When I got this one my inbox I told Lance that I was really looking forward to it and expected that it would be the best thing I'd read in 6 months.
I was right.
Lance Cole is a writer living in England and has penned several books on automobiles and aviation. Saab enthusiasts would know him best for the book Saab 99 and 900: The Complete Story, which is an excellent volume and available for sale at the SU Bookshop.
Click here to read all of Lance's previous contributions at Trollhattan Saab.
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If the Swedish Gods made Volvo on a misty, straight lined sort of day, then they must have made Saab on a summer day in Southern Sweden. The sunny disposition of Saab's cars has taken what was essentially a domestic product, to a place in the heart of the wider world.
From Canada to Tasmania, from Japan to the mid-west of America, not to mention many points in between, Sweden's small car maker - the one that did not build copies of contemporary trans-Atlantic cars - has a beloved following across the globe in an achievement that is often overlooked.
After all, unlike the British, the Swedes did not have the mechanism of Empire through which to force themselves and their cars upon a global market and care little if they lost a few brands along the way.
Like many Saab fanatics, I own my Saabs with feelings that relate to an inanimate lump of metal in a differnent manner to the way a man (or woman) might feel about a Ford Focus, a Daewoo Desperanza, or a Honda un-Civic.
The workers at Saab's factories have similar feelings about the cars they build. Building Saabs means something to a person.
Yet the Italians also have relationships with their cars -feelings just as emotional as our Saab bond. Be it Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo or Ferrari, Italians cars have soul. But then so do Citroens- my grandfather loved his Citroen DS, and I know why. And who can deny the Americans the social iconography of the Mustang...
But all these cars come from places where they are brands amongst many brands.
Saab comes from a place where it is a unique brand amid a commercial landscape populated by just one other, very different brand - Volvo, (who by the way, now make excellent cars).
So there really is something special, something unique about the design, the drive, the feel, the very essence of a Saab. Remember, in the beginning, a small team of men crafted every aspect of these cars and the driving and ownership of them; it is a legacy that was almost lost in the chapter of GM's general mediocrity.
Saab inspires people, Saab has character - a recognisable lineage of design across the models, a soul that makes a Saab part of your family. I've even gone as far as dedicating an entire column (and a very popular one at that - SW) to the undeniable presence and truth that is The Saab Smell.
Saab is in fact part of the Swedish psyche- a social science ingredient and part of the national identity.
It is not just Saab's design language I am talking about - it is the very essence of the thing.
Do the 2009 model year Honda, Ford, Toyota, Lexus, model ranges show any visual or design links with their ancestor models going back across 30 years or so? No, they do not, for there is no evolved look - no family identity. Why? Because they have changed shape through fashion rather than evolution. They are the result of marketing and short term trends triumphing over depth of design and brand integrity - although this does not necessarily make them bad cars - and once one model generation has dumped the family design look, the argument becomes pointless.
Yet the current VW, Audi, Mercedes Benz, and BMW ranges do have design language that is clearly descended from the previous models- these cars are instantly recognisable for what they are, what they mean, and what they say.
For the German industry, design is again leading the world - and selling cars.
Do not think that I am advocating retro-pastiche for the sake of it - as in the new Mini, Ford GT40, or Fiat 500; design development reflecting a true identity is the key- as Pininfarina or Bertone will tell you. Peugeot used to epitomise this thinking, but no more.
There was a time when Citroen made styled cars at the expense of properly built cars - which eventually tried the patience of even the most loyal owners in a way only Alfa Romeo drivers might understand. But then, after being rescued from financial oblivion, Citroen made boring cars with a dearth of Citroen design, that were more reliable yet dull: Citroen lost its mojo in a bid to be profitable - a paradox that left it wilting. (Read Swade's previous post on Saab's mojo for more).
Mazda, that wonderful alternative Japanese brand of car design also lost its way, yet managed to give us the MX 5 - even it if is a car with no parents. But who remembers the Cosmo, the pretty coupes and the Wankel RX series?
And look how Subaru has just thrown away its customer base by dumping its design language and product lineage, by re-inventing the Imprezza to look like the spawn of a bad night out between a Daewoo and a donkey. And now they have done it again by ruining the brilliant Legacy range and morphing it into a barge of obesity that defies belief.
