The TRAGIC Fall of Saab | A Classic Car Documentary
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- čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
- The FULL History of Saab | A Classic Car Documentary
In 1980, Saab was selling nearly a million vehicles a year. 30 years later,
they were bankrupt. The story of this iconic automobile from Sweden is a cautionary tale, of
a company that started with a shady part, but with the best of
intentions, and rose to financial success and international notoriety.
But it’s also the story of what happens when you have bad luck, and no
vision for the hard times, and so you make a deal with the devil.
What happened to Saab is truly a Saab story.
#saab #saab93 #saabhistory
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00:00 Intro
00:12 History of Saab
00:46 Saab Airplanes
02:42 Birth of Saab Automobiles
03:13 Saab 92
05:00 Saab 93
06:00 Saab 94
06:48 Saab 95
07:34 Saab 96
09:00 Saab 97
09:25 Saab 99
10:50 Saab 600
11:00 Saab 900
12:00 Saab 9000
14:00 Saab 9-5 and 9-3
14:23 Fall of Saab
16:50 Saab 9000 Aero
18:42 Spyker Cars
20:15 NEVS
~~~
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Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.” - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Hi all, I loved Saabs. And it's a great history story and warning for other auto companies. What are you thoughts on Saab?
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Holy Spirit Can give you peace guidance and purpose and the Lord will
John 3:16-21
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Mark 1.15
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Hebrews 11:6
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Jesus
I WORKED FOR HANLEY DAWSON THEY SOLD SAAB CARS I WOULD GET ONE IN MY REPAIR STATION AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN HAD TO BE TOWED OUT SAAB IS SINONAMOUS WITH JUNK
WORST CARS EVER MANUFACTURED
GM quickly found out that they couldn’t tell the Swedes anything. GM didn’t realize that a house cleaning of management was needed.
In Sweden a man was either a SAAB man or a Volvo man (especially until Asian cars took over). Very few ever switched between those two brands, one could tell which car a guy would have. The SAAB man was more individualistic and practical, making most car repairs himself.
My dad started working at a SAAB dealership in the early 1970's as a mechanic. One day a factory service rep came by on a usual dealership visit and mentioned to my dad that there was a position open for a service rep for the Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont territory. He applied for it and got the position. SAAB sent him to the factory service school in Trollhättan, Sweden for about 4 months.
He worked for the company for about 15 years out of New Haven, Connecticut. He got a new company car every 6 to 8 months or so. On a winter break from high school, he let me be his chauffeur for one of the weeks he was on the road. Got to drive a brand new model 99. Very impressive ! Fast, smooth, comfortable and very quiet inside. Handled like a dream.
He got me my first car, a graduation present, which of course was a SAAB, a well used 1967 model 95 with the V4 engine. I had that car for about 8 years and drove the hell out of it like teenagers have a tendency to do. It was an amazing car and held up well, considering what I put it through. I miss both the car and my dad, good memories.
Awesome story! 👍👌
That’s an awesome story! Thanks for sharing!
I remember passing the SAAB US HQ on Rt. 95 in New Haven when I was "commuting" between NJ and the Groton sub base in the 80s. They had a Sonnett inside, which you could see from the highway. My car was a '77 SAAB 99 EMS ("Extra Mean SAAB"), which was a tarted up 99 sport version, so I was a SAAB enthusiast, and noticed these things.
I owned a ‘73 Sonnett. Most fun car I’ve ever owned. Very creative vehicle, fiberglass body, froggy headlights and freewheeling transmission as noted. I hated to sell it. Great gas mileage powered by what I was told a 65 hp motor from a Saab air compressor, I was told. I fitted it out with electronic ignition and upgraded the radio. It also had about five T-handles which I thought was cool. Eventually the bottom rusted out. I sold the car to an aviation mechanic who later told me the transmission dropped out. I offered to buy the car back, but no, he rebuilt it. Great memory!
Thanks for sharing a lovely story!
SAAB was killed by GM. Even after GM had withdrawn, offers were made for SAAB by third parties, all of which GM blocked and scuttled. They really didn't want SAAB to exist. Criminal. How could Swedes ever let this happen?
They didn't watch enough Shark Tank. Nobody should ever sell away that much equity ever. It's always a disaster. There is no other end to that movie.
Yep. Sadly GM killed Pontiac as well. I owned a Bonneville and Grande Prix and GM only cared about Chevrolet and Cadillac. I wouldn't own a GM car now for anything. Very good video. I've always loved Saab's and their look. This was very informative.
@@jamesseabolt5915 I owned Pontiac Aztek a couple of years back and I loved it. It was a French car in shape and spirit. Mine had air springs in the back and it drove like DS21.
GM was in full penny-pinching mode back then and only saw their overseas brands as money suppliers for their failing US brands. Opel was pretty successful, but pretty much every dollar they made was immediately sent overseas to keep plugging the holes in the finances of the failing GM brand in the US, whereas Saab was only costing them money, so they made the decision to get rid of Saab. There were enough interested third parties, but as GM refused to let Saab continue to use the GM platform Saabs have been built upon since the 9000, only a Dutch opportunist who was always funded with very shady Russian money was left and predictably Saab was in financial trouble from the moment he got control. Then a Chinese company still wanted to buy what was left of Saab, but for one reason or other the Chinese government blocked the financing back in China and as the Swedish government refused to help Saab like they had helped Volvo, or even to agree to have Saab's back for the near future, that was the end for Saab. Yes, there was this weird attempt in rebranding Saab into NEVS and going full EV, but that attempt kind of faded out quietly.
