An open letter to everyone who loves Saab cars
It’s a pretty silly thing, isn’t it?
The fact that someone, amidst all the things that come and go in daily life, can get so attached to a wierd little car made by a small company in a small town in Western Sweden. We’ve each got families, careers and hobbies. And even if you tick the ‘automotive’ box in the hobbies column, there’s so many makes to choose from. But somehow, there’s only one - or a few - that really matter.
For some strange reason, Saabs make people happy. Other cars get people from A to B. Some of them carry stuff. Some of them are track demons. Some look like tha shizzle and occasionally they have tha sizzle to match. Saab cars make people happy by doing a little bit of everything, and doing it remarkably well.
Maybe it’s the slightly offbeat looks. The rush of the turbo. The supremely comfortable seats. Night Panel is pretty cool (even if you don’t need to, it’s fun to put it on just because you can) and a Saab convertible still stands out.
Actually, let me share one little story about the Saab convertible.
Last year, Saab Sweden were kind enough to offer me the use of a TiD Convertible when I visited Trollhattan for the Saab Festival. One afternoon, a few of us gathered at a friend’s place (Tim R - you may remember he and his girlfriend had matching Viggens - G’day Tim!!). Whilst we were there, Tim’s mother asked if she could go for a ride in the convertible. I offered her the keys, but she declined (IIRC, she doesn’t drive, or not much, anyway) so she rode shotgun and we headed out for a cruise.
Tim’s mother doesn’t speak much English so we had little to talk about, but there was no need to ask how she was doing - the smile on her face as we cruised around with the top down said it all. She had her arms up in the air at one stage, roller-coaster style. She was laughing, having a ball. It was pure, Saab Convertible joy and it’s one of the many enduring images I carry around of my visit there.
Is there a better car to get free in than a Saab Convertible? I think not.
Another enduring image that I carry from that trip is my brief meeting with former Saab designer, Bjorn Envall, outside the Saab Museum. We had a chat and I got him to sign a momento for me, and we talked quickly of future Saabs. Given his prominent role in shaping some of the best Saabs ever and the fact that he still sticks his head in at Saab HQ to have a look at what’s going on, I was keen to get his impression. He looked at me with that big grin of his, flexed his biceps and said “you’ll see……soon Saab will be strong again!”
That gave me a great deal of faith. I gave me a lot more hope than Bob Lutz wandering the floor at Geneva telling people that the Saabs in development would be truer to the Saab brand than anything else the company’s done in the last 30 or 40 years.
Bjorn Envall vs Bob Lutz? No disrespect to Bob as he has done great things for the GM company as a whole, but I’ll take Bjorn’s biceps over Bob’s excessive claims every time.
Of course the key to all of this is whether or not all those cars that Bjorn Envall has been privy to will make it into production. And if they do get to production, how true they’ll be to the Saab ethos.
A future Saab that looks distinct, surprises its driver, is practical and well equipped will be a beautiful thing to see. I’d encourage everyone who loves the brand to be open-minded about what comes out for Saab, but to also be diligent in measuring whether or not it stands up as a modern Saab.
——
Last night, amongst the many emails that I received (thankyous are on their way), there was one from a GM employee I’ve got to know over the years. This person is quite involved with Saab and has a huge personal investment in the company (not financial, but emotional and vocational). There was one line in the email that stuck out to me: I wish GM would sell Saab to someone who understands the brand.
That saddened me, though I still have faith that they can come to understand the brand. While Carl-Peter Forster is still involved with GM Europe (or GM globally, for that matter), I think we’re in with a chance. The way cars are trending makes Saab a perfect fit for the future IF they pour the development dollars in.
For everyone who loves Saab cars, the good news is that the potential is there for the future to be very bright. The bad news? I don’t think I have to spell that out too much more, do I?
Just make sure you enjoy what you’ve got. Life’s too short to do otherwise. If you don’t like what comes in the future, go get yourself a Saab Convertible.
It’ll make you happy.