Subaru design has been dumped at the altar of the fashionistas and focus groups of people who know not what they think, and ought to be shown what is good design, not allowed to dictate it. If you don't believe me, go and look at Subaru's new big saloon and estate where its celebrity inspired muscular-bling fashion (if you can call it that), has triumphed over function. It is truly dreadful to look at - jewelled headlamps, swaged and sculpted panels, in a dated, copyist, 'me too' look.
Saab is surely at risk of replicating these stories, especially if its new owner puts short term fashion above creating long term cars for people who appreciate long term design and become loyal buyers of the brand. Of course, a Saab does not need a clamshell front to be a Saab, but it does need essential hallmarks - just as, say, a BMW or a Porsche, does. Such hallmarks often make it onto Saab's concept cars.
The Saab 94-x range is the perfect analogy - a good car - yet it is millions wasted on a four wheel drive because the marketing men said, "everyone else has one, so we must too." That was rubbish then and it is rubbish now - and hardly akin to "moving your mind" as Saab's adverts implore us to do. In fact, the 94X is a paradoxical reverse of such mind moving thinking. A Skoda Yeti, is surely more of what the Saab 94x should have been? A Skoda Yeti? Go see - its fantastic.
Citroen, found its identity again and now has a range of stunning cars of great design depth, and which have build quality. And did not design save Skoda in the Fabia, and Fiat in the Grande Punto?
But what if Saab's new owners are tempted to water down the brand, make do and mend for a generation - just to make enough money to survive? Making do and mending might be in order for a short period, but in the end such lack of investment in Saab's soul would kill it- as GM nearly achieved.
If any car company should be alternative, Green, composites-aware and lateral thinking yet sporty, surely it should be Saab.
Saab needs a small car - a world beating small car, it could also return to rallying with such a car - and regain some much needed reputational profile.
Saab needs to remember that when others were building rear driven, leaf sprung cars resembling brick crap houses, Saab was sculpting aerodynamic design icons - oh and the world's first alloy-composite roadster. All this before Issigonis or Colin Chapman floated down and gave the world the so-called revolutions that were the Mini and the Lotus Elite. And contrary to Ford advertising of the 1980s Sierra landscape, it was not Ford who 'invented' airflow control off the back end of the car- it was Saab - before Citroen did it.
For Saab the new 9-5 is a great car- whatever the arguments we can have about is roots and its ingredients, it is still a Saab - just...
But is it the last one?
So, if Saab's new owner is reading this, please, in the name of Viking long boats, do not dilute the design and the brand, do not asset strip or descend into niche marketing to make Saab the Morgan or the Maybach of Sweden. Do not produce faux Toyotas benchmarked against the Honda Accord or the Mercury Sable. Do not fall for the Lexus design trick of smoke and mirrors to create a mix and match of your rivals design elements. Do not turn out a Rover 75 or a Fiat Croma - or fall into the Chinese design world of re-inventing the dinosuar.
What Saab needs, to survive, to employ people and to prosper again as one of the leading icons of industrial design and auto making in an ethical concept, could be the following:
- A new, sensational, small Saab - a Fiesta beater, and to take it rallying, and to offer a hybrid city car version
- To make a success of the new 9-5
- To build a mid range, quality car in the 9-3 mould that brings us the essence of the 99 and 900, re-born
- To use one of these floor pans to revive the icon of the Saab cabriolet
- Then to bring us what we have waited years for- a premium designed, achingly beautiful Saab coupe- a re-invented Sonett, a car to beat the VW Scirocco yet be its own icon and perhaps made of composites
There may be alternatives to the above plan, but ask yourself this: If Saab does not produce 'designed' cars as opposed to fashioned cars, why should even the most loyal Saabist, buy one?
As a man with Saab carved upon my heart, I am already tempted by the VW Group and the way they have turbocharged and supercharged small petrol engines, allied them to a DSG autobox, and clothed the package of the new Polo: It is a truly brilliant car. And I 
just stare in awe at the total integrated design of the Scirocco and the Passat CC. I am also tempted by the 'design' of the Citroen C5. And what if Fiat relaunch Lancia to the world? For Lancias were lovely, before the bean counters ruined them with bad steel and shiny plastic.
What if Saab followed the French and Italians and withdrew from America? It must not happen, for Americans love Saab (Thanks, Bob Sinclair). But Americans will soon be tempted by an auto industry recovering through design, something that ironically, GM championed in a glorious past.