The Swedish government somehow argued that Saab was too small a car manufacturer to survive and instead poured hundreds of millions into Volvo........ which they then sold out to the Chinese, so in a "brilliant" two-step move Sweden went from having two at least partly Swedish owned car manufacturers to now having NO Swedish owned car manufacturer..... Good job guys, well done.
GM wanted turbo charging technology and SAAB was arguably experts in turbo charging.
As a teenager back in the late1980s, I was sitting at red light late one night in my 79’ Z28 Camaro, when an older gentleman pulled up along side me in a black Saab 900 T. We briefly made eye contact as the lights began to change, and due to the fact that the roads were entirely devoid of any other traffic, I got the distinct impression that this distinguished, slightly gray haired man had a “contest of speed” on his mind...which suited me just fine, of course. Although I’d often seen these odd looking cars around, I didn’t know too much about them in the way of performance.
Now I had done a few mods to my car including a carb, intake, cam, headers, and true dual exhaust, sans catalysts. With a 3:73 final, this Camaro was far from stock, and regularly humbled any stock Mustang GT of any year of that decade.
The light changed, and we both flat out dumped it. I immediately put a car length on him out of the intersection. The one thing I vividly remember about this strange car though, was the incredible sound of that turbo charger spooling up as he seemingly almost instantly erased that deficit. We were running pretty much dead even. Every time he would shift I’d gain a few feet, then the whining scream of that turbo charger would be right there in my window. It was pretty awesome, actually.
Although it was a long straight, and there wasn’t any other traffic around, there definitely WAS the possibility of the random cop sitting up the road in the dark. So we both shut it down before crossing over into triple digits. I remember glancing over and seeing this man grinning like a Cheshire Cat, and he winked and nodded before going on his way as I hit my turn lane to head home.
Unfortunately, I never got the pleasure of driving one of those Saab 900 Ts, but from there on out, I always held a healthy respect for them in the way of their performance capabilities. Was his car modded as well? Possibly, but of course, I’ll never know. Regardless, I still hold that car fondly in my memory as one of the few 80s “business man sleepers.”
Great video, btw! And thanks for the flash back. 👍
Awesome story! I had a similar experience except I was in the Saab. And as a young man surprising kids in my generation is so much fun with my Saab. I'm sure your car was sick!
Tragic story ! I'm a SAAB man through and through. I started with a 1963 Bullnose 2 stroke 96 - then a 1968 V4 96. That led to my first SAAB 900. Then a SAAB 99, and then 3 more 900s, including a 900 LPT. My final Saab was a 1991 SAAB 900i, 3 door. I had that car for 18 years. Very sad day when I sold it, but I really didn't need a car any more. I loved all my SAABs and always will - they have a character all of their own. R.I.P. SAAB 😞
I'm not a SAAB guy, but I do respect them. I get the special character from a modern era Jaguar (XF, X250, LCI).
I've seen SAAB car a long time ago. Its very expensive I remember. Within a year, it seems no one buying it anymore. In fact, I've seen quite a few number of SAAB abandoned. I didn't know why it seems not famous in Malaysia. Now I know.
I too loved my Saabs, a 900 turbo and a 9000 turbo, both standard transmissions. The 900 was really fun to drive!
I've had 4 of them : 900, 9000, 9-3, 9-5, and one more for spare parts. I never felt as safe on the road, with any other car, as I did in my my SAAB. Solid as a rock on the highway and well-protected in city driving. Never had a major repair with any of them. It felt good to drive ... ergonomically correct in every detail. ... and I loved all the 'quirky' features.
What happened to Saab is truly a sad story. People don't love the brand for nothing.
Very sad. Maybe they, and Volvo, should have remained Swedish only, and operated in a more moderate way, and been successful as they accepted their niche product. ? ....just wondering.
I still work on SAABs everyday.
A lot of them are still great cars. The old turbos are quick.
A 72 Saab 99LE I bought with my own money was my first car at 16. I've driven 8 Saabs over the years. In my driveway is a hotrodded and fast 01 Viggen convertible I'm listing on Cars and Bids this week. Of all the Saab-related media I've consumed over the last 45 years, your video is the best piece of automotive journalism of all of it. I now know "What Happened". Anyone who's watched a single season of Shark Tank knows selling away that much equity can only end in tears.
Oooooo. Viggen. Peak SAAB.
The 2-stroke engine required a small amount of oil to be mixed with the gasoline, like many chainsaws. Jay Leno said there were so many SAABs sold in New England that gas stations offered premixed gas+oil.
Please post a link to that video.. I could search for it but am lazy heheh better to be pointed right to the source.
It's not a "small amount' it could be as much a 33:1 with TCWIII oil or 40:1 with regular non detergent 30#. Usually if your fuel gauge light comes on, a quart of straight oil will do a 7.5 gallon refill. just pour it into the tank before you fill-up and the fill up and take it for some alleyways Gymkhana laps to mix up the oil. Otherwise, especially of it's cold, the oil won't mix itself well into the fuel and you'll initially foul your plugs and (or) soft seize after the mostly unmixed gas-oil thins to about 80:1. I know why I liked the Shrike and GT850 injection strokers.
