| A well-known motto of the Saab company “Born from jets” mirrors in a way the history of making the first Saab automobile. It was made by sixteen aeroplane engineers and hence was based on the airplane design. The sence of a motto is that the high quality and reliability of Saab automobiles may be equalized with the quality and reliability of aeroplanes. At the present time Saab vehicles manufacture is carried out by GM, but Saab aircraft division is still controlled by the Swedish Saab company. So let's take an excursus into the history of Saab corporation.
The make Saab made its appearance in 1937 with the creation of aeroplanes for the Swedish Air Force. Since then it has concentrated on construction of military jets, including fighter aircrafts for NATO. Thanks to their high reliability Saab aeroplanes were recognized world over.
Since 1949 Saab specialists have been involved in the projection of well-engineered automobiles. The distinguishing feature of Saab cars consists in the aerodynamic design that in of great help in fuel economy. This distinctive feature is observed in every Saab model. Reliability is one of basic priorities of Saab vehicles. The experts of this corporation use all the latest technological advances to make their cars reliable and modern. Such innovations include: self-repairing bumpers, self-cleaning headlights, turbo charged engines, air filters and etc.
In 1980s due to the global economy growth and the spread of multinational corporations the Saab corporation was confronted with difficulties in keeping its position on the market. This resulted in the separation of the Saab car unit and its selling to several investors. The principal investor has become General Motors (GM) that owns 50 per cents of the shares.
The range of Saab models has recently been supplemented with the first SUV. All the models are regularly updated in conformity with the market requirements. But nevertheless, there are arguments about increasing influence of GM corporation. Numerous discussions are led concerning the ability of Saab to maintain its uniqueness and to compete with such famous European makes as Volvo, Mercedes and BMW.
In spite of all these facts the amateurs of Saab automobiles hope that its airplane heritage will help them to create unique and reliable automobiles. |
