I first posted these on the Trollhattan Saab site back in June 2005.
Seeing we’re having a focus on Saab advertising this month, I thought it’d be worthwhile showing these ads again. They’re favourites for many, combining some interesting stories along with fantastic imagery, occasional humour.
For the owner of a different make of vehicle, they’ll inspire interest. For the owner of a Saab, they inspire a certain amount of pride.
Please enjoy.
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Saab vs WYSIWYG
What you see is what you get. A rather unimaginative way of looking at the world. Take the Saab 9-5 wagon. On the surface, a cargo carrier. But look under the hood. A turbocharged engine that generates enourmous amounts of torque. The car’s versatility is evident: Cargotracks for securing loads, an optional sliding floor to make loading easier. But what about the torsionally rigid body construction that gives the car handling characteristics similar to a sports sedan? Can you see that?
Plenty more after the jump…..
Saab vs Vivaldi
Can a car compete with a music composition? The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi is as good a test as you’ll get. Concerto No 1 – Spring. The top of the Saab 9-3 convertible comes down. Summer arrives and calls the road to come play. The turbo engine proves more than its equal. Fast forward to Autumn. An aerodynamic body keeps the wind at bay. Winter comes on with a vengeance. Front wheel drive responds. The triple-layer insulated top, heated front seats and heated glass rear window all do their jobs. Vivaldi meets his match. Let the music play.
Saab vs Symmetry
A turbocharger is placed on one side of the engine. Conventional balance is upset. And the world’s first asymmetrically turbocharged V6 is born. Unique in the realm of V6’s. Exclusive to the Saab 9-5. The goal was to design a 3.0 litre engine both powerful and efficient. By channeling exhaust gases from three cylinders to boost six, torque was maximised in a lighter engine. Acceleration is quick and smooth. Power is abundant. Ironically, balance is achieved.
Saab vs the Supermodel
For some car manufacturers, a beautiful woman leaning on the hood is a standard feature. Not so in a Saab advertisement. In place of the supermodel a 9-5 Wagon has SAHR, the world’s first active head restraints designed to reduce whiplash. There is a turbocharged engine. A torsionally rigid body shell. Head and chest side airbags. Cargotracks to secure any size load and an optional sliding floor to make unloading easier. Saab believes these are the things that should attract you to a car. Not a perfect smile.
Saab vs Steriods
Anabolic steroids build muscle mass. More mass increases strength. In car terms this means a bigger engine. More horsepower. But this is not the essence of a car’s acceleration. Torque is. The pulling strength that gets the mass moving. Through turbocharging, the Saab 9-5’s engine delivers maximum torque at low and medium rpm. The range where most driving takes place. Performance is boosted without bulk. Less becomes more.
Saab vs Saab
Two high performance Saab vehicles. Each has its advantages. Yet are they more similar than different? Car and driver, like pilot and plane, are designed to perform as one. Saab’s philosophy of human centred design places controls and instruments where they are intuitively accessible. Time requirements to act and react are thus shortened. Like the Saab Viggen fighter, the new Saab 9-3 Viggen is powerful, generating 252 ft-lb of torque. Yet brute force was never the intention, rather a calculated use of thrust. Whether engaging the turbocharger or the afterburner, it is the man, not the machine, in control.
Saab vs Revolution
Call it the ‘phoenix’ school of thought. The notion that beofre designing something, its precursors must first be reduced to ashes. Nothing could be further from the way we approach things at Saab. Since 1947, we have shunned revolution in favour of evolution, building on the same aircraft inspired principles embodied in our very first car. A synthesis of safety and performance. And a very Scandinavian devotion to functional, aesthetically pleasing design. To our mind, qualities worth keeping.
Saab Vs Station Wagon
This is not a station wagon. Not as you’ve always known them. This is the new Saab 9-5 Wagon. Unlike carton-shaped wagons that flaunt their carrying capacity, this car disguises storage space inside a sleek, aerodynamic body. Unlike lumbering wagons that remind you of the load they’re pulling, this car is turbocharged so you quickly forget you’re in a wagon. This car is not an impassive link between pickup and drop-off. This car is a joy to drive. Long live the station wagon.
Saab Vs Russian Roulette
An opening in traffic appears ahead. Your brain signals your foot. Your foot depresses the accelerator. But how quickly will your car respond? If you’ve chosen to drive a Saab 9-3 turbo, your car has one of the most advanced turbocharged systems in the world. It will produce maximum torque, or pulling power, at significantly lower rpm. Acceleration on demand. Your brain sends a message to your adrenal glands telling them they can relax now.
