Saab Automobile AB
 | |
Formerly | Saab AB |
|---|---|
| Public Company | |
| Traded as | SAABA |
| Industry | Car Manufacturing |
| Founded | May 1st, 1937 |
| Headquarters | Linköping, Sweden, Nordic Federation |
Area served | Nordic Federation |
| Products |
Automobiles Commercial Vehicles |
| Owner |
Ministry of Transportation (12.2%) Ministry of Finance (2.1%) |
| Website | www.SaabAuto.com |
Saab Automobile AB is a Nordic car manufacturer owned by Saab AB and headquartered in Trollhättan, Sweden. Founded in 1947 after its parent company, Saab AB, began a project to design a small automobile. Chosen in 1960 to produce the Folkesbil 'People's Car', Saab would reach a peak in popularity by 1989 before a steady decline in sales and popularity. Following a near-bankruptcy in 2010 caused by lack of modernization, the brand would be temporarily halted by Saab AB, and would reopen with a completely new production lineup in 2016 with aid from foreign manufacturer Renault. Since 2018, the brand has operated independently from Renault and completely under Saab AB, and in 2023 would reclaim the title of 'Most popular Nordic car' for the first time since 1988 with the Saab Soar.
History
Svenska Aeroplan AB (1947-1969)
Saab, Svenska Aeroplan AB (Swedish for 'Swedish Aeroplane Corporation') was created in Linköping, Sweden in 1937, but would turn to car manufacturing with the 1947 Project 51, a small automobile design. In 1948, the aircraft production line in Trollhättan, Sweden would be converted for the new vehicle, and by December 1949 the first example of the Model 51 cars had been produced.
Later, in 1960, Saab would be contracted to produce the Saab Folkesbil, a cheap, simple to produce 'people's car' to aid in motorizing the Nordic population. The design was a success, pairing a water-cooled 1.2L Flat-4 gasoline engine generating 40hp paired with a 4 speed synchromesh manual transmission and a 2 door saloon body with a rear mounted engine and drive wheels, seeing a 3.4 million strong production run lasting from 1960 to 1987.
Saab-Scania (1969-1989)
In 1969, Saab would buy the commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania to form Saab-Scania AB, a dedicated automobile division of the Saab brand, and in 1973 would introduce the successful Saab 99 and in 1978 would agree to work with the Italian manufacturer Fiat to produce the Saab 600, seeing sales of over 900,000 units by 1987.
Saab (1989-2010)
In 1989, Saab AB would sell Scania, seeing revamped Saab only branding to coincide with the launch of the new Saab 900 in 1989. Outdated at launch, the Saab 900 would see a drop in sales, a drop that would steepen significantly with the unimpressive and visually outdated 1994 Saab 900NG. Selling just 273,568 units by 1998, Saab would launch the Saab 999 in 1999, seeing some moderate success on the vehicle's 503,087 production run by 2003. Updating the car into the Saab 999NG in 2003, the vehicle would continue production as Saab's main sedan until the company was shut down in 2010, seeing slow drop in sales as the vehicle would not see a meaningful update in nearly a decade.
Similarly, the large Saab 995 would begin production in 1998, and would continue until 2010 without a meaningful update or facelift throughout its entire 483,593 strong production run.
Bankruptcy (2010-2016)
In 2010, Saab would temporarily close all production within its automobile division, instead choosing to work with the French manufacturer Renault to produce an entire modern lineup to completely replace the Saab 995 and 999, ultimately seeing the development of the successful Saab Sviar roadster, Saab Soar C segment car, Saab Slip B segment car, and Saab Spirit B segment crossover, alongside the Saab Social van.
Saab Auto (2016-present)
Reintroduced in 2016, the Saab brand would introduce the new lineup with a large ad campaign, a campaign that would see the Saab Slip alone sell over 501,000 units in 2016 alone, while the Saab Soar would sell 167,000 units and the Saab Spirit would sell 239,000 units that same year. The brand is continuing this sales trend, with constant updates to ensure its models stay with current trends and designs, and would be awarded 'Most Popular Nordic Car' with the 2023 Saab Soar selling 527,145 units that years, of which over 146,000 were sold in Stormkold alone.
Current Models
| Rank | Model | Segment | Years | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soar | C | 2016-present | 527,145 |
| 2 | Slip | B | 2016-present | 295,325 |
| 3 | Spirit | B | 2016-present | 159,562 |
| 4 | Silver | C | 2021-present | 107,005 |
| 5 | South | D | 2022-present | 87,614 |
| 6 | Social | M | 2016-present | 66,127 |
| 7 | Sviar | S | 2016-2023 | 6,774 |