Monthly Archives: August 2008

Saturday Snippets

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News on the vacation front:

Yesterday, we did what anyone would do on a cold, windy, raining summer’s day in the Fraser Valley – we went to a waterslide park! The day was cut short when a tree blew over and took out the power to the entire Cultus Lake area, meaning many of the slides were shut down. That tree also held us up as we left, as it fell across the road and it was an hour wait before the power company got a truck out there to cut it up, remove it and restore power.

Fun, fun, fun!!

We saw one Saab 9-3 convertible on the trip home, taking our tally to 17 Saab sightings so far.

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I’ve written to Saab Canada to see if they have a press vehicle available on the west coast for next week’s Pacific Northwest meetup. Hopefully they can make something available. It’d be much more appropriate than rocking up to the Ikea carpark in my brother-in-law’s Ford Explorer!

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Negotiations have commenced in Trollhattan for the closing down of some of the shifts there due to falling demand, primarily in the US market. It seems that for the foreseeable future, workers in Trollhattan will have a little less to do, though their losses may be offset by bringing some outsourcd work back in-house.

The new 9-4x and 9-5 will help Saab as a company, though they won’t help Trollhattan too much as they’ll be made in Mexico and Germany, respectively. Trollhattan needs some added interest in the 9-3, and quick.

Thanks to the various Swedes who sent this story through!

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I have a feeling that when we see the convertible car concept based on the 9-X in Paris later this year, it’ll be a hardtop convertible. I’m just guessing, but I think the trend towards hardtops can’t be ignored.

CAR Magazine are speculating on a new Audi hardtop coupe/convertible and their artist’s rendering is the first time I’ve seen a hardtop that looks good with the top up. Most of the hardtops look out of proportion to me, a result of the different geometry that a hardtop requires.

Personally, I think if a car’s a convertible then it should look like a convertible, and that means a soft top. Modern soft tops are quiet, well insulated and they look fantastic. With a five star safety rating such as that held by the 9-3 convertible, they don’t lose out in strength or science, either.

Pop-up headlights were a trend once, too.

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If anyone needs clarification about my stance on Cadillac, here it is.

A 500hp luxury sport sedan that has true performance and luxury characteristics sounds like what a Cadillac should be. That’d be the 2009 CTS-V. I still think they’re as ugly as a bashed crab, but that’s my own personal opinion. The fact is, the thing drives like a luxury car when required and goes like stink when you give it some welly.

A four cylinder Cadillac like the one they’re proposing for 2010 is not in keeping with a clear Cadillac brand image, and it treads well-and-truly on Saab’s territory in GM’s upper echelon marketplace. There’s just no good reason for it whatsoever.

If Saab and Caddy are to cross over, it should be in the 6-cylinder area, which would represent an upper end of the Saab demographic and a base for Cadillac.

I can’t see why this is so difficult.

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This is Motor Authority’s take on the 2010 Saab 9-5. For a bigger version of this image, click here.

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Elkparts have a couple of new Saab watches in stock, which are going to be limited editions.

The first is a new take on the Saab 99 Turbo watch. I’ve got one of the original ones, which was an exact replica of the car’s turbo guage. This one’s just a little different and an attractive piece.

Click here for the Elkparts page for this watch.

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The second is a watch based on the 1965 Saab Sport. This is a really good classic design based on instruments in the two stroke Saab Sport. It’s made in stainless steel and water resistant to 5 atmospheres.

Click here for the Elkparts page for this watch.

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The Great TS Pacific Northwest Meetup – Details!

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It’s taken a bit of organisation, but the great TS Pacific Northwest Meetup is finally planned and ready to go. If you’re in the BC lower mainland, Washington or even in Oregon, September 6 is the day and we’d love for you to be able to come along, say G’day, kick some tyres (ok, tires), have a drive and then some good food to finish the day.

The big gathering will begin at 3pm at the XXX Root Beer facility at 98 NE Gilman Blvd, Issaquah. Here’s your Google Map.

We’ll meet there and have a nice long look over each other’s cars before embarking on the Saab Club of Seattle’s Flogging Loop – click to enlarge.

That loop will see us end up at the Issaquah Brew House, where good old fashioned pub food will be available, as well as a responsible amount of the Brew House’s primary product. Friends don’t let friends drive their Saabs whilst drunk, so if you indulge too much I’ll have to confiscate your Saab for the duration of my holiday :-)

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You Washington types can just make your way there at a liesurely pace. For those of you leaving from Vancouver, like me, the day is going to start a lot earlier.

