What Really KILLED Saab? America, China... Or Bernie Ecclestone?
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
- Saab was loved by many and had such a bright future but what drove the company off the rails?
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GM destroyed SAAB. When GM took them over SAAB was a true competitor to the likes of BMW, but more interesting. If GM had properly invested in SAAB they could now be a BMW / Mercedes / Audi competitor, instead GM made SAAB work with out of date GM chassis (I know, I had a 2001 93 Aero). I was so pleased when GM pulled out of Europe and let Peugeot / Citreon take control of Opal / Vauxhall. GM wasted a truly great car company, everything GM touched in Europe went to maggots.
So much this. GM wanted SAAB to reduce their costs of operations by buying cheaper components and thus make their cars less safe than they initially were. That's what they were known for. Safety. But the SAAB management didn't want to budge and they proceeded to make their cars like they were used to, even though it was a loss. And I find that noble. Rather go bankrupt even though you did everything right, than lose face by reducing quality.
GM can go to hell, they didn't only destroy everything they touched in Europe, they even shit on themselves in the US.
@@milancv correct, GM makes junk.
HAHAH. Saab was a dumpster fire losing money long before GM showed up. I love all these owners who owned one for ten years. How is a car company supposed to stay in business with a 10 year customer cycle? What do you PHD fart sniffers drive now?
@@milancv So saab decided it would rather be 'noble' rather than save itself from bankruptcy? Saab killed Saab there's no other way to put it.
GM is an expert at destroying brands. They bought Lotus in the 80’s, stole technology that Lotus was creating for their models, and left the British company to rot with out of date products! Romano Artioli, who had resurrected the Bugatti brand, was able to buy Lotus from GM because it was being offered very cheaply. GM was going to bankrupt Lotus, but thanks to the relation Artioli had, they agreed to sell him the brand.
GM has been awful at running their own grown companies, too, hence there is no Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Saturn. Hummer went from a brand to now a model under GMC, and Isuzu no longer sells cars, they just make mediocre trucks 🛻
GM seemed to not understand why people bought SAABs, which I think was partly some of their quirks and foibles that appealed to a persistent proportion of the population. For example, the large number of gauges and the feeling of it being more like a cockpit than a car and the rock-solid bodywork that made it feel as though it was the road yielding rather than the suspension. GM seemed to think it was just the radiator grille. They sucked all the Saabishness out of SAAB.
True. Most of the Saab owners I know, were engineers and architects.
I really liked the Saabs I drove but I was in my 20's and would have needed my father to appreciate them or to be older and smarter to really appreciate the driving qualities
Same for Alfa Romeo over the years, who´s heritage and soul has deminished to a badge and some led´s.
Which, in the long run, will be the case for many more brands. Shared platforms, components and technology won´t leave much room for a brand´s dna. Take stellantis for example, the badge makes the difference. Sad but true.
Citroen too, though maybe a bad example since "conforming" has kinda worked OK for them and they still sell quite a lot of small cars now. But I miss the "regular" cars with hydractive. With the crappy state of roads in the UK and speedbumps etc., I'd sure appreciate having one of those again!
GM all over.
GM sadly. I love Saab and would love a return to different and quirky cars.
Still daily driving a 9000 turbo CS, only 114.000 miles, the break-in is nearly finished
I owned 3 Saabs, 2 900's, one of which was the 'sensonic' and a 95. Loved them and they all had their own character. Very few cars these days have 'character'. A great shame they went bankrupt.
Sensonic is the weird clutch one, right?
@@PancakeNL Weird? 😀 It was built into the gear lever, so you just shifted the gear without putting your foot down on the clutch (which it did not have) never let me down in 7 years of ownership👍
Do you mean a Saab 95 or a Saab 9-5? (the 95 was made from 1959 to 1978, the 9-5 from 1997 to 2011)
Saab will remain to ME as the most underrated and under-appreciated car brands ever made . They’re not prefect cars by and means, but they have more personality than any cars on the road today, and most engines have major power potential. Love Saab
Underrated in some countries maybe. Here in Sweden only Volvo was bigger. When I was a kid in the 90s you used to see SAABs everywhere. You still see plenty of 9-3 and 9-5 on the roads but the 900 and 9000 are getting a bit rare.