Saab's new owner must grasp what Saab is about and rush to a new era of design-led sales growth. It has worked for VW - Audi, it may be about to work for Toyota in the IQ. If you still don't believe me, check out the new Nissan GTR and try to deny that it is not a peak of design and function, an instant icon even if fashion had a small hand...
If the new Saab company does not give us cars with style and integrity, it is going to lose an awful lot of money - before it dies. So money for design is the issue if you are the new owner of Saab.
If the money is not there, Sweden will lose a true part of its national identity and history, and we Saabists, we will lose our beloved Saab forever. Saabs should not be Fords , nor Buicks, nor a Honda-esque amalgam of Lexoid themes, they should be Saabs, and not rapidly ageing fashion statements exposed to the whims of the market place: Saabs should have integrity.
If you are Saab's new owner, please be certain you can afford it- you will need hundreds of millions and that rare commodity, design. Wishful thinking and some be-jewelled headlamps cut into the front wings set around a gawping mouth of a grille won't do it....
Save Saab. Make it so - Koenigsegg, soon, please...
Cole © 2009.
A modern take on the 99 and C900 would be great and many of us have suggested that here. If you look at the Delta II platform, a new 9-3 the length of a 99 hatch looks quite feasible. With a transverse engine and modern day standards of space efficiency, it could make the 99 look quite cramped!
P.S. I've always liked this picture when I think about 99 hatches: http://www.saabhistory.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/ikea_saab1.jpg
Just try that in yout Audi!
With Bard Eker and CvK, we should be in for a real treat.
the essence of New Saab's mission!
and yes to all of Lance Coles model suggestions, especially 'world-beating small car that rallies'!
I am also increasingly noticing VW, and trying to figure out why Hondas look more Saabish than Saabs.
BTW, the Saab dealer in Springfield, Mass, Fathers & Sons, suddenly started sponsoring local NPR just now. This was always the heartland of Saab in the Northeast U.S., and a great place for the renaissance. Also a great place to introduce the K-Saab bicycle - how fast can we get that going?
Cheers from Norway
-Olav-
Always on the longest way home when out the with my SAAB. Always!
Americans LOVE Saabs......I have owned 12.
Your article gets to the core of Saab.....someting GM never got, and I have been very close to Saab here in the states, and have many friends who worked there over the years.
All us Saab nuts in the USA wish the new owners the best.....we want to see you flourish with the responsibility of the future of the car brand we love.
Dick Lague California USA
Important message too, to which I suspect all on here would add their '+1'
Chris
btw,Swedish Radio will broadcast live from the creditors meeting tomorrow at 10am SMT ( Saab Mean Time)
http://www.sr.se/vast/
Regarding the Lance Cole article, maybe we should ask this gentleman if he would like a job at Saab as he totally understands what a Saab is. And a big thanks to Swade for posting it.
And Saab could get into racing again faster than the way of rallying.. 24 hour racing sub class.
Rally on WC level is utterly expensive..
Otherwise.. Nice article! Realy well written.
Saab will be SAAB again!
However, one thing is certain. If someone dedicates up to 1/3 of their income to a car, all the 'soul' that car may have is irrelevant if it fails to start on Monday morning to go to work. While he derides the Japanese of building glorified appliances, they have globally succeeded on the basics: reliability, economy, maintainability.
The challenge for Saab will be to combine these basic factors with compelling design and deliver at a competitive cost. These three are not mutually exclusive; indeed the global marketplace demands it.
The alternative will be for Saab go even futher upmarket, into the rarified air of dream cars affordable only to the very affluent. But even there it will find fierce competition, from already established brands, for a shrinking pool of high-end buyers. I predict no one here desires that.
SJ4
The designer who did the NG900 is still around, and I wish the new KS-SAAB brings him back as a consultant. Make it simple, elegant, and pay for the better quality plastics.
I do like the seats in the new 9-3SS.
Today marks the day that Saab can go back to its roots free from the grip of those thoughless folks at GM who nearly killed Saab off.
A revisionist approach will not work for Saab - it needs to find its own identity, acknowledge the past and move forward inspired by its own history.
Studying what made the 900 such a success and applying this to a new vehicle is the right thing to do. Making a modernized 900 replica 35 years later isn't.
When you start your car, you need to fiddle with the shifter, the parking brake and... (drumroll) the ignition.