We’ll be meeting under the flags at the IKEA outlet in Coquitlam at 9am. After a little bit of getting-to-know-you we’ll head south for the border and then on to the meeting point at XXX Root Beer.

Why such an early start? The border corssing, of course, which could be as quick as 30 minutes or as long as 3 hours. If it’s quick, we’ll have some time to kill, but SaabKen has a drive up his sleeve if that situation eventuates.

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It’s going to be a great day, and it’ll involve members from several different car clubs:

The Saab Club of Western Canada
The Saab Club of Seattle
Northwest Saab Owners Club

It’ll also involve a bunch of people who aren’t members of those clubs, but are interested in Saab stuff and have been in touch through Trollhattan Saab.

It’s going to be a great day and I hope you can all make it along. Great cars, great people, great driving. There’ll be heaps of photos to come.

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UPDATE:

The guys at XXX Rootbeer have been very accommodating, reserving plenty of parking for us and Jose from XXX is willing to throw in some tickets for drawings for XXX t-shirts and such (it’s a business promotion opportunity for XXX).

So, come along, meet some fellow Saab nuts and maybe you’ll come away with some XXX goodies as well!

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I’d like to thanks SaabKen (SCWC), James from (SSC) and Tim S (Viggen owner extraordinaire and member of NWSOC) for their help in planning the day.

It took some time, but we got there in the end!

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Quite possibly the best 2008 Saab 9-3 road test report – ever.

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I’ll admit I’ve not been a huge fan of Left Lane News over the years, but perhaps I neet to take a second look. I’ll keep the reasons for my indifference to myself, but suffice to say that when Andrew Ganz from LLN emailed me to let me know he’d prepared a review of the 2008 Saab 9-3 2.0T, I was curious but not overly excited.

After reading the review for myself, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. I’ll go further and say that this is a review that could sell Saabs all by itself. This is a thoroughly researched piece of work that should be a yardstick for many of the ‘professional’ auto journalists out there. Quite a compliment, especially seeing Andrew used my most hated “Q” word in the text :-)

Here’s a few snippets, but I suggest that any person interested in Saabs click through and read it for themselves. It really is worth the time. For one thing, Andrew’s reviewing the car that most Saab buyers in the US will end up with – the base model 2.0T. It’s so base it’s even got the 16 inch wheels.

Here were go:

By the late 1980s, Saab’s future was bleak: The ubiquitous 900 traced its roots to the 1968 99 and the 9000, an impressively roomy and fast sedan, was essentially conceived without the budget for a replacement. Fortunately, the General stepped in and the world still has Saabs, albeit Saabs based on GM-engineered platforms.

One the 9-3 base:

….based on GM’s Epsilon platform, which, in an extended configuration, also underpins the Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Aura, Pontiac G6 and even the Fiat Croma in Europe. That said, the 9-3 is marketed as a considerably more upscale vehicle and includes many of the features you’d expect to see in the entry-level sports/luxury sedan market. Not to mention that it looks and feels absolutely nothing like its platform mates.

And therein is a good indication of the quality of this review. Countless other publications would stop at listing the other GM models and craft a literary sneer to go along with it. The separation of the 9-3 is both appropriate and accurate.

….It’s not nearly as unique as the classic 900s were with their distinctive hatchback shape, but the 9-3 is overall a pleasant, vaguely generic European design. The 2008 upgrades go a long way to giving it a unique external identity….

….Otherwise, the interior design is functional and fairly upscale. The materials and designs aren’t quite as richly upscale as you’ll see in a BMW 3-Series, but they’re sufficient for the 9-3’s lower price point. Few materials feel genuinely out of place, but few also truly exceed expectations.

Again, objective and accurate.

Finally:

Why you would buy it:
You’re looking for a less-expensive way to experience unique European flavor and you want a car with personality as well as surprising performance and efficiency.

Why you wouldn’t:
You’re a Saab purist disheartened by the GM-sourced motor and platform.

Even the pictures do the reader a service by pointing out the good and the bad:

Head on over to Left Lane News and check it out for yourself. If you’re in the market for a 2008 Saab 9-3, then it’s well worth a read.

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Saab Owners Convention – wrapping it up with Steve Shannon and the best collection of photos you’ll see

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Steve Shannon has posted a summary article on GM’s FYI blog, giving his point of view on the recent Saab Owners Convention in Devens, Massachusetts.

It was very nice to reconnect, and meet again in open dialogue with Saab owners from all over the U.S. I had met several last year for the first time, when the convention took place close to our current Saab headquarters in Detroit.

