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SWEDISH AIRCRAFT COMPANY: FROM WINGS TO WHEELS
Saab was established in 1937 as a manufacturer of military aircraft, a pedigree apparent in all Saab cars produced since the first aerodynamic Saab 92 prototype automobile was unveiled in 1947.As the product of an aircraft company based in a large country that extends far into the Arctic Circle, Saabs were engineered wîth an unconventional design philosophy then and today. A distinctively streamlined body, strong performance combined wîth good fuel efficiency, plus an unusually robust body construction for excellent occupant safety were some of the initial design parameters that have endured to the latest Saab models.
Today, after production of more than 4 million cars and 4,000 aircraft, Saab is one name and two companies. The car business, Saab Automobile AB, is owned by General Motors, the world's largest automaker, and the Saab Group is a global leader in the application of advanced technologies, specializing in aerospace and defense systems wîth the Saab Gripen jet fighter as the proverbial tip of the corporate spear.
Saab automobiles are linked to a proud heritage of Swedish transportation leadership that reaches back more than a century. Today's Saab automobiles also owe some of their technological roots to the Scania and Vabis companies, makers of wheeled vehicles ranging from trucks and buses to tanks and trains. Vabis was founded in 1891 and Scania in 1903. The two companies competed until 1911, when they merged. Saab merged wîth Scania-Vabis in 1969. In the mid-1930s, Sweden realized that its Royal Swedish Air Force needed to be strengthened to help defend the nation's neutrality from the imminent World War. In 1937, the Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Swedish Aircraft Company) was founded, abbreviated as SAAB and later Saab. Based in Trollhättan, the company manufactured hundreds of 'anti-war' aircraft of several different designs.
By 1944, when peace descended on a war-weary Europe, Saab realized that it must diversify its manufacturing capacity. In addition to newly designated civil aviation projects, the company decided to draw upon its abilities in the field of precision design to build automobiles. In 1946, Saab aircraft engineer Gunnar Ljungström, designer Sixten Sason and a staff of 14 craftsmen hand-built prototype 92.001, also known as the ÚrSaab – a sleekly aerodynamic car that reflected its aircraft heritage; its unusual profile closely resembled the cross-section of an airplane wing.
The first four Saab prototype cars were unveiled to the world in 1947. Decades before the technology would come into vogue, Saab's first automotive entries featured front-wheel-drive and transverse-mounted engines. Saab was one of the few cars of the 1940s to utilize wind tunnel testing, achieving an air resistance coefficient of only 0.30 Cd, a respectable figure even today.Source - Saab| Mclaren P1™: ‘Designed By Air' Interactive Experience Unleashed | |
 | • Insight into the groundbreaking aerodynamic technology which has optimised the bodyshape of the McLaren P1™ • Online interactive experience can be found at designedbyair.com The key to the performance for the McLaren P1™ is aerodynamics, and a new web experience, entitled 'Designed by Air', is the first of a two part series telling the extraordinary story behind the car's design. The website offers participants a detailed insight as the car is 'born' from raw metallic and ...[Read more...] |
| McLAREN AUTOMOTIVE SHOWCASES HOW THE McLAREN P1™ HAS BEEN ‘DESIGNED BY AIR' | |
 | The key to the performance for the McLaren P1™ is aerodynamics, and a new web experience, previewed by the 'Designed by Air' short film, is the first chapter of a two part series telling the extraordinary story behind the design of the McLaren P1™. The experience takes participants on a journey as the car is born from raw metallic and carbon elements and is crafted by airflow. The story evolves to unveil the McLaren P1™ within the wind tunnel highlighting the aerodynamic focus of the car's de...[Read more...] |
| BUICK TURNS 110: 11 HIGHLIGHTS OF 11 DECADES | |
 | Buick vehicles today are built in state-of-the-art facilities around the world. The Enclave luxury crossover's Lansing Delta Township plant was the industry's first LEED Gold-certified manufacturing facility. The brand has evolved in many ways since 1903, when the first Buick was hand-built in a small barn behind David Dunbar Buick's Detroit home. Here are 11 top highlights from Buick's first 11 decades: • Through the end of 2012, Buick has sold more than 43 million vehicles. That's the equiv...[Read more...] |
| Allard Automobiles Featured at 2012 Glenmoor Gathering | |
 | Allard automobiles will be one of the featured marques at the 2012 Glenmoor Gathering. More than 20 Allard automobiles are expected to be on display during the Glenmoor Gathering weekend. Allards featured lightweight bodies built in England but were usually fitted with big American engines, resulting in a terrific power to weight ratio. Shown above at last year's Glenmoor Gathering is an award-winning 1950 Allard J2 roadster owned by David K. Hans of Barrington, Illinois, that was displayed in...[Read more...] |
| Legendary Tucker Automobiles on Display at 2012 Glenmoor Gathering | |
 | Several 1948 Tucker Automobiles will be part of the show field at the 2012 Glenmoor Gathering, including an unrestored Tucker from the Gilmore Car Museum Collection (above). A total of 51 cars were built before production stopped and most of them survive today. The distinctive car-the brainchild of Preston Tucker-was designed by Alex Tremulis. In all, more than 200 vintage and classic American and European automobiles and motorcycles will be on the show field. The motorcycle class will f...[Read more...] |
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