Saab vs the Puritans
It is sinful to seek any form of pleasure. Overt joy is to be avoided. Do not drive a Saab 9-3 convertible. Is this how the Puritans would instruct today? Would they shun the 9-3’s turbocharged engine for the fear of enjoying the 194 ft lbs of torque? Surely the Saab’s aircraft-inspired cockpit would be too much for them to take. In fact, just looking at the car’s sleek shape could be considered lustful. Be careful modern day Puritans. Who knows what this car could lead to?
Saab vs the Impulse Purchase
The object strikes a chord. You buy it. The Saab 9-3 helps you transport it home. A transaction unplanned, yet triumphantly executed. No real feat for a cargo van. But for a sports sedan, a monumental challenge. Or is it? Function is one of the cornerstones of all Saab automobiles. The Saab 9-3 is no exception. The rear seat folds down either 40%, 60% or all the way, unveiling a spacious 46 cubic feet. Versatility. Designed to accommodate whims.
Saab vs the Police
The police can’t be everywhere. So Saab designs cars to protect themselves. A thief may try to pick the door lock, but its cylinder rotates uselessly. He may break a window and attempt to open a door from inside, but a deadbolt makes it inoperable. He may want to start the car, but the Saab 9-5’s immobilising system locks the transmission and prevents the engie from starting. In the end, there is frustration. And in the absence of the police, our goal has been met.
Saab vs Parenthood
The individual becomes a parent. The parent requires a new car to satisfy the needs of the child. The pure joy of driving is sacrificed for space and safety. But what if the car is a Saab 9-5 Wagon? With five separate storage compartments for a child’s playthings. Antisubmarining seats designed to prevent children from sliding under seat belts. And, what’s this? A turbocharged engine. Perhaps one car can accommodate both the child and the individual who becomes a parent.
Saab Vs Oxygen Bars
We all just need a little air. Not recycled office air. Not airplane air. Real air. The trendy thing to do? Go to an oxygen bar. They are springing up from Tokyo to New York. Sit back, plug into a canister and try to relax as you breathe in an O2 with a twist of lemon. Or, you can simply lower the top on the turbocharged Saab 9-3 Convertible. And drive. Feel the road under your wheels. Take in the sky overhead. Wind your way to where the air is fresh. What’ll it be today? Mountain, country, or ocean.
Saab Vs Helleborus Orientalis
The flower catches your eye. Lovely. The pollen catches your nose. Allergy. In anticipation, the Saab 9-5’s ventilation system is equipped with an electrostatic filter. It eliminates as small as 0.004 mm. It also maintains a slight positive pressure inside the cabin, preventing unfiltered outside air from sneaking in by any other means. Curious, isn’t it? A filter that keeps nature from polluting the car.
Saab Vs Newton
An object set in motion will remain in motion. Unless that object is situated in the cargo bay of the Saab 9-5 Wagon. CargoTracks™, a system like those used to secure loads in aircraft, run the length of the cargo bay. In the event of a sudden stop, cargo defies inertia. It stays put. The optional sliding floor, on the other hand, is designed to move. It pulls out during unloading. You don’t bend into the car. Your back is spared from the painful pull of gravity. Of course, Saab cannot rewrite Newton’s laws of physics. But we can find loopholes.
Saab Vs Nakedness
As you drive through intersections, you steal a glance left then right. You feel vulnerable, naked. As though there is nothing between you and any car approaching from the side. But in a Saab 9-3, there is protection. Saab was the first to reinforce doors with steel beams. The door pillars are actually hinged to direct impact downward. And head and chest side air bags are located not in the doors, but in the front seats, so they remain aligned with your body. As you drive through intersections, your Saab watches your flank.
Saab Vs Louis xiv
In the baroque world of Louis XIV, more was synonymous with better. As one might expect, cooler heads prevailed in Sweden. The Scandinavian ethic of clean, practical design never wavered. The Saab 9-5 is a direct descendent of that thinking. Leather seats that are both heated and ventilated not only for comfort but for enhanced driver control. Asymmetrical dashboard layout which makes a distinct impression, particularly as it reduces driver response time. And sleek exterior lines creating superior aerodynamics and road-holding. Beautiful, yes. But beauty born of function.
Saab Vs Irish Linen
The soft water of Irish streams gives rise to the finest linen in the world. So delicate, to look at it is to make it wrinkle. On a hot day, a linen dress is no match for a leather car seat. Unless it happens to the ventilated seat of a Saab 9-5. A world’s first in passenger cars, the seat helps remove hot, humid air that gets trapped between driver and upholstery. The driver stays cool, and therefore, undistracted. Saab believes a comfortable driver is a better driver.