While last year’s event was special because of Saab’s 60th Anniversary as an auto maker, this year certainly had its unique attractions as well. First off, there was the convention’s theme of “30 Years of Turbocharging Leadership”, starting with the original 1978 Saab 99 Turbo…..

….In addition to 30 Years of Saab Turbocharging, technology that now seems more relevant than it ever was, we used the opportunity to share many positive developments with the Saab family at large.

Those developments include the new 9-4x and 9-5, which are covered in terms we’ve all heard before.

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Aussie Saab nut Steve B travelled Stateside for his third consecutive SOC, and as in the past, he’s provided a brilliant collection of photos.

Once again, Steve’s risen to the occasion and his Flickr account is overflowing with 200+ excellent photos from the convention. I’ve selected around a dozen for your perusal, but you’d be wise to head on over and check them all out for yourselves.

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A very interesting 2-tone Saab 95.

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Saabs are good mannered motor vehicles. Here they are bowing in the presence of esteemed owners. Manners are the glue of good society.

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I want a Sonett. Every time I see a picture like this I want one more and more. Is there a cooler and more unusual small car in any manufacturer’s historical range?

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All credit to the Turbo X for reviving the C900 turbo gauge, but I’d LOVE to see this one revived. From the 99 Turbo.

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Another Sonett. A “three” this time.

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And one more……a “two” giving the rolling road a scare

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Dame Edna was in the house and she continues to look better and better, every time I see her.

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The Saab 9-X BioHybrid was the star of the show, and is now doing an extended tour at a Washington Times car show this weekend.

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Now that is one clean engine. Kudos!

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Just for Richo – Saab 9-3 Viggen with vents.

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Some more beautiful and deferential looking old Saabs. Magnificent.

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And finally, the group photo.

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Just quietly, Steve’s put in years of work producing the best Saab club magazine in the world for the Saab Car Club of Australia, he owns two beautful customised Saabs and has put in innumerable hours on behalf of the brand for club activities and personal travel overseas for various events.

Saab could do a lot worse than contracting him to record next year’s SOC in Denver. It’d be a just reward. Just my 0.02c.

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25% off two T-shirts during August

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UPDATE: THIS OFFER HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO FRIDAY, AUGUST 29.

GET IN QUICK AS THIS IS GENUINE GREAT VALUE. IVAN’S DESIGNS ARE TOP SHELF AND THE SPREADSHIRT PRODUCT IS TOO.

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Our T-shirt provider, Spreadshirt, is having a back-to-school sale and it doesn’t matter whether you’re at school or not – everyone gets the discount!

The discount applies at the US shop only, but I’m pretty sure anyone can order from the US shop so don’t let your location put you off. The discount does not apply to postage.

Jeremy recently sent me a shot of his shirt, which he created with our TS Custom Shop designs in the Do It Yourself version of the shop. In the DIY shop, you can mix and match whatever shirt and design you like. You can even add your own customised text.

Here’s Jeremy’s shirt.

As you can see, you can add designs to the front, back and either sleeve (at a price, of course).

The most recent TS logo is now at the store as well, and there’s Ivan’s full range of Saab designs, too. Spreadshirt have a huge range of shirts to choose from, for both men and women.

If you want to get the 25% discount, you need to order 2 or more items. The discount offer runs to August 25th 29th.

When you go through the checkout, you need to add either of the following codes:

US code: SCHOOL608

Canada code: CADSCHOOL608

Note: although there’s a spearate code for Canada, international visitors should be able to use the US code. I used it around 2 months ago to order my latest polo shirt and it worked fine. Just check it’s applied the discount before you pay for it.

These shirts from Spreadshirt are fantastic quality and you’ll wear yourself out long before you wear the design out.

Click here to visit the pre-loaded shop with garments we’ve put together for you.

Click here to visit the DIY shop and design your own shirt from using their shirts and our designs (recommended).

A tip for new players: several designs are multi-colored. You can select and change any of the colors in the design to make look as you wish. If you make them all the one color (as in the TS design above) then it’ll be a lot cheaper. If you have multiple colors (like the turbo gauge below) then it’ll be more expensive.

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Scorching Saab Seats can Stifle your Swimmers?!

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I wonder if there’s ever been a study into how many kids your average long-term Saab owner has sired?

A German scientist has done a study into teste temperatures and found that guys who sit on heated seats for a prolonged period have higher testicular temperatures than guys who don’t. No surprises there, I guess, but they had to do the tests to make sure.

Does this make you squirm?