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God damn it what am I going to do when these week is over?
Today, when GM has announced that the shift to smaller, more efficient cars is permanent, I hope that Saab can play a more front-and-center role. That can only come by regaining its place as a technology leader and (at the same time) by reversing the drift towards bigger, faster and more powerful cars. Though Saab already offers acceptable fuel economy, it should do better, and soon. Movement in this direction is already underway, but it will do little good until consumers see the results in the showroom. If Saab’s answer to a changing world is to be found 3-4 years down the road, I’m afraid it will be too little too late.
A comment to me this morning from a 2006 anniversary Convertible owner.. “Can I tell you how many things I love about my car?”…
rogan2915 said it perfectly!
Saab has Bjorn Envall, Sixten Sason and Swade. Quite possibly the three greatest men ever associated with that little Swedish car!
As that ABBA song used to say “Thank You For the Music”. You da man!!
An excellent, touching write-up, Swade! Reminds me of how much you will be missed.
Swade, You’re just too great a writer to not be doing this for a living. I’m praying that some day, maybe when you least expect it, you’ll get an offer that you can’t refuse. Your talent is just too great to be wasted.
I hope one day soon Saab/GM makes a car which inspires you to blog again. It may be the new 9-5, it may be the up and coming 9-2/9-3.
Things are definitly happening at GM which could allow Saab to grow.
I love my 9-5 Aero but I am looking to downsize. I cant do that with a Saab which I would like to so a Peugeot 207 Gti looks like the go. Right sized direct injection turbo engine, 5 star safety, superb seats and interesting looks. Why doesn’t this exist?
I think that GM employee has summed up a lot of peoples feelings. After almost two decades GM still doesn’t understand Saab and possibly never will, but we still need to have hope.
Some good people like Peter Augustsson and Michael Mauer got tired of banging their heads against a brick wall and moved on and I think Saab is the lesser for it.
I still think Saab could be sold, but at least it won’t be some kind of fire sale that might have happened two or three years ago. Saab has potential again.
Two or three years ago it might have gone the way of Rover which certainly didn’t deserve it’s fate. Interestingly it seems, Tata now owns the Rover name. Ford bought the name when Rover was sold to protect the image of the Land Rover brand and it would appear Tata has inherited it. The Chinese are using the name Roewe (say that one quickly).
Hi Swade,
Just read your swan song. I think you’ve done an outstanding job here with a commitment well beyond that of SAABs current masters.
It sounds as though the sleeping GM giant may have woken up at last if the language is anything to go by.
All the best with the hope that i can allow myself to become part of the fraternity when a SAAB worthy product appears within the next year or two.
greenmatt, nice choice the 207 gti. I am looking at 308 Gt coming out shortly. I’ve driven the XTE and it has outstanding quality but the HP/Torque just a little under done for a car this weight. The GT would be perfect.
I do think the exterior of the 207 looks better though.
I’ll second the part about the Saba convertible.
And, as I’ve said all along, GM is getting Saab more and more each day. I just hope that the rest of GM holds up to see what really can be done when a global company gets behind our little Saab.
Rick Wagoner has raised the idea of selling Hummer today as well I believe.
Still don’t get why they would put all this investment into Chevy and not Saab as well. Sure, it works in the US - to a point. Seems limited.
If GM divests itself of HUMMER, hopefully it’ll use the R&D money it would have spent on that brand to strengthen its two remaining premium brands (Cadillac and Saab). Of the two Saab needs (and deserves, IMHO) more of the attention. Cadillac (in the U.S. at least) seems to be on very firm footing and is selling cars Cadillac buyers want.
Saab is a little behind technologically and needs to play catch-up. Sinking a good deal of R&D funding into it to catch up would be of great benefit. Like I think we all agree, Saab can’t wait another 4 to 5 years for the attention it deserves from its corporate parent.
I have an idea, how about a Saab 9-5 Swade Edition?
