A Bite of History – Mike Thies

Saab

SAAB: The Jet That Turned Into a Car

Ever wonder what happens when airplane engineers build a car? You get Saab. Born in Sweden in the late 1940s, Saab (short for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget) started life making fighter planes. Then one day someone said, “Hey, what if we made a car that drove like a cockpit?” And boomm, Saab 92 hit the road in 1949.

Saabs were weird in the best way. They had wraparound windshields, key ignitions between the seats, and turbocharged engines before that was even cool. The cars looked like they were drawn with a crayon by someone who love aerodynamics; and snow.

In the '80s and '90s, Saabs became the quirky choice for intellectuals, architects, and anyone who liked doing things a little differently. They were solid, safe, and a bit strange, but that was the charm.

Sadly, Saab couldn’t quite stick the landing. After years of financial turbulence, the brand faded out in the early 2010s. But true fans still keep the turbo spirit alive, because driving a Saab was never just about getting from A to B; it was about how you got there.