Not just Saabs - there were literally thousands upon thousands of 2-stroke motorbikes in the UK as well.
@@edeledeledel5490 And the US too, I've owned at least ten small Japanese two stroke motos in my life. most of them were fitted with an oil injection system.
And theus the freewheel clutch was implemented to prevent engine revving without lubrication
The 9000 was not an outgrowth of the 600, though Lancia was involved in the 9000. It based on a platform (Type 4) shared with Fiat (Croma), Lancia (Thema), and Alfa Romeo (164). Each company used the same basic structural shell but used their own engines, interiors, and exterior designs.
You're partly right: the chassis was indeed developed in cooperation by Saab and the Fiat Group (Fiat, Lancia and Alfa), but they went separated ways after the first real life test of the chassis. The Italian engineers called it "Bellissima" whereas the Saab engineers supposedly said "not good at all". Saab then took the chassis and changed many things, costing them a heck of a lot of money, whereas the Italians happily used it as it was for their Croma, Thema and 164.
@@tjroelsma Yes!! Look at "Saab strength vs BMW - TopGear"
Absolutely spot on, SAAB could not afford the development costs of a new model so shared the research and engineering with Fiat Lancia and Alfa, the type 4. I ran a Fiat Croma Turbo in 1989 to 1991, from new clocked 158,000miles, only failures other than normal servicing were the driver's electric seat motors, wicked acceleration and top speed of 160mph :)
You were too kind on how GM destroyed the SAAB brand.
Who killed the Electric Car? There's GM.
A 1980 Saab 900i was my first car. Best winter car I have ever had, and excellant for long distance driving. Only down side was that repairs where pricey but otherwise I wouldn´t mind having that car again!
Noch besser als der 900i im Winter war der 99 im Winter.
I believe that Saab would have survived if they had concentrated on making cars that were especially designed for sub-artic conditions. The market may be small but there is much less competition than in the ordinary mid-size saloon sector.
SAAB was the first automotive company to have turbochargers on all their cars. They were quirky, admittedly but solid, well made and reliable. Many SAAB owners were incredibly loyal to the brand often owning a succession of SAABs.
As a owner on many really old 2 cycle and V4 era SAABs, the misinformation of this segment is rampant. It's hard to know where to start.
First off: Saab didn't introduce freewheels in 1960, they were present from their 92 models onwards, they just didn't have a hole in the firewall and a little pull handle in the passenger compartment to enable and disable the lock up on the freewheel. You had to open the hood to enable the freewheel lock up. So do you even know why they had freewheels? It has something to do with the type of engine they had
The original 92 wasn't made from a "single sheet of metal and cut apart" (Do some research on this subject ..) Sixten Saxon their genius sheet metal designer made these first prototype by hand hammering the body shapes and SAAB had bought US sourced steel sheet in large pieces for their run-up to production and had to cut them into efficiently cut chunks for the rather complex stamping dies they had spend many months getting prepared for their production run of the 92 The early 92 used less pieces because the 92 had no trunk lid and a fairly simple body plan.
The 1960 SAAB 96 was really not a whole lot different than the 93 that proceeded it in body design except for some refinements in their stamping, a beefier engine with 100 cc's more displacement and changing from Suicide doors to standard pivots below the A pillars.
Did you know that SAAB aircraft production was booming during the 1950's? Look up a list of their aircraft and their production dates They had designed from scratch many ground breaking jets that were as innovative as they were beautiful. The SAAB 94 sports car was never sold in any commercial numbers I don't think more than 5 were made.
The most glaring claim about the 1968 SAAB 99 being equipped with a number of different 2 and 4 stroke engines is just ludicrous. They were test running their drivetrain prototype called the Toad, a 6" sheet metal spacer welded in place into a cut down the middle of a 96. The 99 had one basic I-4 cylinder engine design that was evolved out of a Triumph slant 4 used in the TR7, carried over to the 900. It did have a freewheel in the first models. In my opinion the Taunus V4 was not a great engine. Too heavy and got poor gas mileage.
Find the book "40 years of SAAB Automobiles" My 1962 96 had a receipt from Kurt Vonnegut's SAAB dealership in the glove box.
I owned and enjoyed a 1998 SAAB 900T 2 door with a 5-speed manual. Still one of the best cars I ever owned, and I got my license in 1978. Very fun to drive, some unique quirkiness which I liked, and I ran it up to 170,000 without a lot of repairs. Held up against New York snow, salt and potential rust. My brother even bought a 9-3 convertible which he enjoyed. I would have bought another, but, well you know.
Great video. Thanks
It's amazing how many companies Government Motors has destroyed. Most recently Holden.
The Saab was an extremely innovative automobile. Swedish neighbors of mine had a 1964 Saab 96. It had lap, and shoulder belts. I believe that they added boron to the steel bodies to stiffen them up, I believe that Volvo did the same, about that time, ensuring a safer vehicle, especially in a rollover accident, as well. As a kid I rode in it several times in the front passenger seat. I loved the way that my friends' dad drove that car. It handled extremely well, and drove like it was a sports car. The sound, and the smell of the car was unique as well. When I think of the GM partnership, I think that a quote from the Simpson's is apropos: "What do you expect from a heartless multinational corporation".