Saab Vs Labor Day
For 72 hours the roads swell. Labor Day weekend has begun. 33 million cars competing for a limited amount of asphalt. A Saab 9-5 Wagon joins in. The family of five surrounded by a steel roll cage. Front seat passengers protected by side impact head and chest airbags and SAHR, the world’s first active head restraint designed to reduce whiplash. Saab investigated 5,000 real-life accidents before building this car. We can’t think of a safer way to enjoy the holiday.
Saab Vs Rorschach Test
What you see in the picture can reveal something about yourself. Look at the new Saab 9-5 Wagon. Do you see a versatile carrier for all your cargo? If so, you are practical. You will appreciate the folding and removable seats. The sliding cargo floor for easy loading and unloading.
Or, do you see a sleek, aerodynamic performance car? If this is the case, you are more emotional. You will enjoy the rapid acceleration of a turbocharged engine. And the cockpit-inspired driver’s environment. What do you see in the Saab 9-5 Wagon?
Saab Vs Hercules
One flies. One drives. Both carry very big loads. The C130 Hercules has load-fixation rails that keep large and small objects from shifting in flight. CargoTracks™ in the Saab 9-5 Wagon do the same thing on the road. An optional sliding floor makes the Saab easier to load and unload. Four turboprops drag the massive Hercules into the air. A turbocharged engine makes the Saab 9-5 Wagon quick and nimble to drive. Now, guess which one is more aerodynamic?
Saab Vs Formula One
Le Mans, Monte Carlo, Nürburgring. Research and development sites for many passenger cars. But not Saab. Instead of testing components during a 90-minute race in special Formula One cars, Saab went to Talladega, Alabama and ran standard production cars day and night. Speeds averages 142 mph (226.45 45 km/h), stopping only for fuel, tires, and routine service. 25,000 miles (40,258 km) in eight days, breaking 18 speed records. Not a single mechanical failure. Research and development for the Saab 9-3.
Saab Vs Rudolf Diesel
He created the diesel engine to power big machines. Machines that don’t accelerate or change direction quickly. But would Rudolf Diesel recognize his engine if he took the wheel of a Saab 9-3 TiD? The direct fuel injection turbo diesel produces maximum torque at very low rpm. It has the quickness and agility Saabs are known for. And the fuel efficiency and durability diesels are known for. Few engines in the world are this advanced. Diesel or not.
Saab Vs Descartes
I think therefore I am slower. I feel therefore I am faster. Sensory cues are designed into a Saab 9-5 to enhance driver/car interaction. The center of gravity is near the driver’s hips, where the body first detects lateral movement. Tactile sensations of the road are intentionally not filtered out of the steering system. Control becomes intuitive. Driving becomes safer and more enjoyable. Car and driver are one.
Saab Vs Cubism
It is doubtful that Braque and other early cubists would recognize their art form in a Saab 9-5 Wagon. The same cannot be said for all wagons. Geometric shapes and fragmented form have no place in Saab’s organic design philosophy. Though extremely versatile and spacious, the Saab 9-5 Wagon manages to achieve aerodynamic, flowing lines through a torsionally rigid body construction. The art accentuating the engineering. Cubists may be attracted to boxier cars. Which would be way they got their start in the early 20 th century instead of the late.
Saab Vs Chripractor
There are two ways to confront whiplash. Before it happens. Or after. We all know the consequences of after. For the Saab 9-5 we designed SAHR, the world’s first active head restraint system. In a rear-end collision, the head restraint moves upward and forward, catching the head before forces thrust it backward. The risk of whiplash injury is greatly reduced. Chiropractors don’t need any more customers.
Saab Vs Candy Bar
Chocolate melts. Sodas get warm. Reasons like these are why the Saab 9-5’s glove compartment is refrigerated. By piping a vent directly from the air conditioner, this confined area allows the temperature to remain at a cool 42 F (5.5C). Ultimately this space becomes more functional. This is our approach to building cars. Make the most of everything. However small.
Saab Vs Bauhaus
A modernist maxim was that a house is a machine for living. While efficient, this strict form-follows-function approach can lack a degree of humanity. The Saab school of design considers the emotional needs of people as well. Evident in the Saab 9-3 is a human-centered environment: an aesthetically pleasing mix of flowing lines and inviting materials. Instead of cold efficiency, there’s Scandinavian design precision. Clean and appealing. Form following function following human pleasure.
Saab Vs Artificial Intelligence
Crash test dummies can be wired to show how a human body responds in an accident. But they can’t think. They can’t tell us things that only a human driver can. That’s why, in addition to performing over 40 laboratory crash tests, Saab engineers get out into the world. They have investigated 5,000 accidents, often interviewing the drivers to see how the car responded. In developing the Saab 9-5, safety focused on prevention and protection where it counts most: On the road. That’s real-life intelligence.
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