 |  |
1985 Saab EV-1 Concept news, pictures, and information | ||
| Tweet | ||
Saab EV-1, 1985
By the mid-1980's, Saab had broken into the competitive realm of the upscale European car. In a market where Mercedes-Benz and BMW had ruled for many years, Saab proved that its cars had become a viable alternative for the young, up-and-coming professional.Innovations in turbocharging made Saabs as quick as competitors with bigger displacement. A design that looked great in hatchback form managed to marry style and substance in a way rarely seen. Higher performance levels had been reached through cars like the 900 SPG. With all these achievements, it's easy to argue that Saab was at its very best back when Reagan was in the White House and Flock of Seagulls still seemed cool.
One of the few concept cars unveiled during Saab's time as an independent manufacturer was also a product of the mid-1980's. Called EV-1, for Experimental Vehicle 1, it was a drivable one-off built to Saab standards.
For all its radical looks, the EV-1 was actually based off the production 16-valve 900 Turbo. As the definitive Saab of the 1980's, the turbocharged 900 made an excellent platform to improve upon. The small, turbo four was retained. Mounted longitudinally beneath the long, low hood, the engine supplied the front wheels with an incredible 285hp in its EV-1 tune. All that power was capable of flinging the EV-1 to 100kph (62mph) in just 5.9 seconds.
Saab knew that a car with such performance potential had to be safe. Within the doors, the EV-1 used carbon fiber reinforcements to aid in side impacts. The vehicle's focus on light weight allowed it to more easily maneuver out of dangerous situations. The EV-1's speed was checked by the car's adherence to Saab's real-world safety ideology.
Designed with innovative features throughout, the EV-1's styling incorporated many thoughtful ideas. The car's greenhouse was enormous. The roots of the recent Saab Aero X concept car's jetfighter-esque glass area could be seen in the EV-1, as almost everything above the EV-1's beltline was glass. Slim, black A-pillars blended the windshield into the glass roof and into the huge side windows, of which only a portion could be opened.
Within the roof, solar panels were mounted. These panels stored enough energy to activate a cabin ventilation fan in order to keep the interior cool when the car was sitting in hot climates. Though no Saab production car ever featured such a ventilation system, Audi thought it was a good enough idea to use on its own cars. The flagship Audi A8 could be ordered with solar panels in its sunroof to power its interior fans a decade and a half after Saab's concept car was shown.
The body of the EV-1, designed by Björn Envall, was constructed of an impressive and lightweight Aramid-reinforced fiberglass material. The body panels were dent resistant, supposedly able to retain their shape after a minor collision. Like the solar roof, dent-resistant panels were never used on a production Saab but did manage to reach the market through another manufacturer, this time Saturn.
Many considered the design of the EV-1 to be awkward, but a perfectly-proportioned Saab wouldn't really have been a Saab at all in the 1980's. The EV-1 was styled to be as functional as a sports car could be, and that fact alone made the design endearing, if not necessarily pleasing, to any fans of the Saab brand.
When it was first shown at the Frankfurt, Germany International Motor Show in 1985, the EV-1 reinforced Saab's image as an individualistic company capable of building world-class machines bristling with new ideas. The EV-1 was one of Saab's final flourishes as an independent carmaker before GM took a 50% stake in the company just 5 years later.
Sources:
Edsall, Larry. Concept Cars: From the 1930s to the Present. Vercelli, Italy: White Star S.r.l., 2003.
Emge, Ryan. 'Saab Experimental Vehicle (EV-1) - 1985.' Saab History 24 Jun 2007 28 Mar 2009 http://www.saabhistory.com/category/ev-1/.
'Saab EV-1 .' The Saab Museum 28 Mar 2009 http://www.saabmuseum.com/ev1/index.html.By Evan Acuña
| CHEVROLET ENTERS SMALL CARGO VAN SEGMENT | |
 | DETROIT – Chevrolet announced today that it will enter the small cargo van segment with the City Express to meet the demands of customers in an emerging commercial vehicle segment. The 2015 City Express, Chevrolet's first entry into the small van segment in the U.S. and Canada, joins the full-size Express van as part of the Chevrolet lineup in the fall of 2014. 'Our fleet customers have asked us for a small cargo van, so this addition to the Chevrolet portfolio will strengthen our position...[Read more...] |
| MINI CONVERTIBLE BOAT TO JOIN DAD VAIL REGATTA | |
 | Visitors to the 2013 Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta on May 10-11 will experience an intriguing sight that they won't be expecting… a Chili Red MINI Convertible appearing to 'drive' on the water along the Schuylkill River during this famous annual festival of university and college rowing. It will be the first time that the specially-created MINI Convertible 'boat' has visited Philadelphia and it can be seen throughout Friday and Saturday cruising on the river. This one-of-a-kind boat was the brai...[Read more...] |
| Raw Power Has a Stamp of Its Own Muscle Cars Roar at Spring Classic Auction | |
 | What do you get when you bring the U.S. Postal Service and Dana Mecum's Original Spring Classic Auction together at the State Fairgrounds — a Muscle Car Extravaganza! Since it began 26 years ago, Mecum's Spring Classic auction in Indianapolis has featured the largest auction of muscle cars in the world. This year, the Postal Service will celebrate the raw power of the performance vehicle at the Spring Classic event by dedicating five, limited edition stamps featuring iconic muscle cars...[Read more...] |
| Mopar Ram Runner Wins Truck Duel in the Desert | |
 | Leaves Ford SVT Raptor in the Dust Mopar Ram Runner 33 seconds faster than Ford SVT Raptor on punishing 4.73-mile loop PickupTrucks.com declares Mopar Ram Runner the winner May 30, 2012 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - This showdown was at sunrise. The Mopar Ram Runner and the Ford SVT Raptor met for a shoot-out at Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA), a state park in southeast California with 85,000 acres of nothing but dirt, dust and desert. When all was said and done,...[Read more...] |
| Carroll Shelby, Ford Family for More Than Half a Century | |
 | Carroll Shelby was a member of the Ford family for the better part of 60 years, producing stunning performance vehicles from concepts to production models. He once said his energy and passion for performance products were always strongest when he was working with Ford. Shelby most recently collaborated with the company on the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang, the most powerful production V8 in the world. Working with SVT engineers at Sebring and the Arizona Proving Grounds, at times he drov...[Read more...] |
1985| 9-2X 9-3 | 9-4X 9-5 | 9-7X 90 | 900 9000 | 92 93 | 95 96 | 99 Sonett |
© 1998-2012. All rights reserved. The material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