The bullnosed 2 cycles especially with a later, perky 50+ horse engine were incredible little go-karts, cornered nearly flat and stuck to the road like glue.
You are correct about the shoulder belts, I think that Saab and Volvo were the only '60s cars with them. The body was indeed stiff. I rolled one, the windshield remained intact and the doors opened and closed afterward. No injury as I had my should belt on. Drove it around for a few month as I could not afford body work for awhile.
I owned three Saabs back in the eighties; a red 900,a red 900S and a silver 9000s. Loved each one of them. The 9000S was a rocket ship! Fun days back then. The company I worked at the time gave me a generous monthly car allowance. Retired in 2013 now driving a Porsche 987 and a Land Rover. Life’s been good. Still miss my Saabs.
When I turned 18, in 1978, I realized a dream, that is, I got a 1969 Saab 96 which I adored. In 1985, after finishing my BFA from Rhode Island School of Design, I was about to move to NY for my MFA, and there was no need for a car there. So I put my faded blue jeans blue Saab for sale, and two students became immediately interested, so, what happened next was amazing; they got in a bidding war, that raised my intended sale price to above the value I'd paid for the car eight years before! And in those 8 years, I basically spent money on 8 sets of tyres, 4 shocks, oil, gas, and brake pads, nothing else! I loved that car so much, and it only bought me joy. And a bit of profit too... : ⁰ )
Great history video on Saab. I owned 99, 900s, and 9000s. Yes, from Northern New England. These front wheel drivers were better trackers in snow than most current AWD vehicles. Never had squeaks or rattled, zoomed along quietly with four bangers, best seats outside of French Citreons and Peugeots, and stick shifts. Handling was superb, great headroom, tons of storage and ugly handsome, especially those with clamshell hoods. No excess. Sweden was truly the king of cars.
I'd rate seats of the Saab 9000 that I had as much better than every Citroen and Peugeot seat I've sat it.
I think that you will find that the Saab 99 was only offered with a slant 4-cylinder 4-stroke engine. The original slant 4 being built under licence from Triumph of the UK. This engine evolved over the years before it was eventually phased out for GM corporate engines. The 95 and 96 started with the 2-stroke and then moved to the Ford of Germany sourced V4 which was also used in the Sonnet 3. You appear to have some overlaps of information and time lines and mixed information The pictures also often do not align with a lot of the commentary. I have owned 8 Saabs over the years, starting with a 1980 Saab 99 Turbo and ending with a 2005 Saab 9-5 Aero Hirsch SportWagon.
In 1979 I was living in Omaha Ne. Spotted a 1969 Saab Sonnet 97 I believe the serial # was 169. It came from Tuson AZ. I paid I think $1500 for it ran pretty good. Germany Ford V4 industrial engine 1500cc? The engine had a conter-rotating shaft so it was very smooth. The hood was long to accommodate the engine being in front of the transaxle the extra weight on the front wheels was a good thing great in the snow studded tires meant you go about anywhere. The weak link was the freewheeling coupling I don't think they up graded the unit when they went from 3cyl to the V4 it would strip the teeth or shear the input shaft. The gearshift was located on the steering column 4 speed. Being a unibody no frame when it subcame to salt the rust was the end of it. Love driving that car wasn't not
a hotrod but handle perfectly.
Rover engines I recall.
I loved SAAB and 240 Volvos.
Best cars ever made.
@@MitzvosGolem1 The slant 4 was the a Triumph engine, the same as in the Triumph Dolomite which then was also half the V8 in the Triumph Stag.This was shortly before the formation of British Leyland, which would then bring Triumph and Rover into the same company.
You are correct, the engine was the same as the Dolomite and had 'Stanpart' on the engine castings. The V4 was a Ford unit. This film sort of overlooked the chronology of these transitions.
I loved the video.
I still have my Saab 9000 CDE in black and i love it.
Interesting video, thanks for putting it together.
I dunno man GM is KING when it comes to killing good cars !
Case in point: I am owner of a rarely seen scarce GM Buick, 2018 Regal TourX Wagon.
Aka Opel Insignia in Europe, this was imported for just 3 years into the USA.
It's a midsize to large (4,000#) AWD 5 door wagon with GMs excellent turbo LTG 2.0 (300HP).
Competitive with Volvo V70 Wagon / Subaru Outback / Mercedes Benz E class wagon - it's a FABULOUS car, few have seen.
GM only imported / sold about 8-10,000 Nationwide - a mere "drop in the bucket".
I've only ever seen 3 others in 2 years of ownership.
So this German / GM of Europe Opel wagon - it also came as a "Sport back" hatchback - was a hidden GM gem that NEVER got advertised or promoted by GM.
Even our local Buick dealer was ignorant of this TourX Wagon model - in mid 2019 I saw one in our small town & snapped pictures - did instant CZcams research - saw all the reviews - some UK & European & Australian too.
Walked into their showroom & said "show me this Regal TourX Wagon" - sales guy replied, "what's that ?"
He'd NEVER seen one - did have & sell the TourX Sport back model - but was clueless it was a German made by Opel product !