1985 Gripen: You are very close to the mark. I don’t think Saab can wait until 2012 to replace the 9-3. Last years facelift bought it 2 to 3 years at the most. By 2012 I predict it’s sales will be close to the current 9-5.
A 9-3 replacement needs to be technology leading, not trailing and the new model needs to be a testament to innovation, practicality and space utilization. Something Saab was once recognized for.
true words , I can’t say any thing more than that……
Hey Swade,
Thanks for providing all Saab enthusiasts a great service with your website. Your commentary will be greatly missed.
I recently got to chat with Steve Shannon over lunch at the Turbo X Academy and he compared GM to a large family unit. Parents have limited resources and can really focus on one child at a time. With Cadillac and other brands getting the attention as of late, he feels that Saab’s time is next. I truly feel that the Saab people believe in the brand and will bring the brand back to prominence.
JT808: no offense intended to my friends at Saab USA but I was told the exact same thing early last year by a Saab USA employee when Cadillac’s push into Europe was in full force. I was told that Saab had to wait in the wings while Cadillac took the limelight and that Saab’s time would come. “We’re all in this together so what’s good for one GM brand is good for all GM brands” is basically what they were saying. There was implication that the money made from selling Cadillacs would allow GM to invest more in Saab. Saab is part of a package of “premium brands” now which also include Cadillac and HUMMER. Somehow I think that’s just the company line and don’t see Cadillac sharing their hard-earned cash investing in Saab, but I hope I’m proven wrong.
I agree completely, thats why I drive it. It puts a smile on your face, even on a sad day (like this)
“Cadillac CTS wagon”
Say no more.
It should be called “Saab JOYvertible”….
Swade, I’ll miss your blog!
Good luck with whatever comes next in your life!
Swade,
Missed my 900 convertible since the day I left her for a 9-5. The 9-5 has the character to make the loss bearable.
I guess I’ll miss your blog in the coming weeks,months, … . Maybe I shouldn’t look for a surrogate TS-blog and do the same thing you’re planning: getting the right equilibrium between family, job & hobby(s).
Nevertheless, somehow I’m convinced the Return of Swade will occur after ending this blog. In some form.
But just ending it the end of he week isn’t that a dull moment ? Without any small celebration for the great Swade, an apotheose, a decent end-mark …
In what form this could be ? I’m draining my braincells but till know whitout any purposefull result.
There must be a way to say ‘thank-you-Swade-for-what-you’ve-done-and-the-way-you-did-it’.
Well Swade, let’s keep it simple.
Thank you !
&
Troll around.
“Last night, amongst the many emails that I received (thankyous are on their way), there was one from a GM employee I’ve got to know over the years. This person is quite involved with Saab and has a huge personal investment in the company (not financial, but emotional and vocational). There was one line in the email that stuck out to me: I wish GM would sell Saab to someone who understands the brand.”
But who?
There are only a very few serious players in the global automotive market. There’s no way a Saab-specific platform and mechanicals are economically viable these days, so it couldn’t be just a private equity sugar daddy.
Ford? No. They’re too busy flailing with Volvo, not to mention all the recent fire-sales.
VAG? Gawd, no. Prime competition with Audi, and VAG are hardly good at differentiating between their different-brands-same-car portfolio.
Merc? Again, prime competition - and I think they’re off the whole idea after the Chrysler fiasco.
Renault-Nissan? Well, possibly, but their recent products aren’t exactly inspiring.
PSA? Again, possible but unlikely. It’d be an interesting fit, though.
Honda? Toyota? Any of the other far-easterns? No. They’re too strongly regionally proud - and would rather establish a new “local” brand than buy in. Lexus, of course, is the prime example.
I just can’t see it.
How nice to read such a fine text! I hope the responsible persons of GM read it too and begin to understand how important Saab can be for them. For me, driving Saab since 1972 (now 9-3SS-Aero), it is still something special to drive a Saab, specially my 900-1 LPT, which has more than 230′000 km. Now I am looking for the 2.0 T SportCombi with xwd som shall come as Y2009. I wish all the best for Swade and for Saab.
