Posted on February 4, 2010 – 19:16 in Features | Stephan
Nulla tenaci invia est via – the story of Saab
If you want to keep track with what is happening at Saab I highly recommend the Saabsunited-blog, run by Australia’s Swade, which has to be the #1 ressource on anything Saab on the web. Swade and his team of editors have some great inside-contacts, the blog has a huge following and the SU’s voice is heard among the automobile-press and manufacturers. A lot of the “Save Saab” operations were based on that blog and I am pretty sure Saabsunited.com played an important role in the saviour of the brand.
The awesome guy that he is Swade sat down with us (ok, we sent some mails) and had a little talk.
TRC: What got you into Saab? When did it happen?
Swade: I was always curious about Saab and other European cars (particularly Alfa Romeo). When I was growing up here in Australia, people mostly had Fords or Holdens (and later, Toyotas). European cars always seemed a lot more luxurious and stylish. A friend of mine bought a 1986 Saab 9000 Turbo in the early 1990s and once I got a ride in it, I was hooked. I’m still very fond of that generation of Saab 9000, though it’s now one of the most overlooked Saabs.
TRC: Which is your favourite Saab and why?
Swade: A tie between the Saab 99 Turbo of 1978 and the Saab 9-3 Viggen.
The 99 Turbo continued Saab’s rally heritage as well as starting the whole turbo revolution for Saab. It’s a special car because it’s in such short supply and it’s a very pure automobile.
The Viggen was just mad. It made no apologies for being a crazy, even somewhat dangerous sports machine. It’s the kind of statement I’d like to see Saab make once again.
TRC: Which is your favourite feature that is considered “saabish”?
Swade: The turbo, though Saab are not as distinctive with that now, but it made a statement of difference at the time that was important.
An older feature that I really love was on the Saab 900, where you could have cold air on your face but warm air directed at your feet. This was very practical and smart – which is typical of Saab. “Night panel” is another smart feature. It’s this sort of thinking that Saab need to continue with into the future.
TRC: What defines the core values/the core character of the brand?
Swade: For me, the core values are intelligent design, fun to drive, comfort and usefulness. Safety, too, though I tend to think safety is more of a driver’s responsibility. The hatchback is a typical pointer to Saab’s usefulness. You could fill it up at a hardware store in the morning and take it to a track day in the afteroon.