Anyhow - the model is a fab car - it replaces my excellent but aging 2000 e320 Mercedes Wagon - but true to form, GM - Buick failed to market this great car.
It has a cult following in the USA & has been sold for over a decade in Europe / UK & down under as the Holden Commodore.
SAAB aficionados are not alone - sorry GM killed your brand - !
I can't believe you made this video without mentioning the engine placement and the front wheel drive.
Thank you for these videos !!
These were very popular in Minnesota back in the day. The early ones were truly bad cars, not nearly as good as, say, a falcon of the era. A 2-cycle motor (without automatic oil injection) was a reliability and emissions disaster. The transmission freewheeling 'feature' was needed because on a long downhill run, when the car's weight is pushing the car, the engine would be starved of lubricating oil since there was no gas going through it. The 'freewheeling' was illegal in some states because of the lack of engine braking in the drum brakes era. But they learned and made some wonderful and innovative designs later on when American cars were mostly devoid of creativity.
My family ran the hell out of those 2-strokes daily. My father & two older brothers.
Occasional head gasket was about it.
Americans just couldn't seem to wrap their heads around a 2-cycle engine.
I ran the V-4s and had almost zero problems ever, and they were all old used cars when we got them. Just got rusty, like any old car in New England!
My father had an East-German Wartburg 353 with a 2-stroke, 3-cylinder engine, 1000 cc. It had the freewheeling coupling, so the driver would accelerates then release the pedal. The engine runs at idle while the car keeps going on inertia. This was a kind of "pulse driving", quite annoying if you were used with 4 stroke engines, but saved gas and engine wear.
The freewheel really helped when the 2 stroke engine seized up, not an uncommon occurrence, especially in the mid '60s cars that had 3 carburetors. I remember the local Saab dealer had a wreck in the back lot caused by an engine seizure with the lockout engaged. The Shrike engine was a real issue.
@@GaryL3803 Yet at the same time They won a great many races. Again, my guess is it came down to the normals not being able to handle the quirkiness.
Funny in all the years I owned my 2 cycles I never once was stopped or cited for having a freewheel in my cars, and two of them were premixers. So the only time they were a "reliability and emissions disaster was if some dumbass poured the premix oil into the freshly filled tank and didn't stir the gas up by briskly taking it through a few rough alleyways. My cars were very, very reliable, moreso than the 1966 VW Beetle I had owned 10 years previously. They required some forethought and a change in how you fueled them, they weren't for stupid people.
GM did kill SAAB, GM is now killing GM!
I had a 1995 SAAB 99. It was probably the most comfortable car I've ever driven. It had heated seats and I believe heated steering wheel. A great car for our long Canadian winters. The engine needed the timing chain replaced but otherwise was reliable. Eventually the bottom of the doors which curved under the body rusted out from all the salt on our winter roads.
I used to live in the UK and between 1985 and 2001 I owned four SAAB 900 Turbos, the second last being a black 900 Aero and the final model of the classic 900 shape. Then came the 'new' 900 Turbo based around the Vauxhall Cavalier floorpan, but with the option of the innovative 'Sensonic' gear change. This was a normal 5 speed manual gear change, but with no clutch pedal. I loved it. I bought the car new in 1994 and, 6 months later, took it Abbot Racing in Suffolk to be chipped and have the the suspension modified. I loved driving it and it never let me down once. I gave the car to my son in 2001 and bought a Honda S2000. I now live in a remote area of southwest France and, amazingly, there are two SAAB 900 convertibles in the area; I saw one of them just yesterday 🙂
When I was pre-teen, my stepfather traded in my mother's awesome 56 Chrysler for a Renault Dauphin. 6 kids and stepfather in that. A bit cramped. When the rusted out underpinnings gave out, he replaced it with a beige SAAB. Bumbummmbedebummbum. That was the sound it made, being a 2 cycle. Welll... One summer, my brother and I returned from summer in Florida, and we were going to leave for the 2nd half of summer, on a trip to Yellowstone, and all the national parks between Michigan and Yellowstone. What? Where's the SAAB? In its place was a huge land barge, a 63 Pontiac Catalina. Apparently, stepfather had had enough of small, imported cars. He bought regular American cars from then on.
❤Wow, '56 Chrysler! What a thing of beauty that was! Our family had a '56 Plymouth station wagon (3 speed column shift) with a luggage rack. We had that thing for years!😂
I almost bought a SAAB 96 with the 2-stroke engine from a classmate in 1970. I fell in love with the make but didn't buy one until 1977. It was a 1968 Gold Sonnet II with the V-4 engine. Serial Number 933. It had a 4-speed transmission with the shifter on the steering column. One thing it could do very well was turn a corner. It was a riot to drive on the curvy roads of Northern California.
The column shift on the Sonett V4 and the 95/96 cars was far superior to the cobbled-up floor shift on the Sonett III. Two universal joints and straight into the selectors. Moving it to the floor was Madison-Avenue mistake. All kinds of flimsy brackets and rods.
Damn. Amazing editing and storytelling. I knew how the story turned out, but this was very well explained.
Amazing video. Thanks fo making it
There is also one Saab 9000 V8. It's a prototype made in Finland by Valmet automotive in 1989. The plan was to please the U.S. customers who was used to V8 sound and torque. The engine is made basicly from two 2l 16valve Saab engines. As soon it was ready the GM came and cancelled the project for some reason. There is a couple videos of it in youtube.