Correct Swade, That’s why it’s all I will drive…
Still sad to see this thing go. Just sux.
Swade, I’ll miss this blog very much. I read it every day, and besides the entertainment value it is also my primary place for Saab information (I recently tried to figure out when I could buy an non-TurboX XWD 9-3 and ended up right back here). I’m sad to see you hanging it up, and I hope after a break you may decide to lead the charge once more - I’ll keep checking in just in case.
Regarding this post, I’ve been lusting after a 9-3 Aero Convertible for months now. My biggest question is how they do fare in a US Midwest winter? Coming from Saab, I assume they’d handle snow and ice just as well as the sun, but they’re still a cloth top so I wonder. If anyone has a ‘vert in a snowy climate I’d love to hear your take!
Yo GM! Give Swade the global marketing position he so deserves!!!!!!!!!!
This entry belongs in the “Best of Trollhattan Saab”, IMO.
adding on to Wilfried’s comments: as has been said so many times before- the end is just the start of something new and I hope we see something new from either Swade or the Saab community.
What been said here over the 6 months I’ve been reading this blog have been so true about Saabs and this last entry has shown me even more how much this means to Swade- Eggs and the rest of you who comment on the blog.
I hope that the TS community will stay together in some way- it would be too sad for this to be the end of it completely- its just the beginning of another chapter…..
I’ve probably said this before but I would like to become a Designer at Saab. You’ve all helped me learn from Saabs past and present and for that I would like to thank you, Swade and I hope have a good future ahead, I can kind of see that your decision is made now and althoug I’m sad that this is all going to stop- It is just the start of something new which we can all still share.
Thank you
Swade is right (again). Driving ‘the’ convertible really opens up your mind.
I’ll keep that in mind till end of this week and hopefully some times longer before the melancholie overmans me because this blog is shutting down …
Just as a tribute to the great Swade, this small collection, I flickred instead of googled - 23,558 saab uploads over there says it all.
A bit in remembrance of the nice saab-proud-competition Swade did earlier.
All picts share the positive energy from you saabists out there (claim your rights - some of them crossed TS-blog before I guess).
As a small ‘thank you’ to the great Swade and his and our love for the Swedish Saabs, just putting this links in the comment is all I can do.
I will remember the TS-blog with a big smile even years from now and the energy Swade put into it is certainly not lost. The smiles of many saabist proves that on road an apparently on various sites.
I’ve got no inside information on GM-saab relationships and Swades post and comments where lots of time lucide. Let’s hope many guys at GM understand what saab-drivers united at this blog from down under. Not to mention the meaningfull thoughts you shared with us.
Swade, I guess you will come back …
as a little Troll and give us some more magic !
Salute Swade ! (And if you ever swap your viggen for an Alfa, let us know).
So here is my saab-happy convertible session as found on the (flickr-net):
The essence of (saab-) driving captured in a pic (helas no convertible):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ian-alexander/1878274806/
The coolest saab convertible pict ever:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/70641124@N00/470132003/
The smiles:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/asvdw/425168560/
Just cool:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/negfoto/2420983655/
Hopefull:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42057291@N00/457673513/
No hatch, but the same practical features:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stian_olsen/2546143446/
Pure:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashan/416272997/
A bit fashionable, but great settings:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/szwajczak/544838904/
(Swade, hope you take this smoking not as an offence ? If I can recall correctly, you linked this series before.)
Surely this must be the grinning man, pictured some years ago in the initial 9-3 2nd gen campaign:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chaspope/2460993260/“Hip hip hurra to Swade” he yells (but did GM-bosses hear that between the BioPower noice ?)
And there is a lot more … .
I’m not sure GM has to sell off Saab. What they have to do is let them exist. Recently this is happening - is it soon enough is the question.
My Saab is great - its a fantastic car. I hope I take it to 100K+. GM needs to let Saab take advantage of the GM platforms and then leave them alone. That’s all - and it seems that’s exactly what is happening.