@@wertywerrtyson5529 it’s rarity is relative for sure, I remember looking at Sweden on google earth a few months back for fun and seeing a wild amount of Saabs compared to where I live. I envy them lol
I see several dozens of SAAB's every day when I'm out 😊. It's a delight ❤
Saab died in the hands of GM.
While Volvo thrives in the hands of Geely.
Lesson learned, leave it to the experts to do their job while the owner just focuses on financial aid and market penetration.
I guess SAAB went the way of Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and the other GM has-beens. GM will go the way Kodak, McDonald-Douglas, and many other majors.
Absolutely spot on. Could not have put it better myself.
GM a marque killer
Saab's fall partially contributed to Geely-Volvo's success. Lots of talented Saab engineers went to Volvo. And the Swedish government learnt from Saabs saga and was a lot more supportive in the Volvo's transformation.
Rubbish they didn’t listen to Vauxhall
Special place in my heart for Saab. My whole family had them growing up, from my grandads kitted out 9-5 Aero's to my parents estate 9-3's, they were truly awesome cars punching far above their price tags. Engineers ran the show and it showed in the spectacularly overengineered cars, just a shame the business side didn't know how to function at let it all down.
9-5 Aeros are where its at, a comfy leather armchair about to take off and start flying (or so the adverts say lol)
@@joebloggs5886 That's a Saaburu though.
@@genuz No the 9-2x was
Everything GM touched turned to sh*t. Awful, awful company.
GM killed half of its own shit too. The corvette is the only respectable thing they make now, even the camaro's going away.
Awful, awful country. This is the way of their corporations. Plunder what they want, bin what they don't and don't let anyone else get a look in.
I'm a former GM Holden employee here in Melbourne, Australia who worked at Holden's Engine Operations, we built the 2.8ltr turbo V6 engines for SAAB vehicles.
Mate that is so cool! What SAAB esque vehicle do you recommend amongst today's cars? Their engines were legendary. What modern stuff compares?
Got a Turbo X with that spicy machine, currently running a solid 400+ awhp :3
Love the 2.8 in my 2010 NG 9-5 Aero. Timing chains still hanging on...
@@Jaggrawr, The zone of the engine assembly line where I worked mostly, I fitted the timing chains, so I know them well, I also have a 2004 Holden Commodore here in Australia with an Alloytec V6 built on that assembly line, timing chain also fine so far 18 years later.
I have that engine in my 2008 9-3 Aero sport combi . Almost 200,000 miles and it still uses no oil and never any engine problems.
Electrical problems are another story, finding parts contributing to what I often refer to as a Sob story.
That's the problem, when another company buys out someone and then tries to put their way of doing things into that company, they don't understand that the difference is what made that company a success. In the end it just becomes another arm of the multi-national that bought in out and the company then fails. SAAB just became GM Scandaivana.
The moment it landed with GM - SAAB's downfall was inevitable. I don't think GM has ever done anything good off their own back.
Ford bought Volvo for the P2 platform that became the world class Ford D3 platform for Freestyle, Taurus, Lincoln MKS, and Mercury Montego saving billions in development. Once Ford had what it wanted, Volvo was sold.
@@nomebear Ford definitely bought Volvo for their R&D, tech and knowledge. My father worked as an engineer at Volvo and had to fly to Ford in the US, China and Germany multiple times to basically teach them and tell them what they are doing wrong in their factories. They also used Volvo-developed technologies and basically took all of Volvos profits. Geely is the other way around, Volvo is the powerhouse of Geely Automotive and just gets cash infusions to develop new things and improve their own cars. Whereas Ford took advantage of Volvo in pretty non-productive ways (seen from Volvos perspective).
That's what American companies do. They are like vampires, suck out what's needed, dismantle and/or dump.
As oppose to the Chinese, which lack of branding, would keep the company running. That's been happening to many of the German companies.
Totally agree.
I would say GM has done well in bringing back Cadillac tbh. Even if you don't like them and I would never buy one, they certainly have improved significantly over the past few decades compared to before.
