A famous motto of the Saab corporation “Born from jets” mirrors somehow the history of the first Saab automobile. It was manufactured by sixteen aircraft design engineers and hence was founded on the aircraft design. The sence of a motto is that the quality and reliability of Saab cars may be compared to the quality and reliability of airplanes. Nowadays Saab vehicles manufacture is carried out by General Motors (GM), but Saab aeroplane unit is still owned by the Swedes. So let's take an excursus into the history of Saab corporation.
The brand Saab made its appearance in 1937 with the creation of aeroplanes for the Swedish Air Force. From then on it has focused on building military aeroplanes, including fighter aircrafts for NATO. Due to their high reliability Saab airplanes were recognized all over the world.
Since 1949 Saab experts have been involved in the projection of well-engineered cars. The peculiar characteristic of Saab cars consists in the aerodynamic design that in of great help in fuel economy. This distinguishing characteristic is observed in every Saab model. Safety is one of principal priorities of Saab vehicles. 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 headlamps, turbo-charged engines, air filters and so on.
In 1980s owing to the growth of global economy and the spread of multinational corporations the Saab corporation confronted with difficulties in maintaining its positions in the competitive conditions. This resulted in the separation of the Saab car subdivision and its selling to several investors. The main investor has become GM company that has 50 per cents of the business.
The line of Saab models has recently been supplemented with the first SUV. Other models get regular updates in accordance with the market demands. But still, there are argues about growing influence of General Motors corporation. Numerous discussions are led with respect to the ability of Saab to maintain its uniqueness and to compete with such celebrated 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 cars.