Testicle-testing German researchers fitted sensors to the scrotums of 30 healthy men who then sat on a heated car seat for 90 minutes.

I can just see the doctor now, walking towards the volunteer with a set of alligator clips saying “This won’t hurt a bit!”

Yikes!

Anyway, the scrotometer found that the average temperature of the heated sacs was 37.3 degrees C. The regular temperature of the human body is 37C and ideally, the testes should be a few degrees lower than that to produce the best swimmers.

Scrote temps for volunteers that weren’t on heated seats averaged 36.7C. It’s only 0.6 of a degree difference, but a little means a lot when you’re a microscopic athlete training for the biggest moment in your short little life.

The moral of the story:

If you’re a young, childless Saab owner with aspirations towards fatherhood, you better tough out those cold winters and keep the thermostatic switch in the off position. If you’ve already done your national duty (maybe you’ve already had the swings removed but left the rest of the playground intact) then you can approch winter with a smile.

Thankyou linesmen. Thankyou ballboys!

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(personally speaking, I’m 0 from 1, with a miscarraige only to my name from my first marraige. My wife’s done her child-rearing, with me marrying into an instant family comprising 3 kids, so I’ll have no further opportunity to test the theory)

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9-X BioHybrid to show in Washington Times Car Show

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If you’re in or around Washington DC or Virginia and you didn’t make it to the Saab Owners Convention in Massachusetts last week, you still have a chance to catch the star of the show – the Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept car.

What: Washington Times Car Show
Where: Spring Hill Recreation Center – McLean, Virginia
When: Sunday, August 31

The following release just landed from SaabUSA.

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Detroit – Hot on the heels of the well-attended Saab Owners Convention in Devens near Boston last weekend, the award-winning 2008 Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept is scheduled to be on display at the Washington Times Car Show this Sunday, August 31. The event will take place in the Spring Hill Recreation Center near McLean, Virginia just west of Washington, D.C.

Organized by veteran automotive journalist Vern Parker of the Washington Times, the event traditionally offers an impressive array of classics as well as a peek into the car future. Following the tire marks of the Cadillac Sixteen Concept a few years ago, the Saab 9-X will be among the vehicles playing that forward looking role at this year’s show. For more details, see www.washingtontimes.com/multimedia/2008/01/vern_parker_at_the_washington.html.

Already labeled “Best Concept” by AutoWeek Magazine upon its world debut at the Geneva auto show last March, the Saab 9-X BioHybrid was voted “Specialty Concept Car of the Year” by a jury of 25 professional North American automotive journalists. The award ceremony took place last June at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan.

“The Saab 9-X BioHybrid blends organic form with ecologically sound propulsion for both aesthetic and environmental appeal”, said jury panel member Arv Voss of Auto Impressions. Added Bob Kroupa of the Automotive Writers Group: “Saab takes center stage with a new design approach for a compact vehicle. With the BioHybrid turbo engine included, we have a winner”.

“We are honored by this important recognition from an expert North American media organization,” said Saab Automobile USA marketing director Roger McCormack accepting the award. “Following in the footsteps of the highly inspirational Aero X, and the 9-4X BioPower crossover concept which also debuted earlier this year, the 9-X BioHybrid demonstrates that Saab is truly on the move.”

The 9-X BioHybrid is a vivid vision of what a future compact car from Saab could look like. It is designed to reflect the priorities of youthful customers who seek progressive looks, responsible performance and high-tech communications, all in a sporty, fun-to-drive package.

Exploring design themes from Saab’s award-winning Aero X and earlier 9X concepts, the 9-X BioHybrid also demonstrates the potential for ultra-efficient power from a 200 hp (147 kW), 1.4-liter BioPower turbo engine backed by GM’s next-generation hybrid system. Projected combined cycle CO2 emissions of just 105 g/km on E85 fuel are testimony to the promise of this package.

The interior showcases an entirely new expression of Saab’s driver-focused cockpit design, together with innovative, seamless connectivity for personal nomadic devices and a rear cargo deck with a ‘low friction’ loading system.

“This car is all about efficiency in design and performance,” says Anthony Lo, director of Advanced Design at General Motors Europe, who led the 9-X BioHybrid design team in co-operation with the Saab Brand Center in Sweden.

With its ‘turbine’ wheels placed at all four corners, minimal bodywork overhangs and an extended roof line, the proportions of the three-door Saab 9-X BioHybrid bring a dynamic, new dimension to conventional compact ‘hatchback’ looks.