I think that there was once a poll conducted that revealed that SAAB had more PhD's per capita amongst their customers than any other car brand or something if I remember correctly.
My dentist uncle had the turbo back in the late 70's in dark metallic brown-ish. I loved it as a kid.
I owned a 1996 Saab 900 sensonic convertible. I had the car parked in my garage for years. Then I have it to a nephew of mine, he had the battery changed and the car rode excellent, had to have a few hoses change here and there and that has been it. He was an architect student the coolest guy in college. I am so happy to see and ride on my 96 Saab 900 sensonic convertible with only 60.000 km. I agree with the comment that everything GM touches it gets destroyed.! Greetings from Chile
I have a PhD and two Saabs..
I agree, SAAB were the perfect unpretencious luxury / performance family car. I guess the modern day equivalent is perhaps Tesla?
@@caspar2155 unpretentious? Tesla? Are you sure?
@@godfrey627 As do I!
I too owned 3 Saabs. A 900 GLS, 900 Turbo S, and 9000 LPT. I loved 'em! And when I lived in Sweden I drove an old 2 stroke. RIP Saab ... fond memories. And ... I never wore a turtle neck or corduroy Trousers!
As a former GM Holden employee , in about 2014 the Australian Government gave GM Holden millions to stay alive and save jobs, instead of using those funds in Research and Development of future electric cars , Holden paid that money to their parent company General Motors, two years or so later Holden here in Australia announced GM is closing down the Australian Car Industry, I lost my job at Holden's Engine Operations in November 2016 ,and the Vehicle Assembly Plant in South Australia closed down in October 2017 , so another loss of a car company at the hands of GM.
The same to Oldsmobile and Pontiac.
And also Opel (and Vauxhall) has had a long downfall until being rescued by PSA (today Stellantis).
And last but not least, look what they have done to Cadillac...
My Saab 9-3 has the Holden V6, which Saab then added the turbo to, great with Haldex XWD.
V6s killed Saab. Never needed them. Too much complication, heat, rpita. 2.0T good, 1.9tid or TTid? Never saw a TT
Owned 2 Saab 93's... Lovely cars with great handling and high specs... Was planning to get the ultimate performance version of the new 95 when they went bust...it's a very rare car to see around these days.
I see 2011-2012 Saab 9-5's popping up for sale about once a week. As a neighbour to Sweden i guess that's to be expected. But they carry a hefty price. From 12000 to 35000 (approximately) dollars, depending on configuration. My (Ford) Volvo from the same era goes for around 3500 dollars. I do want one though. To be honest, i watched Tenet (the movie) the other day, and it took my a long time to realize those cars weren't prototypes or concepts. The were the Saab 9-5 from 2012. They still look modern in their design.
When i was growing up if you want a car that is fast and safe there was only two car brands...Saab and Volvo
For Volvo you're right, it's a safe car. I just don't know about Saab.
@@autotechandspecs Saabs were even safer, the brand was a bit more expensive than Volvo overall tho
@@autotechandspecs Saab were safer. The 9000 won safest car on the world 3 yrs in a row. The guy who invented the 3 point seatbelt when he was at Volvo had come from Saab. Saab even used the line “the turbo is an important safety feature”
@@nuttycommuter3718 Its safer to overtake with boost
I'd argue that the 99 was the foundational car - the 900 was really an update of the 99.
Agreed.
GM. I worked there..
They badge-engineered, took all the valuable patents & spit out the rest.
The 900 Cabrio was anything but wobbly tho, Rory.
They tried make a PHD fart sniffer brand into a real car company. Saab was never going to get there. All GM did was prolong the inevitable...
Cars were shit, it's that simple
That was their business model, and they threw the losses of the failed Euro Cadillac launch in Saab's books. It's a problem for the new owner they must've thought...
The main thing that killed Saab was their obsession with quality engineering. I loved them for it, my 9-3 Turbo was brilliant, even after 220,000 miles, but sadly people in general won't pay for quality engineering in that market sector. They could only sell them at the same price point as Mondeos and Vectras, and that just wasn't enough to make a profit.
Truth...I worked for a GM subsidiary and SaaB would touch nothing GM, Chrysler or Vauxhall and couldn't get the volume to support the development.
