Saab History: Seven Decades of Swedish Cars, From the 92 to NEVS

Key facts about the company

Timeline at a glance: 1937 to 2023

This page tells the whole story to the end of the company. For a closer look at the first model and its prototype, read the story of the Saab 92 and the Ursaab.

Planes first: why an aircraft maker built cars

The parent company was founded in 1937 in Linköping to supply aircraft to the Swedish Air Force. As the Second World War ended, military orders were expected to fall. In 1945 the company started a car project, coded X9248 and later called Project 92, to give its engineers and factories new work.

The first prototype, the Ursaab (92001), was built in 1946–1947. Aircraft thinking shaped it: a smooth, aerodynamic body and light construction. Car assembly began at Trollhättan in 1948, where prototypes 92001 to 92004 were built.

The two-stroke era: 92, 93, 95 and 96

The Saab 92 went into production in December 1949. It had a 764 cc two-cylinder two-stroke engine driving the front wheels, and about 20,000 were sold by the mid-1950s. The 93 of 1955 moved to a 748 cc three-cylinder engine with 33 bhp (about 25 kW).

In 1959 the 95 estate arrived with a fold-down third row, which made it a seven-seater. The Saab 96 followed in 1960 and became the first Saab exported in large numbers. It sold nearly 550,000 cars. In 1966 a Ford-built V4 four-stroke engine replaced the two-stroke in the 95 and 96.

Rallying helped the small cars build a sporting image. Saab's works team, with driver Erik Carlsson, raced the 96 in the 1960s. When the 96 ended in 1980, the 92/93/95/96 family had reached 730,607 cars over 30 years. By our calculation, the 96 alone made up about 75 % of that total.

The 99 and the turbo revolution

The Saab 99 premiered in Stockholm in 1967 and entered production in 1968. It was the first all-new Saab in 19 years. Sixten Sason designed the body, and the 1.7-litre four-cylinder engine was developed with Ricardo and built by Triumph.

The 99 brought many ideas that defined later Saabs. The old 1cars text listed a wraparound windscreen, energy-absorbing bumpers, headlamp washers and side-impact protection in the doors. A three-door Combi Coupé followed in 1973–1974, and the hatchback body became a Saab trademark that lasted until 2002.

In 1976 car number one million left Trollhättan, and the company built its first turbo engine with a wastegate. Saab announced the turbocharged 99 for 1977. A wastegate turbo in an everyday family car was a new idea, and turbo engines became a core part of Saab's identity.

The 900 and 9000: the peak years

The 900 replaced the 99 in 1978 and became the brand's best-known car. Nearly one million were built. A convertible arrived in 1986, and total Saab production passed two million in 1987.

In 1978 the company also signed a deal with Fiat. It sold a rebadged Lancia Delta as the Saab 600 and joined the Type Four platform project. That work led to the Saab 9000, revealed in 1984, which shared its base with the Alfa Romeo 164, Fiat Croma and Lancia Thema. It was Saab's first true luxury car, although it did not reach its planned sales volume. In 1984 annual output passed 100,000 cars for the first time.

The General Motors years, 1989–2010

In 1989–1990 the car division of Saab-Scania became a separate company, Saab Automobile AB. General Motors bought 50 %, and the other half later went to the Investor group. A new factory in Malmö opened in autumn 1989, built 10,176 cars in 1990, its only full year, and closed in June 1991 after 20,664 cars.

GM influence showed in the new 900 of 1993–1994, which shared its platform with the Opel Vectra. It helped the company make its first profit in seven years in 1995. For the 50th anniversary in 1997, the 9-5 replaced the 9000, and the 900 became the 9-3 for 1998. In 2000 GM paid 125 million US dollars for the rest of the shares and took full control.

The new Saab 9-3 of 2002–2003 came as a saloon, convertible and, from 2005, SportWagon estate. GM also added US-market models built by other brands: the 9-2X, based on the Subaru Impreza, and the 9-7X SUV. Both were later cancelled. Car number four million was built in 2005.

By our calculation, output in 2009 was 85 % lower than in the record year of 2006.

Spyker, the bankruptcy and NEVS

In December 2008 GM put the brand "under review". Koenigsegg announced a plan to buy the brand on 16 June 2009, but the deal collapsed on 24 November 2009; the history of Koenigsegg covers that episode from the other side. In December 2009 BAIC agreed to buy tooling for the old 9-3 and 9-5.

On 26 January 2010 GM agreed to sell Saab to the Dutch sports-car maker Spyker, known for cars such as the Spyker C8 Aileron. The sale closed on 23 February 2010. Spyker could not fix the company's finances. On 5 April 2011 production stopped because suppliers were not paid, and on 19 December 2011 Saab Automobile filed for bankruptcy. At the court meeting in April 2012, assets were valued at 500 million US dollars and debts at 2 billion US dollars.

On 13 June 2012 National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) bought the bankrupt estate. The first NEVS-built Saab 9-3 left Trollhättan on 19 September 2013, and full production started on 2 December 2013. It was the petrol 9-3 Aero saloon that Saab had built before the bankruptcy. Production stopped again in May 2014.

NEVS lost the right to the Saab name in summer 2014, and in 2016 Saab AB confirmed that the licence was cancelled. Later NEVS cars were to carry the NEVS name. Evergrande bought NEVS in 2019, and NEVS was put into "hibernation mode" in March 2023.

Engineering traits that defined the cars

• Front-wheel drive from the first car in 1949, long before it became normal.
• Turbocharging in everyday family cars from 1977, with wastegate control.
• Hatchback practicality, especially the Combi Coupé 99 and the 900.
• Safety focus, with side-impact protection and energy-absorbing bumpers on the 99.
• Aircraft heritage, used in Saab's design language and marketing.

Saab today: which classic to choose

Saab no longer builds cars, but owners' clubs and independent specialists keep many of them on the road. For a classic, a 96 V4 or a 99 is simple and charming. The classic 900, especially the Turbo and the convertible, is the most popular choice. For daily use, a late 9-3 or 9-5 is easier to live with, although parts supply should be checked before buying. Before you commit, estimate fuel, insurance and repairs with the 1cars cost of ownership calculator. To compare Saab models with their Swedish neighbours, browse Swedish cars in the 1cars catalogue or use the 1cars comparison tool.