:'-(
My uncle bought a new Saab every year in the late 50s for just 200 dollars and the old car. Then you had to put oil into the gas. These were the cars that most people drove on the ice of lakes in races in the winter. A car way ahead of its time. They also had pockets on the doors to put things in.
I learned a lot about Saab today. Thanks. Subscribed
no, sadly, you did not. this video was so full of factual errors and incorrect information and actually lies that you should not have watched it.
I'm still p***** that Pontiac was cut. I've never owned or drove a Saab. But I always thought they looked really cool. That disaster of 08 was a sword through the heart of so many great car manufacturers.
I've owned several 900 Turbos. So fun, so practical and super easy to tune for stupid power. Probably the most unique modern car ever sold in America.
Great video. Thanks 👍
Thanks for a great video! I had a 1984 900 3-door and a 1995 900 5-door. I absolutely loved those cars!
Saab's downfall was being in bed with GM
No, the whole reason Saab needed to be sold to GM was because they had already had their downfall. It was an unsustainable business in a world where they suddenly had global competition in the auto industry. Competitors had built up far larger customer bases and benefitted much more from economies of scale.
Others made better cars too: Saabs cost far more to build and yet they weren't good enough to warrant a price that was meaningfully higher than the simplest and cheapest cars made by competitors. Saabs competed against proper RWD cars with better engines in price, but their quality (aside from maybe a few surface details) was more in line with the other cheaper-category FWD cars.
@@pistonburner6448 According to who, you? SAAB's quality didn't go downhill until they got involved with GM. GM also ruined a few other automotive companies that now no longer exist.
@@sergeantmasson3669 What do you mean with 'quality'?
Why was Saab sold to GM if it was so fantastic?
@@pistonburner6448 Initially, GM was not fully involved, once the GM crap parts were in SAAB, SAAB quality went downhill.
@@pistonburner6448 Wrong i'm swedish, they were doing just fine before GM, in fact they would've made it on their own if they kept it at the pace they did. As soon as GM came into the picture everything started going downhill.
My 9.5 HOT Aero estate (2005 pre-facelift) was a superb car. Lovely engine, so solid on the road but really quick across country and an excellent load carrier. I sold it for £1,500 with 175,000 miles on the clock, 85,000 driven by me over five years. Replaced it with a 2010 Merc E350CGI estate which has done 100,000 miles in eight years (180,000 in total). Difficult to choose between the two.
That was an excellent glimpse into saab's history. Thank you
SUPERB ! Thank You !
Nice research finding a time period correct photo of the Second Chamber of the Swedish Parliament Building, it was used as an assembly hall for the parliament in those times but haven't had that use since the early seventies. That's dedication to the arts finding that stuff!
Makes sense, with all the important decisions are made in Brussels and DC there's no real need for it anymore.
@@KrolKaz He could've used pics of the new assembly hall which was finished in the early eighties, is all I'm saying. Digging up time period correct pics is good journalism.
What was not mentioned or publicly known was that Saab approached Ford of Europe in 1984 with a view of a JV venture, with a potential for Ford to eventually acquire it. A due diligence was performed by Ford of Europe and an announcement to the press was even prepared. A sudden strategic redirection by Ford resulted in Ford acquiring Jaguar, which at that time was in advanced negotiations with GM. That resulted in Saab approaching GM instead, and the rest is history!
I bought a used 9-5 (2004?) for my son as a safe car to take to college. I remember it as having a very comfortable ride, nice features and being pretty reliable.
Very nice!
You make really good documentary. Thank you for the knowledge about the company.
I owned and maintained both a 900S and a 900turbo. Unusual automobiles. The forward facing drive shafts, the clutch assemblies, the electrical systems, the part identification system. Very advanced, but quirky. The transmission in The automatically by Borg Warner was not up to the torque output of the 900. The manual transmission shifted only after saying a prayer. Still, I loved these cars. The not so silent silent chain that connected the engine to the tranny made such a sweet wine, along with the turbo. Those days are gone.
My 1987 SAAB 900S bleed fluids, odd parts breaking, couldn't get parts, long wait for parts to be shipped from Sweden. Loved the safety, look and quirkiness, but after several years of pain, I donated the car to a charitable company. I learned that my sob (saab) story was all too familiar with other owners.
My first car was a 1960 SAAB - 3-cylinder 2-stroke with 38 hp, then I got a 1996 SAAB GT Monte Carlo - what wunnerful cars they were.
Growing up I had a neighbor, Al, an aviation engineer for GE, that bought SAABs from the 60's through the 70's. As a kid, the coolest car I had ever seen, with suicide doors, and dash mounted rearview mirror. So tiny, compared to the steel monsters US automakers were selling! This is a shame. GM bought an apple, and left it to rot.
Excellent narrative. Thank you. Saab, like many other niche brands, are killed off when large competitors take them over hoping to inherit their uniqueness. Never happens.
Was hoping to see a mention of the V4
Such a needed video. Excellent. I remember them well. Then suddenly they didn't exist. Never understood why.
The placement of the key in 69-94 900’s was great! No hamburgered knee in an accident, like on other cars. They had an interlock with the transmission with it locking up in reverse thereby making it harder to steal. Finally, it was ergonomically correct, just reaching your hand down was more natural than sticking the key in the side of the steering wheel.