GM told Saab to change things and Saab didn't want to. Saab didn't want to turn their cars into Vauxhall's because Saab said that GM parts weren't good enough.
That's why GM pulled the plug.
Well SAAB weren't wrong. Vauxhall under GM produced (mostly) bland, uninteresting sh*tboxes which were poorly designed and built from shoddy components. Only Renault and anything from the JLR stable are worse.
And yes I know all you badge snobs think owning a big Jag or Range Rover signals you are a success, trust me, they are utter rubbish and hugely expensive to fix.
When the boss tells you to do something, and you refuse, then you should expect to lose your job.
When Ford owned Volvo they cheapened the P2 chassis replacing aluminum with steel for the U.S. market's version, the D3 chassis. The Mazda/Ford partnership was far more productive for both companies. Jaguar is alive today only because of Ford's former ownership and engineering CPR. What tomorrow holds for Jag, or any of the majors that aren't adopting EV is a question yet to be answered?
@gamewizard1760 doesn't make them less wrong, the fine management decisions of GM and end result speaks volumes.
@@gamewizard1760 when your boss is a jackass, they shouldn't be surprised you leave.
I was asked to drive a brand new last model 9-5 from the south of Norway all the way to the north of Norway. It was a dream job. I was looking so much forward to that. And then it got canceled the day before 😭 I never got to drive the last 9-5 after that. Damn that would have been a dream road trip.
My first car was a SAAB 95 Aero 250 horsepower for a 19 year old kid. It was a true experience driving it on the autobahn! RIP SAAB you will always have a place in my heart 🇸🇪
Why rip? Buy another one?
Fun video. The ghost of Saab lives on in every modern fwd sedan. My Chevy Malibu Maxx (don't shame me) was based on a Saab platform + outdated power train + hideous interior. But great ride & handling, good safety scores, and flexible interior. Served my family well for 15 years + 2 boys who used it for teenage high jinks. Never got the smell out of it. :)
If those were optional with the 2.8 turbo I’d have 3 lol
It seems obvious that GM killed SAAB, and every time someone else tries to resurrect SAAB, GM is there to make sure that SAAB stays dead.
Interesting fact, James Bond actually drove a Saab in the new novels of the eighties.
As an American I take NO accountability for gm’s actions…😅
As an American, you have no choice but to take responsibility for 'new GM's actions. obama and his gang of chronies were voted in, and effectively ended the brands, instead of forcing 'new GM' to sell them to compitent companies, thus allowing them to retain the IPs and a stranglehold over the name sakes. The sale of Saab to Spyker was a disaster from day 1, and was doomed to fail once 'new GM's lawyers got their hands on the deal. This brand is done. And it was all thanks to the American tax payer, who held controlling stakes over these car companies, but did NOTHING to demand the problem be solved correctly, and make those at the top suffer for their actions.
I owned 2 SAAB 900’s, one pre GM, one after GM. The pre GM one was built like a tank, and possibly saved my life during an accident that totaled the car. The after GM one had a lot more modern features since it was a newer generation, but felt more plastic and cheap. It also became a maintenance nightmare after 100k miles. The repair bills were adding up to more than the car’s worth and it left me stranded on the side of the road couple of times. Its value plummeted after GM killed off SAAB, so it wasn’t even worth the effort to sell it, had to donate it to charity. Farewell to the quirky little brand destroyed by GM.
Funny, I've had two NG 900s go well over 200k before needing any significant work
@@MrJMS814 So you never had any problem with the well know clutch cable or gas pump issues with the NG 900?
I used to laugh when my mate would ask him my Saab "Vectra" was doing .. I get what he meant eventually
I learned to drive in a SAAB 900 Turbo in Australia in the 90's. Manual transmission and it took some time to get used to the indicator on the left of the steering column... but damn that thing had some punch when you floored it. Plus, the cassette deck for my 90's grunge mix tapes. Great memories!
GM killed Saab.
And Opel too.
@@dirk2518 Opel is still around and actually doing a lot better under Stellantis, that company that owns Chrysler, than GM. First year they separated from GM, they turned a profit for the first time in a century.
