Another Saab mashup on the streets

May 24, 2011 10:05 Line

By: Swade

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It’s always interesting to see what sort of Saab-related oddities are out there in the world.

Last week it was the SaabViper making big waves on the internet – a Saab 9-3 SportCombi with a Dodge Viper engine.

This week, it’s something quite different……

It seems this Jeep CJ5 is the latest Saab mashup to get noticed. The car appeared at the Carlisle Import and Kit Nationals event staged last weekend in Pennsylvania. It’s a big gathering of vehicles from all around the United States and Saab always has a massive presence there.

Visitors to this year’s Carlisle show might have been a bit puzzled when they saw the Jeep parked amongst all the Swedish metal. All was made clear, though, when they looked under the hood.

From a little reading around the web, it seems the owner of the vehicle had a Jeep with no working engine, and a Saab engine laying around without a body. Why not bring them together?

The engine is a 2.3turbo and the Jeep is rear-wheel-drive.

My thanks to Mark M and Jim C for the images. More can be seen over at Thor’s Saabs @ Carlisle pages.

We’ll have more from Saabs @ Carlisle later. It looks like people had a great time there.

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Saab Zero Emissions EV fleet under construction

May 23, 2011 16:33 Line

By: Swade

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The Saab 9-3 ePower Concept was first introduced at the Paris Motor Show in September 2010. Now, a fleet of vehicles based on that concept is under construction at Saab’s factory in Trollhattan.

Off to the side of Saab’s main production line is a room called Frickeboa, which is a multi-purpose facility that we’ll learn a bit more about in future entries on this site. Think of it as a combination of a prototype production line and training facility.

Right now, Frickeboa is being used to hand build Saab’s test fleet of zero emissions vehicles. The particular vehicles you can see in this article are intended to be used for validation testing inside the company. The final fleet vehicles will go out later this year and be used extensively by a select group of drivers, with feedback from the process being used to further improve the technology.

The Saab 9-3 ePower, the basis for these test vehicles, uses a lithium-ion battery pack and a new, advanced battery management system to deliver 200 kilometers of zero-emissions driving with the convenience of a full sized family wagon.

The Saab ePower is the first electric vehicle from Saab and is a result of a co-operation between Saab Automobile, Boston Power (batteries), Electroengine in Sweden AB (battery management system), Innovatum (project management), Power Circle (Sweden’s electric power industry trade organization) and the Swedish Energy Agency (partial financing).

Here’s a look at what’s happening on the build right now…

Saab 9-3 SportCombi bodies awaiting their fit-out as zero emissions electric vehicles.

Parts awaiting fitment are stored off to the side of the Frickeboa production line. Each crate has a label denoting an individual ZE vehicle from the production run.

A couple of vehicles on the line…… think of Frickeboa as a smaller, but fully functional version, of the main production line.

And a closer view of the same vehicle…..

A view of the battery case inside the vehicle. It goes down the middle of the car, allowing for optimal weight distribution and forms a divider between the two rear seats.

And a view from the rear of the car….

The cars take almost two weeks to build by hand at Frickeboa and come out as complete vehicles, just like off the real line.

The Saab 9-3 ePower transmission gearshift in detail…..

A look at the battery pack in a mostly-finished interior…..

And the finishing touch……

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Category: Inside Saab Automobile Post a Comment (42)

Bob Sinclair on the birth of the Saab Convertible

May 23, 2011 13:08 Line

By: Swade

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Saab are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Saab Convertible this year. Today we take a peek into to the development of this model, one that was so unexpected from a Swedish company.

The guy generally credited with the birth of the Saab Convertible is Bob Sinclair. ‘Uncle Bob’ joined Saab in 1958 and later in his career – after a stint at Volvo Cars USA – he was the head of Saab in the US when the convertible was developed. Bob is one of the most revered figures in Saab’s history, presiding over 60 continuous months of sales growth during the 1980s and remembered for his straight talking, have-fun way of getting things done. Bob passed away in May 2009 and his passing left a huge legacy for people who care about Saab and their prosperity.

I was very fortunate to spend some time with Bob at his home in Santa Barbara back in January 2008, on my way to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. A few months later, we recorded an interview on Skype and during that interview, Bob gave his recollection of the development of the Saab Convertible.

Following is a transcript of that segment of the conversation (from 14:20 in the film, below). The full interview is available via video, below the transcript.

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SW: I guess people like to hear the convertible story….

Bob: Hmm. Where to start on that one?

The US market was rocking and rolling by about 1983 or so. Saab was having some difficulty in what you might call the ‘lower discretionary income markets’. The Scandinavian markets, the Netherlands – countries that had difficult economies. The pressure from the European markets was to come out with a lower priced car, whereas I was pushing Saab upmarket, adding more content etc – they were two diametrically opposed directions when it comes to product development.

