I did a post a little while back on SAABSUNITED where we touched on the subject of tattoos and the devotion of many fans to this brand called Saab. Since that post, I have received a few more emails of tattoos and not too surprisingly it would seem the most popular is the Griffin head logo. Below are three examples of this Griffin head inked on fans who really have no looking back on Saab now, it’s a part of them forever.
The Griffin head is an easy one to choose because it just looks so cool. I have seen a few others where someone has tattooed a certain model on their arm and if the car is a classic old model, this looks great too unlike the tattoo I saw of a Chev Cavalier….. A Cavalier? What ever would posses someone to get that on their body forever? This may be a good reason to look at age restrictions on getting ink done because with age you think things through a little better…… well in most cases.
Seeing as the Griffin is the most popular in the tattoo department maybe we should take a look at the history of this creature and how it came to be a symbol of Saab.
Searching for this information I came across the saabmuseum.com website where this is broken down quite nicely.
The first rendition of the Griffin logo is found to the right.
The AB Scania-Vabis corporate symbol featured the crowned head of a mythical beast, the Gripen, or Griffin. Though this symbol was not actually used on any Saab car, it is important in the respect that it is the forerunner of the Saab-Scania corporate symbol that was used between 1984 and 2000.
The first such image used for Saab was the Saab/Scania logo designed by Carl Frederik Reuterswärd, which was introduced in 1984. This was the first logo to reintroduce the head of the Griffin as seen in the Scania-Vabis logo.
The next rendition was introduced months after the complete takeover of Saab by General Motors. This logo was officially introduced on 14th August 2000. Saab had said the logo “has now been refined to reflect more clearly the strengthening brand name and a model range which is the most competitive ever produced by Saab.”
I noticed on the Saab Museum this curious not about where the griffin head actually comes from.
The heraldic Griffin’s head – derived from the coats of arms of the Skåne and Östergotland counties in southern Sweden traditionally symbolises vigilance.
So naturally I had to see what these coats of arms look like and using wikipedia it was quick and easy. As you can see below there are some similarities but I much prefer the Saab griffin head.
First is theÖstergotland: 
Second is Skåne: 
Looking at the two coats of arms it is obvious to me that the closest to the Saab logo is the one from Skåne and it looks pretty cool itself. Both images show the griffin and the golden crown and it’s easy to see the ties to our beloved griffin logo.
The griffin itself has the body of a lion considered the king of beasts and the wings of an eagle considered the king of birds. Griffins are known for guarding treasures (not unlike our SAAB) and are thought to be a powerful and majestic creature.
This one missed my posting but here’s Megs tattoo from tonight and another from facebook.
ok… thats pretty cool 🙂
Just noticing in the three tattoos, two of them if you look at the ear have the Saab/Scania logo and one the later logo. Skåne is also the Swedish word for Scania and it would make sense then that the Skåne coat is closer to the final image used by Saab and Scania.
Actually, all three look like the Saab Scania version in various levels of detail. It’s quite an interesting game of “Spot the difference” between the logos.
I kind of like the Griffin that Saab AB uses:
—.saabsunited.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/Gripen-Griffin.-Lance-Cole-Photo.jpg
That is a nice one for sure but hard to make into a car logo although it could be rounded off. The full Griffin body and wings like you see on statues looks great too. I had never taken time before to look into where this logo came from and I find it interesting to see how often the griffin is used and the different graphics for different companies, heck even Vauxhall uses the griffin logo though theres looks more like a super hero logo.
Got a griffin tattoo tonight, symbolizing Saab and the Griffin that’s been in my family from my grand parents..
Meg, you’ll have to email me the photo as the link you had couldn’t open. Sounds like a tattoo to be proud of.
JasonPowell, sent to crew mail your attention with blog title. thanks 🙂
Look above Meg, there it is. Nice variation on the Griffin, have the Saab like head but also the whole griffin with wings and body.
I am no fan of any tattoos at all. I was appalled when I heard of people at Nike in Beaverton OR putting the swoosh on their legs.
We live in a free world but, at least in my world it is a very de-classing action to put on tattoos.
Where’s that? 1932?
Hard to believe (well, actually it’s not, really) there are still people like that are around, especially in a place like OR at that…. (yes i have been there and have friends living there…. before you go there)
We live in a free world but, at least in my world, somebody judging people because they have a tattoo, should NOT be talking about having class…
I’m a huge fan of tattoos, I think when done tastefully they look great and I’ve seen a lot of older people with them that still look good. If that makes me less classy then so be it. I am and always will be a fan of tattoos as it is a form of art that I enjoy.
Trued – agreed. I’m not sure why people feel the need to make their bodies walking billboards. Just wait till they get into their senior years when all the artwork begins to sag. To each their own but I think I’ll pass on this one. Saab on!
LOL, I agree.
But to each his/her own ……
Nobody is asking anyone here to get a tattoo. If you don’t like tattoos that is fine but many, MANY people do like them and to each there own. I like that for those that do like tattoos that they are putting stuff on them that has meaning to them. Tattoos have been around forever, come on.
The Griffin tattoo here in Sweden would have You categorized as a Scania Trucker.
My business depends heavily on truckers, is it a bad thing to be a trucker? Over here they are some of the hardest working people I know. In North America it is way more than just truckers that have tattoos and a tattoo is usually an expression or sentimental thing.
Okay, we get it, you don’t like tattoos. How about we all agree to disagree and move on.
you can find much more information about Reuterswärd, as well as buy his most famous piece of art (besides the SAAB logo, that is!), the Non Violence-statue.
Awful.
The only tatoos I have seen that I have seen worthy of appearing on the human body are those drawn using UV ink.
Ah to each their own, this kind of statement seems way to stuffy to me. I don’t judge people and if you like tattoos or piercings, I don’t care if you treat me and others right. Why is it human nature to judge?
Jason, if you’re comfortable with people admiring the tattoos (that is judgement too), then by posting them on a car site you may have to be comfortable with people not admiring them.
You’re right – tattoos have been around for a long time. But their popularity has big peaks and valleys – they are peaking now. Tattoo removal is becoming a strong business and it will grow in coming years. They don’t age well.
I think there is a big difference between saying “x is not my thing” and “wearing x makes you less of a person in my eyes”.
A little diplomacy goes a long way.
judgement and acceptance are two different things Keith, I accept that people like tattoos and even if I didn’t like tattoos, I would never judge a person who has them. Like what Rune said there is a big difference between saying it’s not your thing and that the one that has them is less of a person. Also if you look into tattoo removal, it is not people who have them and haven’t aged well getting them removed, it is people who have been divorced removing a name or people who simply do not like what they had done anymore… Read more »