I owned a Saab 900 followed by a Saab 9-3. Both were excellent vehicles, especially with all those quirky features. There were some weird design flaws: one was in the Saab 9-3 where the electronic control module was positioned directly over the engine block - needless to say, it burned out a couple of times and had to be replaced at a cost of around $400 each time.
Today I have another Swedish designed car: the Polestar 2 EV the shape and style of which reminds me a lot of my 9-3.
Polestar 2 was the best car I have driven! I wish I can buy one.
What a sad story. I owned a 1994 900Turbo convertible and I loved it. Sadly it was totalled as a result of a T-bone collision. I still have very fond memories.
Back in the day I was a fan of the Saab cars both the 900 especially the convertible and the more stately 9000, both had what I call presence on the road especially as most were fully leather interiors with heated seats etc truly fully loaded. A cut above where you could get a newer car if you were use to buying equivalent jags, mercs and BMWs I for one was disappointed when they became extinct….
Got a 9-5 Aero, bit of a project shed if I'm being honest, but I love it to bits, absolute motorway monster
I'm on my 2nd 95, had a 2001 95 SE 2.0L 185 auto and LOVED it! I'm on a 2006 95 Aero Combi now and had it since 2013, brought my 2 babies home from the hospital in it and my eldest child said she wants Sven as she calls it to be her 1st car so I need to keep it. I adore my 95 Aero, it's not quick but it's fast, 3rd gear is like lighting an afterburner. It's comfortable, no car I've ever had can compare to it's long distance comfort and I've had lots of big Renault's. It's been all over Europe on holidays, furthest it went was Venice and the only time it let us down was a recent need for a crankcase ignition sensor, THAT'S IT! Love them 👍
My dad had 2 Saab 93s when I was a kid after the second being a 2.0 aero, loved them can’t beat an old Saab
I feel like used Saabs are having a renaissance. Saab unfortunately was being steered the wrong way with GM and GM didn’t see the potential Saab had to offer. Just recently got a 9-5 and was a super fun project especially with a tune!
The story tells, that when some higher up from the mother ship came to Sweden to find out why the latest projects were severely over budget and started the car his first words were: "What is this?" It was a navigation system, but instead of being GM version they had made their own.
I mean... If only more companies had that dedication to quality. Whether successful or not, it's a big statement- and testament to desire and passion - rejecting a system made by a multi-billion dollar corporation.
I'm obviously a bit older than most, I had a V4 beetle-back with the terrifying 'freewheel' feature. Happy days.
Worth mentioning, was that Saab cars did not actually own the Saab name or logo. The Saab name is owned by Saab Aerospace, and the logo is owned by Scania. Saab cars was using them both under license, and neither company was willing to license the name and logo to a Chinese company.
Short answer is: GM
We had plenty of SAABS in Latvia, and I always thought they looked cool growing up, my godfather even owned one. It's quite a shame it exists no more
They are still pretty common in Latvia
just bought a 2007 9-3 Aero convertible in electric blue, pick it up in 6 days..can't wait..
My '92 900S was one of the greatest cars I had ever owned. It also saved my life when I was rear ended on the freeway in the fast lane by a car not braking - at all. SO many good memories.
They were built stronger than German cars.
My favourite car was a 9-3 cabriolet. It was stylish, sporty, comfortable and very reliable.
0:01 my initial answer would be GM; they’ve never understood the European market, brands or buyer’s expectations from brands. Now I’m going to watch and see what I can learn from this video.
Saab was already dying before GM acquired it. Bluntly speaking Saab killed Saab. GM just postponed the inevitable.
Brilliant story telling. Within 10 minutes, I got a clear isea of how these auto industry companies and deals work, and loads of history including how some of the great car brands start and evolve. Now I understand why the new Volvo and Land Rover owners never interfered with the cars. They let those with know how continue making those cars as if they were still under the original owners, or is it?
This makes me very emotional, Saab has a special place in my heart
Friend of mine lent me his Saab 900 with one warning: "When you go airborne, be sure your front wheels are straight when you hit the ground." Miss it.
Great video! I've had several 9-3 and 9-5's over the years....still great VFM as a run around
Their ads are what got me to learn the phonetic alphabet as a kid, Sierra Alpha Alpha Bravo.
