Saab 900 is just full of cool facts waiting to be discovered.
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www.hotcars.com

10 Cool Facts About The Saab 900

The Saab 900 is one of the most innovative cars ever, which probably explains why it was so popular with architects and designers.
www.hotcars.com www.hotcars.com
 

A bit of Sweden in South Dakota: The Saab Heritage Car Museum​

An amazing collection of classic Saabs in an unlikely place.

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When you think of Saab, you probably think "Sweden." Maybe you remember the marketing and think "Born from jets." You probably don't think "South Dakota." And yet, that's where I am, in the town of Sturgis, best known for its infamous yearly bike rally.

On the edge of town, though, in a fairly nondescript building, is the Saab Heritage Car Museum. What started as a few cars owned by an avid Saab mechanic and fan has turned into one of the best collections of classic Saabs in the world.
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www.cnet.com

A bit of Sweden in South Dakota: The Saab Heritage Car Museum

An amazing collection of classic Saabs in an unlikely place.
www.cnet.com www.cnet.com
 

2007 Saab 9-5 SportCombi Wagon 5-Speed​

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This 2007 Saab 9-5 SportCombi is reportedly one of 114 manual-transaxle wagons delivered to the US for the model year, and is finished in Silver Metallic.

Power is provided by a turbocharged 2.3-liter DOHC inline-four, and features include beige leather upholstery, heated and ventilated power-adjustable front seats, heated rear seats, xenon headlamps, rain-sensing windshield wipers, parking assist, heated auto-dimming side mirrors, a six-CD stereo with a satellite radio tuner, a power-operated sunroof, and dual-zone climate control.

This 9-5 wagon has 134k miles and is offered at no reserve with service records, two keys, factory literature, a Carfax report, and a clean Georgia title in the seller’s name.
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bringatrailer.com

No Reserve: 2007 Saab 9-5 SportCombi Wagon 5-Speed

Bid for the chance to own a No Reserve: 2007 Saab 9-5 SportCombi Wagon 5-Speed at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #54,551.
bringatrailer.com bringatrailer.com
 

2002 Saab 9-3 Viggen​

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This 2002 Saab 9-3 Viggen is a two-door hatchback finished in silver over charcoal leather and is powered by a turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four paired to a five-speed manual transaxle.

The car was first registered in California and remained in the state through its purchase by the owner in November 2020.

Equipment includes a sunroof, heated and power-adjustable front seats, 17″ wheels, integrated fog lights, headlight wipers, a rear deck spoiler, and aftermarket chassis bracing.

This Viggen has 96k miles and is offered by the seller on behalf of the owner at no reserve with partial service records, a clean Carfax report, and a clean California title.
Click to expand...

bringatrailer.com

No Reserve: 2002 Saab 9-3 Viggen

Bid for the chance to own a No Reserve: 2002 Saab 9-3 Viggen at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #54,650.
bringatrailer.com bringatrailer.com
 
Used buying guide: Saab 9-5

Even a decade after the funeral, many enthusiasts are still mourning Saab. If you're among them, make the most of its wonderfully fitting parting gift

Is there a better rear than the Saab 9-5’s? Clamping eyes on it is to be reminded how much we car lovers lost when it was pulled a decade ago as Saab went bust.

The 9-5 came in for some harsh criticism at its launch in 2010 (testers bemoaned its pattery ride, wallowy handling and poor noise isolation), but all that’s forgotten when you see one today. The fact is it has future classic written all over it, for three reasons: it was Saab’s last hurrah, a defiant finger at a General Motors prepared to let it go; it’s handsome, beautifully made and classy; and it’s vanishingly rare. As an aside, it’s also roomy, well equipped and well built.

There was also a 9-5 estate, but the UK only received the saloon, with its aforementioned rear.

On the petrol side were three turbocharged units: a 180bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder, a 220bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder and a 296bhp 2.8-litre V6 sourced from Holden. As for the diesels, there was the 158bhp TiD and the 186bhp TTiD, these 2.0-litre four-pot units based on a Fiat block with a Saab head. Don’t pass on the 1.6 petrol if you find one, because it’s strong and deceptively quick. The diesels are gruff and noisy but economical and quick – particularly the 2.0 TTiD.

www.autocar.co.uk

Used buying guide: Saab 9-5 | Autocar

Even a decade after the funeral, many enthusiasts are still mourning Saab. If you're among them, make the most of its wonderfully fitting parting gift
www.autocar.co.uk www.autocar.co.uk

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