It's all there! Neatly grouped together!
Where else would it be? Hidden behind the steering wheel? That's plain stupid. If the shifter was located there, then yes, it would make some sense.
But nobody puts the shifter up at the wheel anymore. Well, except for some american cars, but who cares about them?
Bloomberg News cable is today repeating their infatuation segment on Tesla's 107,000USD electric sportscar driven by George Clooney and Leo DiCaprio, with Elon Musk being very cool.
A coincidence? I think not.
According to information to Swedish television will Koenigsegg try to establish Saab as a luxury brand that would break even at a production level of only 70 000 cars annually. If so, further lay-offs would be required in Trollhättan.
Live interview with CvK, JÅJ and Maud was just broadcast in Swedish television. CvK stated that his dream is to ensure the survival of Swedish car industry. He is backed by an industrial and financial network. CvK confirms that JÅJ´s business plan will be guiding further work.
Maud and CvK met for the first time in the television studio. Maud iss of the meaning that entrepreneurship is important to turn around Saab but emphasises that financial strength is important. Maud is very critical to GMs inability to develop cars that is demanded by customers and that GM has not fully used Saab´s skills and potential.
JÅJ very positive and underlines the financial stregth and long-term commitment of the Koenigsegg Group. He is also happy that Koenigsegg fully supports Saab´s business plan and that the entreprenurship is imnportant for success.
CvK reitierates that Saab´s current business plan is very good, but thinks that Koenigsegg´s entreprenuership will boost the possibility to turn around the company.
Maud is happy to work with Swedish and Norwegian incvestors. She underlines that Saab is a brand close to the heart of the swedish population.
CvK says that Saab has a special niche as a post modernistic brand with strengths in environment and safety. CvK is a close friend of Saab and particularly likes the design of the Saab 92 (the "ursaab").
Car analyst Dudenhofer very critical since Koenigsegg has no experience of mass production and distribution/markting/sales. CvK says that Koenigsegg will use existing knowledge at Saab.
CvK underlines large overlap between Saab in the areas of environmental and engine developments.
Maud is happy that private investors are prepared to take these kind of risks.
CvK was asked about the leaked business pplan that Saab would produce only 70 000 cars (mentioned initially). CvK again stated that JÅJ´s business plan is the base case and that a the leaked busines plan of 70 000 cars is a stress test that has been developed as a worst case scenario.
CvK is impressed about the cars develkoped by Saab and nmore or less ready to be launched,
End of interview.
http://www.sr.se/webbradio/webbradio.asp?type=db&Id=1802633&BroadcastDate=&IsBlock=
Fabela is no longer a billionaire - he dropped off Forbes list in 2008. Assume he is on this Board because he does have relevant business experience, and does seem to be the distributor for Koenigsegg in the U.S.
signing off - never made it out on the road due to weather forecast making planting my garden more relevant. we are having very cold spring in these hills.
and I really do not want to think about Saab becoming solely a luxury brand. breaks my heart to think that could happen. I am already crying.
SAAB is not primarily a luxury brand.
SAAB is a brand with a very special and precious heritage that has to be carefully and knowingly translated into a contemporary automotive concept.
To understand this heritage,
to respect the fans and customers whose loyality has been outstanding and in many ways unrivalled during the last, say, 8-10 years,
and to simultaneously make the SAAB brand part of the automotive avantgarde again is a difficult, but also fascinating job.
I'm as confident as ever SAAB is on a good way - and that the Koenigsegg Group and SAAB's tough and battle-proven management will be up to the challenge.
They'll change what has to change, they'll keep alive what should be kept alive - and - most importantly, - they'll revive what should have been revived years ago: the spirit of the people who designed the first SAAB, who made the 96, the 99 and all the others. I'm sure it is still around and we'll see some of it in the new 9-5.
http://newsroom.saab-web.com/news/news/adealtosecuresaabsfuture.5.43abc3041211cc8612f80001532.html
he has no plans to take a holiday...but he really needs it:)
Cheers from Norway
-Olav-
Always on the longest way home when out the with my SAAB. Always!
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/the-cdo-magnate-behind-new-saab/
If any Russian oligarchs are also investing through Fabela, I cannot imagine Sweden backing those EIB loans which sound central to the K-egg deal.
Thats good news!