On my 3rd Saab. Very underrated cars!
you guys are killing it with quality content!!!
Well researched and brilliantly presented clip this one. Car infotainment at its best.
Had a 2004 93, 2.2 turbo diesel, a beast and i really loved this car.
It was an actual pleasure to drive this beautifull car.
Rory single handedly taking the channel to 1M
Fell in love with Saab 9k when I was younger, Turbo lag was the first thing remember and torque steer when I test drove. It was a unique car and full of character. Shame GM ran such an iconic car into the ground
Saturn feels your pain.
as a former pontiac owner I sympathize with you
The 2.3t in the 900 is a beast. I had a tuned 9000 aero in my early 20s. I still miss it.
Dam shame, Saabs stopping production , that last model, 2011. 95 was a beautiful looking car and I’m sure that if being allowed just a couple more years they would’ve sold like hot cakes 💁
It’s too bad the NG 9-5 Sportcombi didn’t get a chance, that was a beautiful estate
Strange that the story left out the car that was the basis of the 900, the 99. And no mention of the all-european (Fiat, Lancia, Saab) 9000. Interesting to compare how brands bought by Ford fared after Ford sold them (Volvo, Aston Martin) and how GM treated Saab.
@@dawhiteman1451there’s like 10 of them right?
@@bpearr8266 I believe there were 35 production ready models, plus a few more prototypes. Only one of those was an Aero model
Passed my driving test in Sept. of 2002, and my first car was a 1987 SAAB 9000. Awesome car, miss it.
They're everywhere in my town, they're not cheap to own, and never were. There are many in my neighborhood, some built in the 1960s, some much newer, and all are parked on the streets (cars don't rust in Portland, Oregon).
I have never owned a Saab, several friends did. I always admired the way they went about innovating their cars with what their customer base wanted. GM DROVE SAAB INTO THE GROUND!
Friends, let’s not get downhearted and refresh our memories at the festival organized by the Saab museum
My 1992 Saab 900... The only car I ever loved... And lost... 😢
The way you end the story applies to my personal life too, which is strangely weird but Beautiful...
We miss you SAAB!
That was really really interesting narration Rory. Thanks for that ultra entertaining wrap up of Saab.
I've got a 2007 9³ vector convertible. Drives really nice. Don't care if it was GM. 😍
I remember my mum had an old 900 turbo when I was young. That thing was weirdly rapid.
It's horrible to see the brand be destroyed by politics and bureaucracy.
My late father loved Saab. He had two 900 S's (one navy blue, one baby blue) followed by a 9000 S. Good days.
This is great. Thank you. I hit subscribe hard and fast, with a happy heart. My 1992 900 Turbo sedan will go for a drive on the next fine Day. Meanwhile he slumbers under the cover in the garage here in Wellington, New Zealand. All the best to You
Everything GM touched in South Africa went to maggots too.
Very true!
Rory as you are a great guy so I will forgive the turtleneck association. I owned many saabs including a 9-5 Hot Aero that would dust my 330 coupe in the rain whilst not as much fun in the dry. Saabs had great ergonomics, amazing seats and were the antithesis of the German brands. I timed my Aero from 30-70mph in 4.7 seconds allowing for speedo error... I think GM were awful and we lost one of the quirkiest but best car brands ever. There commitment to safety was awesome too. I also had a Renault sport clio alongside the Aero and whilst the Saab wasn't as fun in the real world the Saab was quicker. Bring back Saab 😊
GM had a lot to answer for. I'd have a 9-5 Aero HOT today, given the chance...
Miss my 2003 9-5 arc. Don't miss the part where the crankcase sensor didn't know where it was.