The placement of the ignition switch near the gear shift did not start with the 900 model. I had a 1973 99e and the ignition switch was by the gear shift.
@@SawtoothMan He's kinda correct as the 99 model was first sold in 1969, I owned a 1970 EMS, very perky with the B engine. Not everyone knows of the notchback model 99 as the later 99 hatchbacks tended to look very similar to the later 900s, from the 99 Turbo forward.
TOTALLY TRAGIC! I’ve owned one and drove it until it had about 77,000 miles.. it had awesome pickup and go and I can’t imagine it being able to be stolen not only because it was a manual but you had to put it in reverse to get the key out and the key was down by the stick shift. Drove it all around the Bay Area from 97-00 Was my first car.
GM really had a weird strategy they thought that if you put a different badge on a car people would think it was a different car. It was devastating for a brand like Saab that built on the car being different from other cars.
Spiker's attempt was honorable, but I think most people knew from the beginning that it would fail. A very small company buys up a much larger one that comes with large running costs, it would have taken a lot of financial muscle to turn the company around. In fact, Koenigsegg looked at buying Saab, but they backed out for that very reason.
Before Saab was sold to GM, Fiat was also involved as a potential buyer, who knows, maybe Saab would have still existed then?
I had completely forgotten about Saab cars. I never knew their background and history. This video was definitely interesting and informative. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
SAAB and BMW were the hip cars of the '80's. I was surprised as our family had SAAB's in the '70's and most thought they were weird...
A real Saab story. I’ll be here all weekend.
Not mentioned the 4 cylinder V4 engines for the 96?
It's a Ford (Taunus m20) engine!
I pulled and tore down the V-4 in my 1968 Sonnet II. The parts had FoMoCo stamped on them.
Not SAAB's best engine choice, it's really heavy and they basically slowly destroyed the 2 cycle rated transmission when driven by clumsy, right footed Americans with the freewheel working. Final/differential drive replacement crownrings and pinions were getting really hard to find back in the early 90's.
@@Mondo762 You don't need to tear it down. It says FoMoCo on the dipstick.
@@Mondo762 I believe the car designated Sonnet II was the first production model, with the two-stroke engine. I believe your car was actually designated the Sonett V4. The redesigned body with the tiny engine hatch (and the second car after the Volvo 1800ES to have a rimless hatchback) was the Sonett III, with the stupid floor-shift.
My 2000 9-3, every GM part in it failed at least twice in 3 years. Once fixed for the last time, I sold it
Your storytelling and editing are excellent. I really like this channel.
I absolutely love Saabs. Owned a ‘91 900S and was amazed how reliable and safe it was. Even in 8” of unplowed snow, when other cars were stuck, it was as if was in It’s element. Presently I own an ‘02 9-3 convertible and wouldn’t trade it for anything. It still turns heads and am often receiving compliments. Though parts are available, there remains a wait, but it’s so worth it! They’re a pleasure to drive!
It sounds like the narrator alludes to SAAB stoped making aircraft to focus on cars but that's not true. They still make aircraft and is the 39th largest defense contract globally.
Error - In 1987, SAAB reached a record high of 134,000 cars produced.
The only year Saab made a profit was 1995.
I had a 1983, absolutely loved it.
My very first car after passing the driving test was a Saab. A nice shiny 99. I loved it so much that I only bought Saabs for many years after. I particularly liked my 900 turbo and my 9000S 😍.
Excellent
I worked at the SAAB factory in Arlöv, Malmö back in 1989.
We produced the poorest quality of cars and the people working there were more interested in stealing stuff and calling in sick than making good cars. No wonder they later failed. I would never have bought a car from that factory.
My father was a SAAB man, I learnt to drive in a Citroên, and I'm currently driving a Mazda without a roof. All of them innovative challenging car companies. Sadly it's only Mazda left in that group as far as I'm concerned. RIP SAAB
Thank you very much for your Saab video.
Lots of interesting facts, to the ordinary viewers. For me, grown up in the Saab town, there are several time-line errors and lack of facts.
Anyhow, as an overhelming dokument it is nice to watch.
tack för en bra video. ty for amazing video always fun see history of saab im personal have start like old saab from 1950-1978- thanks for saab using other brand in production its possibly to keep them old cars going😀
Glad you enjoyed
I remember reading an article written by a Swede. It said that the Swedish knew that SAAB was the best car in the world. Unfortunately the rest of the world didn't agree!
Another Sad Saab story from me. In1968, I bought a '65/ 2 stroke fast back . I drove it adding 30,000 miles until 1980 .The heavily salted roads of Minnesoda,, the body was being fixed with sheet metal , parts were bought from other Saab lovers. Minnesoda being the land of over berrrring regulations it didn't pass the clean air act. Had to get a used Ford... Moved to upper Peninsula Mich. The Saab came with in a truck, it would start no matter if it was 20 below. The axel was rusting and tie bars were too. Sold it to a mechanic who refit pieces, until it was to rusted. It will always be my favorite
I owned a 1989 model SAAB 900 2 door, and a 1993 model SAAB 9000 5 door. They were both very good vehicles, but by the time I owned them, they were around 20 years old, and of course had a number of problems. The 9000 had a huge amount of space, both inside and within the luggage area. Guess what? It was green. It was a pity that such an innovative company died the way it did. At least it was good that it didn't fall into Chinese hands, as has happened with Volvo.
