Saab History

Swedish manufacturer Saab is known for two things - safety and astonishing innovation. Originally created as a division of the Swedish Aeroplane Company, the car production part of the company was born out of a need to innovate and expand into new markets.

In 1944, Project 92 began (marking a Saab tradition of always starting their car models with the number 9), with the intention of developing the first Saab passenger car. Five years later, the Saab 92 began production and showed clearly the company's birth in aviation. The car's drag coefficient of 0.30 was the lowest of any production car of its era.

It was this continual design and innovation that led to Saab achieving a huge list of firsts, including everything from asbestos-free brake pads, the world's first headlamp washers and pioneering groundbreaking technology such as producing a turbo engine with wastegate to control boost. Right up until 2008, Saab was still pushing the boundaries with Cross-wheel drive, an advanced, all-wheel drive system with eLSD.

The other major selling point for Saab was safety. Again born from its aircraft heritage, Saab threw out the rule book and repositioned the car ignition system on the floor, preventing leg injuries in the event of a collision as was common in many other makes. This also maximised space, making Saab cars roomier than their rivals.

Despite an incredible record for innovation, Saab has had a turbulent history and finally went into administration in 2009, when its American owners General Motors could no longer justify bailing out the ailing company. Saab finally closed in late 2009, but its legacy lives on, with Chinese manufacturer Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp now owning the intellectual property rights and equipment to continue production of the Saab 9-5 and 9-3 sedans. The company plans to integrate the technology and roll out 'Chinese' Saabs as early as 2011.