Actually NEVS successfully turned the Saab 93 into a decent EV with 355km range in 2019, many pre-production models were made and NEVS even started to taking orders, it's priced at 169K Chinese Yuan at the time, (around 24K USD). But sadly it was quickly kill off and never really went into production. But the good thing is that a lot of parts were made for the NEVS 93, so the Saab owners in China are buying brand new parts for their old Saab 93😂
I doubt there are any old Saabs in China, it's such a small niche and Chinese wouldn't go for a car with such subtle design cues and pure practicality, they usually go for German cars
NEVS is an embarrassment and has nothing to do with SAAB
@@Brukner841 There is a small amount of Saab still on the road in China, mainly the 9-3. Saab performance team did some stunt driving shows called"萨博陆地飞行秀-Saab land flying show' in the 2000s which helped the brand gained some popularities here. Today a well maintained 93 sedan can still sell for over 10K USD in China, 20-30K if it's a wagon.
What is good for GM is NOT good for Saab.
Nicely done Sir, as always.
Am old enough to remember a two stroke three cylinder Saab, so called underdog in rally guise kicking the proverbial in the forests. It always appeared to be about to tip over; it didnt.
I used to work on these (as a sub contractor) for various dealerships, in the mid nineties and always thought that they were over engineered.
But if I only had the budget, would have thoroughly enjoyed owning one, and feel super safe doing so.
Quality and individuality not matched.
I had 3 Saabs. A 900S followed by a 900Turbo then a fabulous 9000 Turbo. They were all a blast to drive. The 9000 turbo was an absolutely awesome luxury sedan.they were an ‘82,’86 and ‘87. They all unfortunately had electrical system issues which made me trade them as warranties ran out . They were odd and enjoyable but would have been nightmares to repair if out of warranty. My new ‘87 9000 turbo lost a big fight with a deer in Pennsylvania at 45 mph. The deer didn’t make it and my poor 9000 was toast. End of my Saab experiences.
RIP Saab 😥
They might come back one day. Man if a brand like Skoda can come back and be mega successful than a brand like Saab should to. Skoda was the absolute definition of ''Utter Garbage''
Maybe it is just as Rory said, it is cursed...
I don’t think the Saab nameplate will exist ever again. Nevs maybe though
My wife and I still own two Saab’s, a 2006 saloon 93 1.8T and a 2009 saloon 1.8T. We’ve had them both for ages because they continue to be so reliable and great to drive. The demise of Saab is a quite the sorry tale and most people I chat to seem to miss the brand. I don’t imagine mine have too many years left in them, but they’ve been great cars for my family. RIP Saab ❤️
I used to own a 9-3 NA (Linear) back in 2010. I'm curious, how is it owning a Saab in 2023, with regards to rarity of car parts etc. ?
@@Erran.Morrad absolutely no problem at all with spare parts and the cost isn’t too expensive either. Both my cars have provided us with pretty cheap motoring over the last few years despite their ages.
I remember being fascinated by an early 70's SAAB owned by a friend of my Dad whom we visited in San Diego in 1977. From memory it had a V4 engine and front-wheel drive - quite a curiosity on American roads at the time. Probably a Saab 96 from the research I have done.
Yes it would have been a 96 if it was the saloon.the Estate version would be a 95 V4
I worked for a Saab Dealership back in the early 2000s. Personally I wouldn't blame anyone or anything specific to the cars. Somehow the customer base just dissolved and moved onto different cars. Times just change I guess.
They stopped thinking like Saab and expressing Saabness when they shamelessly followed the pack with the new 93 in 2001 and made it a saloon!!! I remember discussing this with the staff at the short lived Saab Brand Store on Piccadilly. Dying off an leaving us the 900 classic is a sad but necessary end.
Thanks for reminder. Nice material
I have owned 4 saabs and never owned a polo sweater. I still drive a 1998 Saab 9000 and it is the coolest car I've ever owned. So cool yet so old but thank you for the video.
I wonder what the aborted 2005 9-5 looked like. Would it have helped Saab's situation in the mid to late 2000's if GM had let it launch. Would have been a sister car to the Alfa 159/Brera/Spider.
Saab was destroyed by GM. They wanted to build cars the same way they built them in the USA. When that failed, they had to find a buyer for Saab. My belief was that GM never wanted Saab to succeed after their decision to sell the brand, more than that they did not want anyone else to make it work. It would not look good if the might of GM failed, only to have a new owner make it successful. I covered this in print for the owners club magazine Driver.
I worked at a Saab dealership from 1999 through the end of production. I could not believe the large number of serious defects built in to the various models.
