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Synchronized Saabing, Re-Imagined

 From left to right: Bia Feres and Branca Feres.

AND now for something completely different.

I’ve been jabbing at automakers and journalists all week long. So, I thought I’d give it a rest, sit back, and actually enjoy the subject I write on with such frequency.

Which leads me to synchronized swimming. Ever notice how the synchronized swimmers we’ve seen in old black and white films seem, somehow, frumpy? The standard of beauty in their day was radically different to what we’re accustomed to seeing now. That and those bathing caps…

And that’s fine.

On points, it takes nothing away from their gift. It’s just that many of us who aren’t caught up in the technique would be more involved if Bia and Branca Feres were the ones swimming (they’re on Brazil’s Olympic team).

In the same vein, I’m sure many women would be more engaged watching Brad Pitt review cars on the tube as opposed to yours truly.  And that’s fine, too.

So – when I watch the YouTube video “Saab Suite” (which I’ve posted on ADL some time back but can’t be arsed to find it) I  marvel at the technical prowess these 80’s Saab 9000s and their drivers exhibit.

It’s just that when I watch these grey box cars take such fast turns ’round cones with such fluid grace, I like to re-imagine the old hatchbacks as Aero X’s doing the same thing.

After all, standards of beauty have changed since 1987.

That said, the red 900 convertible that makes a fast cameo at 06:00 -what a fox she was in her day! Still is…come to think of it. Classic beauty never gets old.

Neither does this brilliant video ~

 

By Gunnar Heinrich /  Automobilesdeluxe

Saab Sans Wedge?

SAAB hasn’t always produced slick Svenska cars with the side-long geometry of a right triangle. It’s just that in the last twenty years or so, Saab has produced slick Svenska cars with the side-long geometry of a right triangle.

Yes, for nearly two decades, Saab had done old Euclid proud. As have the rest of the automotive industry, it must be said. That aside, no other manufacturer has tied themselves as stylistically to the wedge as has Saab.

Be it the current Opel-based 9-3 sedan and Magna Steyr-sourced convertible, the predecessor five-door 9-3 (née 900), the current, mummified 9-5 and the old 9000, all of these models bow obsequiously low to the elements while permitting their rumps to rise high into the air.

The leaked photos of the above 9-5 sedan expose a timely exception to the rule. CAR’s Tim Pollard noted (adroit as ever those crafty Brits) that the new sedan has hatch-like hindquarters; a rear windshield that descends smoothly into a low trunk culminating in a subtle design that resonates with that most iconic of Saabs – the original 900.

Importantly, the old Saab of Saabs only aspired to the wedge. The low bonnet line increases only subtly through the shoulder line and across the c-pillar to a high mounted, stubby spoiler. Without the spoiler, the car’s essentially a two-box fastback.

It was unorthodox. Its shape framed the concept of a car company so different from everything else on the road.

While we can’t assign the same description with the 2010 9-5, per se, the sedan’s nonetheless a design that has moved deftly on from Saab’s pat wedge theory.

Slick Svenska design never looked so promising. And, once again, different.

By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG via CAR - Automobilesdeluxe

Saab History Travels To Frankfurt Germany

JMK Saab, one of the many sponsors of saabhistory.com, is proud to have assisted through sponsorship Ryan's recent trip to Germany. Saab History Travels To Frankfurt, Germany Shared via AddThis

Future Saab President and COO Named

Another foundational piece that Saab's bright future will be built upon has been set in place.  The official release to Saab delaers:

Today, I would like to announce the next step forward in anticipation of a renewed Saab presence in North America with the appointment of Michael "Mike" Colleran as President and Chief Operating Officer of Saab Cars North America.

Mike has been a member of the Saab USA team since 2005 and most recently served as Sales Director for the General Motors Premium brands which include Saab, Cadillac, and HUMMER. Mike started his career with General Motors in 1989 after serving in the U.S. Military and has served in various sales, service and marketing roles during his twenty-year automotive career.

As we ready to finalize the sale to Koenigsegg group AB in the next months, Mike will be forming a new Saab team with the responsibility of preparing Saab and its partners for independent operations in North American markets. Those appointments will be announced at a later date.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you again for all for your unwavering support during the last months and I would ask you to remain focused as we move into the next exciting chapter of Saab Automobile's history.

Best regards,
Jan Åke Jonsson