The hall of the car brand, the once glorious plaque curled up into the dusty corner, those "classic" brands have created legendary stories that are fascinating, but they cannot escape the sad fate. The end of
Brand: SaabSaab
Time: 1937-2011
Classic legend: Turbocharged engine originator
Strong turbocharged engine, the best aerodynamic design, unique driving safety system... To this day, these classic characteristics of the car brand Saab sab are still affecting the development of the automobile industry
0 Strong turbocharged engine, the best aerodynamic design, and the unique driving safety system... To this day, these classic characteristics of the car brand Saab are still affecting the development of the automobile industry
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Saab Automobile Company was first originated from Swedish Aircraft Co., Ltd., which was established in Sweden in 1937 and mainly provides the aircraft needed for the Swedish Air Force. In 1944, Saab decided to transform its aircraft production line and began to produce cars. A world-renowned automobile brand was born. Then a series of 92, 93, 94, 96, 97, 99 and other models were launched one after another.
In early 1946, Saab's first car 92.001 was designed. A few months later, the Saab 92.001 prototype began to enter the testing stage in Trolletan, Sweden, and was ready to go in November. On June 10, 1947, Saab's first mass-produced car, 92.002, was officially released. However, due to restrictions on conditions, it was not until 1949 that Saab began to officially mass-produce cars.
Saab's first 92 model is powered by a 2-cylinder and 2-stroke engine, 0.75L displacement, a maximum power of 25 horsepower, a maximum speed of 105km, front-wheel drive, and matched with a 3-speed manual transmission. Since Saab has previous experience in manufacturing aircraft, the aerodynamic design is well considered in this car, and the resistance coefficient of this car is only 0.3. In 1955, the Saab 92 alternative model, Saab 93, was launched, and the Saab 93 was completely redesigned. Not only did it undergo earth-shaking changes in appearance, but the appearance uses a new front grille. Its 748cc displacement 3-cylinder engine can generate 33 horsepower output power, and then became the leading model of Saab.
The new Saab 99 was launched in 1968. This model was considered the flagship model of Saab at that time. This model was the first model that completely separated from the Saab 92 platform since the creation of the Saab brand. On this model, the first 1.75L displacement inline 4-cylinder engine has appeared, with a maximum power of 95 horsepower, and it also uses many brand new equipment, including self-repaired front bumper , headlight wipers, side collision beams, etc.
turbocharger technology
In 1969, Saab Automobile Company merged with Sweden's largest commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania to form an automobile group. Four years later, Saab launched a Saab 99 Combi Coup hatchback model. The emergence of the Combi concept set new standards for Saab's design in the 70s and 80s, and also influenced the design ideas of the original Saab 9000 and the second generation Saab 900. This model is 100mm longer than the ordinary sedan version, and is equipped with rear folding seats, front seat heating, headlight cleaning and other functions. Because this model takes into account the practicality of the hatchback model and the dynamic appearance of the sports car, it was soon successful after its launch. It almost became synonymous with the Saab at that time, and the automatic repair bumper won the Saab international safety award for the first time that year.
In 1976, a major technological breakthrough that affected the development of the entire automobile industry - turbocharger technology was first equipped on the Saab 99 model. At that time, Saab engineer Per Gillbrand developed a unique exhaust valve to divert the engine's unnecessary power, resulting in outstanding acceleration performance. This 2.0T turbocharged engine can provide maximum power of 145 horsepower, and the maximum speed of the Saab 99 can reach 200km after being equipped.
When the first turbocharged engine was released, the impact it caused was a sensation. Turbocharging technology increased the maximum power of the engine by 23% and increased the torque by 45%, while turbocharging technology was previously only used in the fields of aviation, motorsports and commercial diesel engines. Saab is the first automaker to apply this technology to road vehicles widely.
In 1978, Saab created a Saab900 model based on the Saab 99 platform, which has undergone two generations of development.The first generation of 900 launched is a three-door hatchback model with a body length of 210mm than the Saab 99. The front face and interior have been redesigned. At the same time, Saab's first in-car air filter has also been used in this model. It has been widely praised after its launch, and the air filter has been used to this day. The Saab900 later launched a 2-door convertible, 2-door hatchback and 4-door sedan model.
GM Times
In 1990, GM Auto purchased 50% of Saab's equity and hoped to make Saab a more outstanding high-end car brand. A year later, the Saab900 was faced with a 5-door version, and the 9000cs model was redesigned. The front face and rear part were strengthened. The body structure was equipped with side door anti-collision beams, airbags, and air curtains, which greatly improved the collision safety. In 1994, with the participation of General Motors, the new Saab900 was launched. The new Saab900 shared the platform with the Opel (Opel) Vectra, which used an advanced 2.0L turbocharged engine and Saab Sensonic AMT gearbox, and used a 2.5L V6 engine for the first time, which received great praise as soon as it was launched.
In 2000, General Motors completely acquired Saab Automobile and launched the new Saab logo in August of that year. In the middle of the logo is a mythical animal with a red eagle head and sphinx with wings, wearing a golden crown on its head, with a silver Saab letter on the round bottom and a blue background. This animal represents alertness and sensitivity in the myth of southern Sweden, which is in line with the characteristics of the complete unity of safety and power of Saab cars. In 2001, the amazing Saab9X concept car was exhibited. It is a four-dimensional sports car that subverts traditional design concepts and combines the advantages of sports cars, convertibles, station wagons and trucks. This multi-functional sport concept car is well versed in the charm of the Saab brand. However, two years later, Saab's engine department was merged by General Motors' department in Rueselheim, Germany, which meant that Saab lost 1,300 engineers and designers, and even ruined Saab's ability to develop its own products. In 2004, Saab's marketing department in Europe was also integrated into a subsidiary department of General Motors. Since then, Saab has gradually begun to decline.
At the end of 2008, General Motors, which was severely impacted by the subprime mortgage crisis, said it was possible to cancel and stop the Saab auto brand and began to seek to take over the company for Saab. As soon as the news came out, some potential buyers appeared, including BMW (BMW), Fiat (Fiat), Geely (Geely), Hyundai, Magna (Magna), Renault (Renault), and Tata Motors, India and other major auto companies. On June 16, 2009, Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg (Koenigsegg ) announced that they intend to purchase the Saab car brand from GM, and behind this is a group of Norwegian investors bid with Beijing Automobile in China. On December 14 of that year, Beijing Auto finally made a return in the bidding. BAIC obtained the first generation of Saab 9-3 and Saab 9-5 production lines, with a total value of US$200 million in property rights and production equipment. In 2011, it launched a brand new BAIC independent brand based on the purchased two production line technologies. On January 26, 2010, General Motors announced that it had reached an agreement with Spyker Spyker, which General Motors allowed Spyker to purchase Saab, and it had been approved by the government and completed the sale in February 2010.
eventually went bankrupt
After Szegour acquired Saab, he began to establish a US headquarters in Royal Oak, Michigan, and planned to launch the third-generation Saab 9-3 model in 2012, but Saab did not usher in a new turnaround. Later, the Saab 9-3 and Saab 9-5 produced had poor sales. At the same time, due to the lack of funds in Szejue, he failed to pay the parts supplier's payment on time and had a dispute with the supplier, and was forced to stop production in April 2011.
Since then, Szejue has negotiated with China's Huatai, Panda and Youth Group to sell Saab, but until the end, the acquisition of Saab by Chinese automakers was not reached. After that, Saab submitted a bankruptcy application and the Swedish government accepted the approval. This 64-year-old famous Swedish car brand officially became a memory.