The V-6 timing belts were a notorious problem area. They had to be changed every 30k miles, and even then they often failed early. When that happened, the valves would collide with the pistons. The V-6 heads had replaceable valve guides, but the guides were not available as service parts! Thus, damaged heads had to be replaced rather than be repaired.
Then, for several years, the ECM and the ignition system were incompatible. This would show up as a failure of the "ignition cassette", a part with all 4 coils built in. This little gem of a part cost over $400.00+labor to replace, and when they failed, usually during start-up, the engine would refuse to start. Our dealership had so many of these fail that the parts dep't could not keep them in stock. Also, when they failed, the unburned fuel would contaminate the catalytic converter, which would then need to be replaced as well.
Then, for several years, the 2.0L 4 cyl in the 9-3 model would blow the head gasket for no reason, and always on the same end of the head. Turns out that the machine that torqued the head bolts during production was set to under torque several of the head bolts, causing the failure. None of the "Swedish Craftsmen" who worked in that part of the factory ever bothered to make periodic checks on the torque values for like 4 years!
Then came the failures of the 9-5 ECM computer. The cover would be removed after failure and the circuit board looked like it had been soaked in salt water. This turned out to be caused by sulfer-contaminated rubber pads used to cushion the circuit boards inside the ECM. Another great example of Bosch quality control.
First time buyers of the 900 and pre-2003 9-3 would invariably complain the their new cars were out of alignment, as the steering would pull strongly to the right when driving on a "cambered" street built to drain rain water to the right side of the road. Actually, the issue was defective design of the front suspension and steering. To keep one of those cars from falling off the right of the lane, the steering wheel had to be turned 1/8 to 1/4 turn to the left to keep in the lane. These are just a few of the "quirks" that Saab owners had to live with. I do not understand how that company lasted as long as they did. The older Saabs may have have been better built, but during my time dealing with them they were pretty bad. BILL
Loved my 9-5. Loved it even more when I found out that the clicking sound when I used the turn signal did not come from a relay, but from a small speaker inside the dashboard that was designated for that
How can you do a piece on Saab and NOT mention the NEVS Emily GT EV concept?! It was revealed just recently and is what Saab would have been today, had it not been killed by GM. ✌️
That reveal made me quite sad. The world missed out on that one.
I think the lesson here is be very wary of rich US owners when they come calling. SAAB died in their hands, Man Utd has fallen from its perch and Mazda only became interesting when they left Ford.
Very interesting & informative! Awesome, thank you…
I was stationed in Germany from 88-to late 91. My platoon Sgt. had a 900 Turbo then got the 9000 Turbo before I left. I actually bought an Eagle Talon TSI AWD in early 91. He and I used to haul ass on the autobahn. I had no idea what I had. Shipped mine back to the states and traded in on a Honda Accord in 1992. Family man. Grrrr. Loved Saab a lot. It was sweet as hell.
That's so nice having this video now when I got to drive daily a nice 9-3 example. Peace of automotive history with it's authentic attitude to drive experience focused automotoring. Sadly a past now
Check out the Swedish automotive magazines test ride of the Nevs Emily GT. A car designed, constructed and build in 9 months (yes you read that correct) by a small but dedicated team of pros. Pretty impressive, looks to be able to compete with anything on the market today. And it is actually for sale (not the car but the entire project).
Thank you for the lesson. It was interesting and humorous. My dad had a 1970 Saab 96 when I was a kid. It was unique in our town and everyone stared. We thought it was cool, of course. One day, the engine caught fire and that was that. Then he got a 1972 Saab 95 station wagon. Good times!
I had a Saab 900 turbo in the late 80s. The best car I’ve ever had
Great job! Well made video!
Had a black 900 turbo. Great Car! Now own a 9-3 wagon. Not too much GM-ness en board.
I’m glad I got to own a 9-3 anniversary edition. Lovely to drive
I had a 1999 Saab 9-3 Turbo with the 5 speed manual . It was so fun. I was always worried I would blow the engine, keeping it in turbo RPMs.
The center console key switch was weird, but other than that... It was weaker than my old 1989 Taurus SHO but what's 35hp between friends.