I was called over to Sweden with my sales manager and my marketing manager. We met with all of our colleagues from different markets around Europe and we were shown a 2-door sedan that had been stripped – it had no equipment whatsoever. It had stamped steel wheels, it didn’t have tinted glass, it didn’t have anything. It had wind-up windows, no central locking, no sound system…. and each market was asked how many of these they wanted.

The lowest discretionary income markets thought it was wonderful, the middle markets were in the middle and I thought it was an anathema. I said I didn’t want any at all.

Read more →

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Press Release: Pang Da Enters Procedure Discussions With Chinese Authorities To Obtain Necessary Regulatory Approvals For Investment In Spyker And Saab Automobile

May 23, 2011 9:10 Line

By: Swade

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23 May 2011

Trollhättan, Sweden – Spyker Cars N.V. (Spyker) and Saab Automobile AB (Saab Automobile) confirm that Pang Da Automobile (Pang Da) has entered procedure discussions with Chinese authorities, including the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), to obtain regulatory approvals for the investment in Spyker and Saab Automobile. Spyker Cars is to be renamed Swedish Automobile N.V. shortly. The general meeting of shareholders has decided so.

Victor Muller, CEO of Spyker and Saab Automobile, said: “Based on our discussions with Pang Da we are confident that Pang Da will get the regulatory approvals needed to formalize the deal. I am very much looking forward to creating a strong business with Pang Da, initially in the distribution and subsequently in the manufacturing of Saab vehicles in China. What needs to be pointed out is that Pang Da’s advance payment and sales of imported Saab cars are not subject to approval from the NDRC. The first advance payment of EUR 30 million was received last Tuesday.”

Mr. PANG Qinghua, CEO of Pang Da, said: “The initial procedure discussions we have had with the NDRC were done in good spirit and all parties have a good understanding of the process going forward. We remain convinced that we will be able to get all the necessary documentation and approvals to successfully complete the transactions and look forward to our visit at Saab Automobile’s headquarters in Trollhättan, Sweden, later this week.”

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Poll follow-up: New classic Saabs

May 22, 2011 21:36 Line

By: Swade

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Last week I posted a poll on to this site, asking you which classic Saab you’d like to buy today if you could flick a switch and have Saab produce it new from the factory.

800+ votes later, the result is clearly ambiguous. That’s mostly my fault, because I included two versions of what is essentially the same car in the poll – the first of the Saab 900 16v cars (with the flat nose) and the later Saab 900 SPG.

Here are the raw results of the poll….

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As you can see, the raw results indicate first place for to the classic Saab 99 Turbo.

If you look at second and third place however, the Saab 900 T16S and SPG both had strong support and I that compels me to name the Saab 900 classic versions as the poll winner.

As much as I like the 99T and would love to flick the switch on that one myself, the results are difficult to ignore (even if it’s quite debatable as to whether it should be a slant-nose or flat-nose model that should be revisited according to the popular vote).

So, 900-lovers, if we ever find that magic switch, you can rest assured that I’ll be providing these poll results as evidence as to what we should do with it.

As my old mate ‘Eggs’ is fond of saying – Vive la 900!

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And for what it’s worth, my vote went to the 99T and my preference out of the two winners would be for the flat-nosed, early 900 T16S.

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Saabosphere – Saab links we liked this week

May 21, 2011 7:38 Line

By: Swade

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It’s time for our weekly round-up of Saab stories that caught our eye this week.

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Back at Easter time, I visited the Bilsport custom car show at Elmia, Jönkoping. At that particular show, I took this particular photograph…..

That’s a Saab 9-3 SportCombi body fitted to the chassis of a Dodge Viper. Of course, it was just one photo amongst many and didn’t grab too much attention.

It seems someone has passed the story of this radical project around, however. It was picked up by Jalopnik early in the week and has spread like wildfire around the internet since then. Those of you with Swedish reading skills (or Google Translate) can also read the Saab 9-3 / Viper V10 build thread.

I’ve recently met one of the guys involved in the project and am hoping to see more of this vehicle’s development in the near future. I know it’s not a “Saab Saab” but there’s something very alluring about the whole thing, isn’t there?

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Whilst we might be indifferent towards the song, this Saab video mashup was most enjoyable.

Kudos to Saablime (and ps…. he’s also done a really cool 99Turbo video that fans of the model will love, too)

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I felt incredibly proud when I read this letter/editorial at Dagens Industri on Friday.

Saab has been analysed by just about every analyst on the planet in the last few months. It was nice to see the company respond with a well-reasoned and inspiring piece of writing.

