| A well-known slogan of the Saab company “Born from jets” mirrors in some way the history of the first Saab car creation. It was made by sixteen airplane engineers and so was based on the aeroplane design. The significance of a motto is that the quality and reliability of Saab cars may be compared to the quality and reliability of airplanes. Today Saab cars production is a prerogative of GM company, but Saab aeroplane sub-unit is still owned by the Swedish Saab company. So let us take a digression into the history of Saab company.
The make Saab made its appearance in 1937 with the projection of airplanes for the Swedish Air Force. From this point onwards it has focused on construction of military airplanes, including fighter aeroplanes for NATO. Owing to their high reliability Saab jets were recognized all over the world.
Since 1949 Saab specialists have been involved in the manufacture of well-engineered automobiles. The distinctive feature of Saab automobiles consists in the special aerodynamic design that helps in fuel economy. This distinctive characteristic is observed in all Saab models. Safety is one of main priorities of Saab cars. The specialists of this company use all the latest technological advances to make their cars safe and contemporary. Among such innovations there are: self-repairing bumpers, self-cleaning headlights, turbo-charged engines, air filters and etc.
In 1980s owing to the global economy growth and the spread of multinational corporations the Saab company was faced with difficulties in maintaining its position on the market. This resulted in the separation of the Saab automobile division and its selling to a number of investors. The principal investor has become General Motors company (GM) that possesses 50% of the shares.
The line of Saab models has lately been supplemented with the first sport utility vehicle (SUV). Other models are regularly updated according to the market demands. But still, there are argues about growing influence of GM corporation. Discussions are led concerning the ability of Saab to keep its uniqueness and to compete with such famous European brands as BMW, Volvo and Mercedes.
In spite of all these facts the amateurs of Saab automobiles do not lose hope that its aircraft heritage will help them to create unique and reliable automobiles. |
Article Details