I committed to write a Saab Eulogy for TTAC quite a while ago. Thanks to the nigh-endless histrionics to keep the patient on life support, the wait has been rather drawn out. But the end finally came, and I’ve given my little speech/history of what was once a very plucky company indeed. It’s the kind of story that one is so eager in telling at the beginning, but gets more and more painful as it goes on. And the end is almost a relief, figuratively and literally. Anyway, here’s the link, as if you didn’t know how to get there by yourself. And you know the way back too.
Very nice graveside speech Paul I agree the end should have been pre GM back when SAAB really meant something good.
I went to TTAC and you can’t comment over there so I just wanted to say… “Thanks TTAC for allowing Paul to do the eulogy. I believe of anyone who has ever written for TTAC, Paul was the appropriate person to write it.”
Thanks for the piece… couldn’t have asked for better! Didn’t realize comments were closed, but they’ve been enabled.
Nicely written Paul. It’s sad Saab has died, and I feel for the employees whose jobs are lost, but it’s better than carrying on the way it has this past year.
I’m gonna miss Saab, the 99 and first-gen 900 were fantastic cars and it’s a shame we’ll never to get see cars like that again.
Sad, to be sure, but we all saw this day coming for awhile. Quirky as Saabs are/were, I was looking for a last minute reprieve, lifeline, as it were. It got to drive away (pretty much) “a Saab” not like Packard (a Studebaker President in a slurry dress) or a Hudson (Richard Arbib “V-Line” styling on a Nash Pininfarina body – with FOUR count ’em – FOUR bolt on fins front and rear).
Mele Kalikimaka from Hawaii.
That’s “slutty” dress – not “slurry”. (Damn iPhone spell checker).
R.I.P.
It is a sad, but inevitable day..I could write my own eulogy for Saab, but you have done well, Mr. Neidermeyer. I have been a saab fanatic since happenstance brought a ’92 900 to my driveway in ’03. It was dead reliable to me, got me through college and moved all my worldly possessions more times than I care to remember…but eventually the day came when it’s auto trans showed signs of failure. I gave it to my parents to use as a station car(3 years ago), and it is still on the road..I replaced it with another 1992 900, this one with a 5-speed. I’ve driven this one hard as well, NY-CA this summer, 30mpg, reliable and comfortable all the way…I hate to see Saab go, but there are fates worse than death…
The Ursaab is the most exciting 21st century car I’ve seen yet. But…it was built 65 years ago! Brilliant.
It’s inspired to pair it with the dearly departed Aptera. Now there’s a tragedy, a long, dark story of a brilliant team brought down by sharks.
On a side note, would Reddy Kilowatt endorse the Nissan Leaf?
Definitely! It’s an excellent and practical daily driver for many. I know two people at work who are very happy with theirs. A good friend is on the waiting list for the Mitsubishi i EV – his car is on the boat.
Why don’t I drive a Leaf? I prefer a two-place open sports car for my daily commute. Not having the wherewithal for a Tesla Roadster, I’m preparing for the next best thing, converting my ’93 Miata to electric power. I’ll keep the CC gang posted on that once I get started.
Great article, Paul.
My aunt and uncle gave a ’60 Saab to my elder brothers in ’64. The eldest rolled it, found a 59 car with a bad engine and swapped it for sale to ur-hippies. He got a ’65 96 and I rather liked it. Loved the quirkiness (for what it’s worth, we had one of the few 66 Mercury Breezeways in town, so it could be genetic).
Fast forward to mid 1970s. A friend had a Saab wagon (IIRC, a 95? series) but bought a new 99 for a move back to the east coast for a job assignment. When he got back, I learned the 99 managed to die several times on the trip, including frying the starter when it didn’t disengage. I lost any desire for Saabs, and went the british car route. If I was going to do battle with the Prince of Darkness, it would be over a TR3A, thank you.
Lovely eulogy, PN. I”ll miss these cars, well, let me correct that… I’ve been missing these cars since 1992. Your writeup’s pictures servce to remind me how much I love those short nose 99s. That car just screams rally racer to me and I’d love to locate a running example of one to bring back to life.
This has been a long time coming, and of course we all knew it–this horse should have been put down a while ago, unfortunately. RIP SAAB (autos).
Thanks, Paul, for a great eulogy–I’ve seen people eulogized with not nearly as much care. 😀
That was a great write up, and didn’t have all the hand wringing about ‘evil GM’ and ‘it’s the end of cool cars’. Real actual knowledge of SAAB’s products were pointed out, not just about their ‘whimsical-ness’.
Many auto brands, models, and companies have went under in the past 110 years, and some car fans have to accept it, and not take it so personally.
RIP SAAB.
Not all that long after GM gained complete acquisition/control of Saab, they announced the discontinuation of Olds. Drop a car line that was still selling 200K units per year to completely acquire one that, maybe, might sell shy of 50K world-wide is a real model of change-of-the-millenium business sense! Paul’s right – GM didn’t want to be “left behind” in the great American acquisition of Anglo-Euro brands.
Regarding the 9-7, GM plants in Ohio were also building an Isuzu branded SUV; the Ascender. All those parts bins for about seven/eight variations of the same vehicle; maddening. Much like Edsel assembly at Louisville being sandwiched in between Fords and Mercuries.
I am in concurrence; Saab should’ve left the auto building buisness in circa 1990.
In some ways it’s like having someone you know come down with Alzheimer’s or some other degenerative disease. But with a manufacturing company it seems there is always hope; hope that a new idea will come up, a different product, a financial rescue, so that it seems on one hand that maybe the body can yet be brought back to life while on the other hand they are standing around the grave, shovels in hand.
Well written. The 99 sedan was one of the best looking sedans of the 70’s in my eyes. I drove a 900 hatch years ago, but never cared for the turtle-backed hatch styling, functionality notwithstanding.
As a Saab fanatic, I will admit that GM badge engineering killed them. But I REALLY like the new 9-5 at the same, strange time, weird. Also, I am sad yet still not surprised about this knowing what GM did to brands like Olds and Pontiac.
Can I say what an awesome photo that is. It makes the car look qualified to be the Batmobile. In the later James Bond novels (post Ian Fleming), Bond drove a Saab Turbo.