Those without Swedish skills will need to copy and paste the text into an online translator.

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I linked to Jalopnik earlier in this entry. Here’s another one.

Their Question of the Day today is What’s the most iconic turbocharged car?

They answer it themselves before opening comments for others to contribute. Thankfully, their self-provided answer is the correct one :-)

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Teknikens Varld is a Swedish technology magazine and they’ve recently published a special magazine all about Saab.

Saabworld has a good overview for those who don’t read Swedish.

The magazine costs only 99SEK and is available from the teknikens website.

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A late addition…..

Ezra Dyer has another enjoyable article over at Automobile Magazine.

He single-handedly explains why many road tests are irrelevant, as well as making up a new saying – “As comfy as a Swede riding shotgun” – based on his experience in a Saab.

I’ve always loved his work. This is a good example as to why.

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Celebrating the Saab Convertible – Part 1

May 20, 2011 14:03 Line

By: Swade

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Saab are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the iconic Saab Convertible this year. And to help spread the love, we’re asking YOU to share your Saab convertible pictures and stories.

Our first entry in this series comes from Eelko B, in Holland, who has a stunning 1993 Saab 9-3 Convertible Turbo S which, as you’ll see below, is a true 4-seasons 4-seater.

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I bought the Saab almost 2 years ago now, in exchange for my 1993 900 TSR. I am the third owner. The man I bought it from had bought it from his father.

It is from May 1993 and was originally a light pressure turbo. It was a special in Belgium in the colour Aubergine Mica and had a full wooden interior, including on the center console.

The former owner converted the car into an full pressure turbo with some extra boost and gave it brakes from a Saab 9000. This was all done by the Dutch Saab-guru Peter Haaima. It drives spectacularly smooth with plenty of power. It also has a 3″JT exhaust, which gives the car a beautiful sound.

Why does the Saab Convertible have so much appeal for me?

Firstly, the 900 Classic is an iconic car with a beautiful design and of course it’s Turbo technic. It is remarkably reliable, it is well thought out (key, handbrake, etc) and it is known for its safety features. Add to all this the fact that is a convertible and you have the most sexy, reliable, safe, fast and distinguished car ever!

It is also very practical, since it is a full 4-seater with a huge trunk and its thick, all weather roof, so I drive it the whole year round as my daily drive. Anytime it’s 6 degrees or more (and dry) I put down the roof, turn on the heater and drive like a king!

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If you’d like to share your love for the Saab Convertible, please feel free to contact me and I’ll get in touch shortly.

My thanks to Eelko for kicking this series off in fine style.

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Saab at the 2011 Mille Miglia

May 20, 2011 9:09 Line

By: Swade

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Trollhättan, Sweden: The Mille Miglia is one of the highlights of the year for any car enthusiast. Fantastic cars, fantastic scenery and fantastic people. And at Saab Automobile, we live cars, so naturally we again competed in this year’s event after the 2010 edition saw Saab Automobile CEO and Chairman Victor Muller and former Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson taking the wheel of two Saab 93s.

For the 2011 edition, Saab brought three 93s to the Brescia starting line. The #331 car was driven by Mats Fägerhag, Saab Automobile’s Vice President Vehicle Product Development, with Peter Bäckström, Manager of the Saab Car Museum, sitting alongside. The #332 car was driven by Hans Hugenholtz, Chairman of Saab Automobile owner Spyker Cars N.V., and his wife Laurence. A third #333 car was entered and driven by long-time Belgian Saab importer Jacques Beherman, assisted by Umberto Stefani, External Affairs Director for Saab Belgium.

In preparing the Saab 93s for the event, the cars were kept as close as possible to the specification of the cars that competed in the old days. “We restored them to original condition, as near as possible, with the same materials and components that were used at that time,” says Peter Bäckström. “We’ve had to refurbish some of the interior trim and that was an interesting project for our colleagues in the prototype workshop at the factory. They were working with materials and build techniques that are no longer used, but they enjoyed the challenge.”

Click to see a feature on the restoration of the #331 Saab 93.

Keeping the cars in original condition also meant not improving them beyond their original trim. “For instance, with the technical knowledge we have these days, it would be quite easy to get some more power from the two-stroke engines, but that is not what we wanted to do,” says Bäckström. “In standard trim they produced about 33 hp and for competition use this was raised to about 50 hp. And that is what we had on the Mille Miglia.”

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An open letter from Saab Automobile

May 20, 2011 7:55 Line

By: Swade

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It would be a significant understatement to say that the last weeks have been challenging for Saab Automobile.

We are a car company. Designing and building distinctive cars according to a well honed, Swedish philosophy is what we do. And yet our production line – the beating heart of our company – has been idle for the last five weeks.

