A group of Swedish enthusiasts has restored a rare motorhome that was built on the platform of a Saab 92. Known as the "92h," the unusual camper was found abandoned in Sweden after being lived in as a semi-permanent cabin. More details and pictures can be seen at SaabsUnited.com
We don't know how he does it, but Ryan at Saab History has dug up a vintage TV ad for the Saab 95. My, how times have changed...
June 3, 2009
Wall Street Journal Remembers Robert Sinclair
The Wall Street Journal's Stephen Miller has put together a nice remembrance piece on Saab USA's former president, Robert Sinclair, who passed away nearly a month ago. The story, while highlighting his professional accomplishments, paints a vivid picture of Sinclair's dynamic personality. It's worth a read...
One of the most recognizable figures in the American Saab scene, Robert Sinclair, passed away May 10th at his Santa Barabra, California, home. Sinclair served as the head of Saab-Scania USA during the company's high point, from 1979 to 1991.
As much a Saab icon as the Griffin itself, legendary rally driver and current Saab employee Erik "on the roof" Carlsson turns 80 years old this week. Saab has issued a statement honoring Mr. Carlsson as a part of the company's living history. Read more after the jump.
January 14, 2009
Saab Pikes Peak Car Sells for $8,470
You may remember news of General Motors liquidating part of their GM Heritage collection, with the only Saab in the mix the 1997 Saab 900 SE Pikes Peak racecar. Word out of those at the event is that the car went for a reasonable $8,470. While high for a 900 SE of that vintage, it's not a bad deal considering the car's history. Sadly, a Hamilton and a Jackson less than $9,000 isn't going to do much bailing for GM. More after the jump.
We found this Flickr feed via TrollhattanSaab and like what we see. It's an orange Saab 95 V5, lowered aggressively - tasteful and more aggressive the a standard specimen of the type. More after the jump.
We've found a fantastic resource on the Saab Sonett I (a.k.a. 94 and Super Sport) in the latest (Feb 2009) issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic that arrived in our mailbox just yesterday.
This four page article (pp. 60-63) includes a ton of information (technical and otherwise) we hadn't heard before, along with several new-to-us photos as well. Did you know the original development transmission was the 93's 3-speed, but mounted backwards meant they'd have to reverse the engine's rotation (more easily done on a two-stroke)? That setup wouldn't make it to the very small production run, but it's just one more thing we learned from the Hemmings piece.
If you're headed out to the newsstand, check it out. Easy to spot, the Feb issue has a yellow Triumph TR6 roadster on the cover.
We're not sure it'll save the company, but it may impress a few old congresspeople of the spirit at GM. The General has amassed a list (with more to come) of classics from their corporate collection to be auctioned at the Barrett-Jackson Auction January 13-19. The list, posted by a user known as 'travisnd' over on HRFbody.com broke the news in their forums. The only Saab on the list is a 1995 Saab 900 Turbo Pikes Peak racecar and that'll go across the block in January with the rest of the vintage and rare GM iron. The list is subject to change so we'll keep you posted on any further Swedish additions. We've also added a gallery of GM Heritage Collection photos of the car in question. More after the jumps.
You may remember the pristine Saab 95 'Panel' we reported on back in September as then-up-for-auction in RM Auctions' Automobiles of London Event. We've followed up on the story and learned the car sold for £11.000. That's a lot of coin for a 95, but the rarity of the panel side is considerable and the fully-restored condition didn't hurt either. Check out the whole pre-sale press-release and more photos of the 95 after the jump.
If you're a regular at the local newsstand due to your car magazine habit... i.e. just like us... you may want to pick up the new December 2008 issue of Hemmings Sports & Exofic Car Magazine (Green MGC Roadster on the cover). This month, the eclectic vintage-focused magazine goes heavy on Saab content. A one-page bio piece on original Saab designer Sixten Sason can be found on page 60, while a six-page 900 Turbo SPG buyers guide complete with photography of the pristine red example from the GM Heritage collection is on pp. 82-87.
The Australian Saabophiles at TrollhattanSaab may have stumbled across a rare Saab indeed. An odd looking roadster has popped up in a trading publication in Australia and is described as a 1960 Saab Supersport with an aluminum and fiberglass body. The car is said to be by Australian Harold Lightburn, a designer who petitioned Saab back in the day that this should be one of their new models. The particular car itself is likely to be built on a then-imported 95 or 96 chassis. More over at TS after the jump.
We recently mentioned the then-upcoming ninth annual Swedish Car Day at the Museum of Transportation in Massachusetts. While we weren't able to attend, we've found coverage over at SaabHistory and TrollhattanSaab, as well as a Picasa album by show organizers.
John Matras over at the Philadelphia Examiner is a regular find in our daily Saab news search. Today Matras reports on visiting the Saab Bilmuseum in Trollhattan. If you've never gone and are considering a visit, check out this feature where he shares a hint at what you will find.
One of the reasons we enjoy reading the website SaabHistory.com is for little-known Saab stories such as that of the Saab Facett prototype. Though mistaken as an official Saab prototype back in the day,this coupe is was the creation of then Saab designer Sigvard Sorensen who bought one of the original Sonett Super Sports and then proceeded to build his own take. More details of the story and a photo in high(er)-res can be found over at SaabHistory.
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