"If you are Saab's new owner, please be certain you can afford it- you will need hundreds of millions and that rare commodity, design. Wishful thinking and some be-jewelled headlamps cut into the front wings set around a gawping mouth of a grille won't do it...."
Please Saab, don't try and translate the heavy nosed look of the Aero-X onto every Saab model. It won't work and it will date very quickly. Besides that, the heavy nosed look has been done to death by Peugeot...
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsGallery.aspx?AR=240786&EL=-1
I seriously think if Saab is going to be building cars in such small numbers they need a car like the above. Someone here has mentioned Saab needs to look at what made Saab so successful with the C900. I remember the 80s when Saabs were WAY COOL in the eyes of the yuppies while 3 series BMWs had such atrocious handling problems and didnt sell in numbers anywhere near they do today. Look at what made the 900 so special and build on it! Saab must return to its quirky past with a modern feel and make it better than a BMW.
The Audi A5 Sporthatch probably won't make it to America BTW. Hatch resistance again, or head in the sand attitudes? GM is not alone!
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/16/audi-a5-sportback-not-coming-to-america-but-you-can-drool-over/
"...Von Koenigsegg, in an interview with Swedish television, seemed to agree, saying that the new owners would try to restore some of the brand's heritage while finding a place in the market between upscale and mainstream.
"This is neither a luxury or a people's car, but it has its own niche — a bit of postmodern comfort, sporty, but with environmental thinking," von Koenigsegg said. "We want to capture the Swedish aspect too. GM had a bit more of an international approach, and Saab drowned a little bit in that context.
...
Von Koenigsegg dismissed criticism about his company having no experience in large-scale production, saying it isn't needed because Saab has that knowledge. He said Koenigsegg can contribute green solutions and engine technology."
this deal is really capturing the attention of the media - so much more exciting than Hummer or Opel.
GB
The post-GM Saabs need to first and foremost be good cars, cars that are as well-built, reliable and powerful as the best of the competition. Looking back to Saab's successes during the 1980's highlights this. The C900 and the 9000, when compared side-by-side with the 3-series, Audi 80, 5-series and Audi 100's had interiors that were on par with the Germans, were arguably more reliable than their competitors, out-gadgeted the Germans and were easily some of the most powerful products in their segment. The distinctive design was simply the icing on the cake, the final detail which cemented Saab's reputation as objects of desire for most of the car-buying public.
Fast-forward to 2009, and there are other car companies that are doing the exact same thing, most obviously Mini. Mini builds a fantastic small car, with class-leading handling, a great, potent little powerplant and some of the best interior materials in it's class. This alone would make them worthy competitiors, but Mini goes one step further with its attention to design. Just walk around a Mini, taking in the small details like taillights, how panel gaps are treated, interior switchgear and bumper designs. The attention to detail that went into the design of those cars is second to none and it plays a final, crucial role in creating the "must-have" status of those cars. The latest VW's should also come to the mind of anyone who has sat in or driven one.
Saab used to have that attention to detail in the 99 and c900, the 9000 lacked it at first but gained it back with the early-90's refresh, the NG900 had a bit of it, the pre-facelift 9-5 had more of it and the OG9-3 simply built on the NG900. The 9-3SS was and still is lacking when it comes to that attention to detail, and the 9-5 and 9-4X will likely be little better. Thats why it will be crucial for the next-generation 9-3 to be not only a good car (for Saab to survive it will have to be to the 2010's what the A4 was in the 90's and the G35 has been in the 00's), but a well-designed car, a car with an unquestionably modern design that still looks back upon and draws on Saab's excellent design heritage, both inside and out.
Personally I can't wait to see it
The two Saabs I've owned are 17 years apart in age, but many design elements exist in both - though sadly there are some elements I miss from the older '85 900 Turbo. But it is the progression, the cohesive, progressive and practical engineering that goes into these cars that makes them as special and well thought out as they are.
I particularly thought the four shots of the Toyota "appliances" was as clear a statement that can be made for how NOT to design a Saab. Those could have been built by four separate car companies because there is no lineage, no follow-through and it quite showed how quite obviously nothing designed in the past was worth keeping for the future. Fad design is bad design.
Again...nice piece Lance. I hope Saab management prints this one out too and pastes it to their office walls. This is what we the customer want to see with our new Saab.
It tells everything what I has been thinking, what is difference between Saab owners and other car owners.
Saab has definitely distinctive beauty.
Thank you swede