The smooth ‘fuselage’ bodywork, now without any visible handles or door mirrors, the bold ‘wraparound’ window graphic and deep front grille are all themes inspired by the Aero X coupe concept shown at Geneva two years ago.

The car’s distinctive ‘shooting brake’ silhouette and rear functionality are developed from the 9X multi-role concept shown at Frankfurt in 2001. “You could say we designed this car from back to front,“ says Lo. “The shape of the 9X is right for a car of this size, and the longer roof line helps the aerodynamics as well as providing more rear headroom and interior space.”

Echoing Saab’s roots in aircraft design, the 9-X BioHybrid also explores the potential for using active aerodynamics to reduce drag – and fuel consumption – at cruising speeds. Above 70 kph ( 43 mph), the upper and lower bodywork is reshaped as the roof spoiler automatically extends to further lengthen the roof line and an underbody diffuser is deployed from the bottom of the rear bumper.

The four-seater cabin introduces an entirely new execution of Saab’s driver-focused cockpit design. The central, floor-mounted console, with its angled controls and displays, is now eliminated. Instead, the driver-focused layout incorporates a main instrument panel that sweeps out from the top of the door moulding, arching across the driver. The embedded 3-D graphics appear to be ‘frozen’ in ice, continuing a Scandinavian design theme first seen in the Aero X.

Reflecting the needs of youthful customers, who expect easy access to multi-media both inside and outside the car, Saab has co-operated with Sony Ericsson in providing seamless in-car connectivity for a range of nomadic devices. The result is a wireless interface for streaming data, entertainment and satellite navigation functions for display and use. The interface also allows the simultaneous use of multiple devices when passengers are in the car.

At the rear, the cargo deck features an electrically-powered slide-out floor, which is activated when the bottom half of the split tailgate drops down. The floor, and the back of the folding rear seats, is covered by ‘high friction’ rubber carpeting, which ‘grips’ items and holds them securely in place. For easy loading and unloading, aluminum bars automatically rise up and down as the tailgate is opened and closed.

The treatment of light is an important part of Scandinavian design and this is evident in the use of variable, white ambient lighting inside the cabin. The level of suffused illumination can be changed in intensity from bright, cold to warm and soft. It’s a personalized feature that could even be programmed, for example, to reflect the pattern of the changing seasons

“This car shows how our concept work can be carried forward into a compact format,” adds Anthony Lo. “It has a number of features which we will be developing further, such as the new driver-focused design theme, the importance of clean, uncluttered surfaces and the easy, seamless connectivity inside the car.”

Wednesday Snippets

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Now that’s wierd, writing some Wednesday Snippets when my laptop’s clock tells me it’s Thursday (which it is, back in Australia).

Saab sightings have been minimal for the last few days as we’ve been house-bound a little, and we’re now located in more of a rural area a few hours out of Vancouver. Nonetheless, we did spot another convertible, another C900 and our first Saab 9000 a few days ago. Those three take the total for the trip up to 16 Saabs seen so far.

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Autonet Canada have a wishy-washy review of the Saab 9-3. you’ll understand that description when you read it.

The biggest thing I got from it was the need for an interior revamp. It really is an awesome car and whilst the interior’s OK, it could be excellent.

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Pete De Lorenzo has a fantastic piece going this week in the Rants section at Auto Extremist. It’s on Bill Mitchell, GM’s former design guru from the 1960s.

The piece is actually lifted and edited from his book, but it serves well as a lead up to GM’s 100 years celebrations coming next month.

If you’d like to get a feel for what it was like growing up, quite literally, in GM’s backyard in the days of big fast cars with big styling cues, then this is the piece you should read. It was written by a grown man, but with the wide-eyed kid that he used to be sitting right there in the room.

Now, apply that same appreciation and enthusiasm to a Saab point of view, and you have the reasons for this site and the hope for the future.

A great read and highly recommended.

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This is a curious thing: GM have named the Saab 92 in a list of their Top 10 production cars.

I appreciate the consideration and inclusion, but let’s be honest here…….

The 92 was made at a time where GM had never even heard of Saab, much less owned them, and if GM wanted to pick a Saab (any Saab) to include in the list, then why not the Saabiest Saab of them all, the C900 Turbo?

What’s more, their other list – Top 10 concept cars – doesn’t include a Saab, not even the Aero-X, which was a Concept Car of the Year winner, is one of the most amazing concepts of all time, and is a car that actually was made under GM’s watch.

Ah, families. Can’t live with ‘em. Can’t shoot ‘em.

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Some Saab graffiti, spotted by imation188 and posted on Flickr:

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