Though no-one’s fault but our own, we found ourselves in a cashflow crisis and unable to buy the parts we need to build our cars. This has hurt our dealers, our suppliers, our employees and many of our customers, a situation for which we are truly sorry. We want nothing more than to secure our financial position so that we can get to building cars again.

On May 3, we announced a deal with Hawtai Motor Group, a vehicle manufacturer from China. This deal would have included an ownership stake for Hawtai and significantly, an opportunity to develop Saab manufacturing in China, the new automotive frontier. This deal collapsed late last week due to an inability to secure the required regulatory approvals for it to proceed. This was a significant blow for us, however we persisted with partnership talks in China, which we see as an essential step in securing Saab’s future.

On May 16, we announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Pang Da Automobile Trade Co. Pang Da is the largest publicly traded sales and service distributor in the Chinese market, with over 1,100 outlets in China and Mongolia. The MoU includes strategic deals for distribution, branding and potential future joint ventures in manufacturing.

Perhaps even more importantly for our immediate future, Pang Da have placed an order for approximately 1,300 vehicles, with immediate payment to be made for these vehicles. A further order can be placed in the near term, subject to certain conditions.

This cash injection is important for Saab, not only as a vote of confidence in our brand portfolio, but also as a much-needed cash injection that will enable us to get our plant operational again.

With this and other cash injections in place, Saab Automobile will be well placed to initiate negotiations with our 1,200+ suppliers. These negotiations are intended to provide full payment for outstanding amounts at regular intervals and within a specified time period – and they are crucial to getting the supply chain moving, and our plant and our business operational once again.

Saab already has an order bank of nearly 5,000 vehicles for the Trollhättan factory. These are cars that are ordered and awaiting delivery to dealers and customers. These are cars that will see our cash position improve as soon as they leave the factory. We will also have the initial order from Pang Da to build, as well as the potential secondary order. These orders would take our order bank to well over 6,000 vehicles for our Swedish plant.

In addition, we are also pleased to report that orders of the new Saab 9-4x crossover vehicle are very strong, coming on the back of very favourable reviews from our recent Saab 9-4x press event in Washington DC. The Saab 9-4x is intended primarily for the North American market and US magazine, Winding Road, said “the driving dynamics of the 9-4x are positively brilliant”. The Saab 9-4x has also attracted praise from markets outside of North America. Robert Collin from Sweden’s Aftonbladet called it “the best Saab ever built”, noting the crucial role Saab played as the architects of the vehicle. The Saab 9-4x is indicative of the future for Saab Automobile. Dynamic. Exciting. Engaging.

In addition to the Saab 9-4x, the new Saab 9-3 Griffin range is the most fuel-efficient 9-3 range we’ve ever offered, featuring a diesel range specially developed to offer road tax advantages for a number of significant European markets. Our new 9-3 petrol engines offer the best combination of fuel efficiency and power in their class. We also have our new flagship Saab 9-5 Sedan and the all-new Saab 9-5 SportCombi coming later in 2011, which is going to deliver a new level of practicality to Saab 9-5 customers around the world.

Our vehicle range is constantly expanding and improving. More than that, we have new vehicles and groundbreaking innovations coming very soon, things that we believe will excite our customers everywhere. We are working on partnerships that will take us to new places, with new technologies to make driving safer, more enjoyable, more economical and more ecologically responsible.

The Saab Spirit that built this company remains strong and we cannot help but be excited by the future.

We thank you for your patience and we ask for your continued support.

Signed:

Kjell ac Bergström – Vice President Product Development Powertrain

Gunnar Brunius – Vice President Purchasing & Manufacturing

Mats Fägerhag – Vice President Vehicle Product Development

Matthias Seidl – Vice President Global Sales & Aftersales

Anders Svensson – Vice President Vehicle Lines

Knut Simonsson – Vice President Brand & Marketing

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Poll: If you could buy a brand new classic Saab…..

May 19, 2011 21:19 Line

By: Swade

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You don’t get to be as well-loved as what Saab is without having touched a few hearts over the years. Whilst we’re all about new Saabs here at Inside Saab, we know that inside the heart of any Saab enthusiast there’s a place for the classics.

This week’s poll therefore has a touch of nostalgia to it. What if you could flick a switch and get Saab to start building any of the historic models once again? Brand new cars, just as they were sold in the past but with brand new materials. Which model would you choose?

I’ve picked nine models from Saab’s previous generation vehicles for you to choose from. Vote for your favourite, or if you prefer something unlisted, let us know in comments.

Here’s the poll, and there’s a little about the chosen cars below…..

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Which classic Saab would you like to buy brand new today?

View Results

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Keep reading to check out a brief on all the individual cars in the poll……

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