I was very much into cars in the 1970s and Volvo made a strong selling-point of their safety features - very similar to the features mentioned in this video. SAAB responded with similar advertising. I've learned in this video that the features had been there a long time, and it was only the advertising which changed in response to Volvo. The two brands had very similar "luxury" features, such as the comfortable seats. Overall, the two brands were competing for the same customers (ie. top end, but wanting quality over "show"), and with the choice being a matter of personal preference.
I mention this because with Sweden and Norway being next door to each other, it is very likely that the SAAB and Volvo designs were heavily influenced by each other, in a friendly "competition". Possibly they exchanged engineering know-how in a bid make them both more competitive with other countries.
I'd love to know how SAAB and Volvo evolved in the same direction in the 60s and 70s!
My dad had a 96 and a 99, great video by the way
Saab-Valmet was established in 1968 as a joint venture of Finnish Valmet and Swedish Saab-Scania. The automotive plant was placed in Uusikaupunki Finland, and assembled only Saabs for the first eleven years. The deal was that Valmet made one third of all Saabs. The Saab 900 Cabriolet, which the video also fails to mention, was designed by Saab-Valmet in Finland. GM tried to run down the factory in Finland but ended up losing the battle. Valmet's factory is still working in Uusikaupunki.
Well done! I learned much even though I'm swedish :)
I always respected SAABs in the mid 70s through early 80s. Just graduated from college and I aspired to trade my Opal GT to a SAAB but I noticed a change. One it wasn't a uncommon anymore. And there was something I couldn't put my my hand on. Settled for a new Subaru. 😊
I bought a 1978 - 99 combi ....in 1988 .... And drove it for 12 years . Had one engine rebuild and 278000 miles when the engine blew ....by then I had ridden in a SUBARU AWD ...That was it for my SAAB ...
My last saab 9-3 (2002) was basically a vauxhall vectra
I accidentally discovered and fell in love with Saab and met many friends and had awesome adventures because of it.
I used to own a Saab 900. I bought it in 1995. Best car I have owned. Very, very practical design; you could drive it like a sports car or as I used to joke, use it to move houses. And I loved the feature that lets you turn off all lights in the cockpit except the speedometer and the fuel gauge. Best feature I have seen in a car, it was very good for night driving.
I had a 1958 Saab 93. It had the coast downhill feature; a radiator front cover that you could pull up from inside the car when it was cold; 3 cylinder 2 stroke; front wheel drive; extremely original and innovative. I bought it used for, i think, $225, Kept it a year or two, and sold it at a profit. I don't recall putting a penny into it for repairs.
I still remember a piece of Sasb literature from the 1960's entitled a Saab story which I liked.
I loved my 1976 99. Fuel injection, large front wheel drive - perfect for Minnesota snowy winters. And it was cool, strong, and utilitarian.
In the 1980s, the 900S had 55 horepower per liter; the 900 Turbo, 68. Back then, those numbers were class-leading.
I once saw an all-black 900 Turbo with smoked glass and black wheels, driven by a pretty Black woman. I'll never forget her vanity license plate: "I BITE".
In April of 1964 I bought a new Saab 93 from Fergus Motors in Manhattan. It wasn't Green, Gray-Green, or Tan. It was Dark Blue. I loved it. I lived in Manhattan and street-parked. If memory serves it was 2-1/2" shorter than a VW Beetle. It could hold 4 adult males with 4 sets of golf clubs in the trunk. I wish I still had it!
Fantastic cars, I have had 3 of them.
Sad ending to a great brand by bean counters of a larger visionless conglomerate!
R. I. P. SAAB 🙏
I dad a Saab once, A 9.5. Nice to drive, when it ran. It was always in the shop. The most memorable was when it hat to be towed back to the dealer 1 day after being serviced! Fortunately I leased it and after 3 years that was the end of my Saab story.
I owned both a 900 sedan and 9-3 convertible. I preferred the 900 sedan. Felt that 900 was more unique and solid.
The biggest tragedy is that Saab rejected a proposed merger with Volvo in the late 70's. One can imagine a world where Volvo had received help from Saab to develop their Galaxy platform. Then neither the Volvo 850 or second generation Saab 900 would've had the issues they ended up having. Perhaps both brands could've broadened their lineups. Perhaps we would've seen a new Amazon and Sonett in the late 90's?
Hyundai is the SAAB of the 1990's, the Elantra and Accent were their best cars of that time. Hands down. I'd love to have the 1.5 OHC Accent engine in my old 71 99, it's such a willing little engine, and 5 speeds.
I owned 2 Saab 9000s non turbo and sold bothe at 360000 im and 361000 km. Great cars, never had some issues. I loved the smooth drive, the great interior, the very good mpg and not last the reliability! GM was definitely the wrong path for Saab, not sure if there were another better one.
I worked for a Saab dealership in Cardiff, Wales - Saab was built usig steel produced in Wales.
Whoever makes a deal with GM, knows it is a scapegoat for their mistakes, thus the so many bankruptcies GM caused.
RIP SAAB, Pontiac and many others.