Swade

Back in time – Bob Sinclair and the launch of the 20th Anniversary Saab 9-3 Convertible

A few weeks ago, I published a story about the birth of the Saab Convertible. The man at the center of that story was Bob Sinclair, the former chief of Saab Automobile in the United States.

A friend in the US has since sent through some pictures of a launch event that was held when Saab released the 20th Anniversary Edition of the Saab Convertible in April, 2006. The launch started at El Encanto Hotel in Santa Barbara, moving into a drive prior to lunch at the Latetia winery, following some of the scenery used for the movie Sideways (which featured a Saab 900 Convertible).

Bob Sinclair was invited along to share his Convertible story at the event.

Dick Lague from Ignition3 – a Saab owner living in Malibu, California – was present at the event and took these photos, which make for a wonderful compliment to Bob’s Convertible story from a few days ago.

Dick’s also emailed me his recollections from the event and for Saab historians, it makes for some great reading. I’ve added his notes after the photos.

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Bob speaking to the press corps gathered for the event in ……. you can see the first Saab convertible prototype (in white) built by the American Sunroof Company on the screen. This is the car now housed at the Saab Museum in Trollhattan, Sweden.

This red Saab 900 Convertible was on show at the launch. It was one of the first Saab convertibles to come off the production line as a 1986 model.

A group of five Saab convertibles ready for their test drive….

“Uncle Bob” with one of the later iterations of Saab’s iconic convertible.

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Recollections from the launch of the 20th Anniversary Saab 9-3 Convertible

by Dick Lague.

I remember how excited Bob Sinclair was about being invited to be part of the Saab convertible 20th anniversary edition introduction in Santa Barbara. We spoke on the phone sometime in March 2006 and told me of how pleased he was to be able to reflect on 20 years of production of “his baby” – the Saab Convertible.

The succession of Saab USA presidents after Bob retired did not seem to understand or appreciate Bob’s contribution to Saab, but this took an about face when Jay Spenchian took the position. It was Jay who thought that Bob could make this 20th Anniversary Convertible introduction in early April 2006, a very special event.

Continue reading Back in time – Bob Sinclair and the launch of the 20th Anniversary Saab 9-3 Convertible

Communication: New production stoppage today

Yesterday, production at Saab Automobile stopped at lunchtime due to material shortages. We have now stopped again today for the same reasons.

“When we chose to restart production after the long stoppage, we saw a number of risks on the horizon, mostly concerned with the supply of materials. We are faced with more material supply problems this week and have therefore changed plans for the remaining days of this week. During the stoppages that we expect will occur this week, we have planned for various activities at the factory, such as staff training” said the purchasing and production director Gunnar Brunius.

The liquidity situation is still tense, and depends on several different financing solutions falling into place, long-term as well as short-term. Some milestones have been achieved, such as the letter of intent signed with Pang Da and the additional funding that their order of Saab cars means. An example of things that still await a solution is the sale and leaseback of Saab AB Property, which we have addressed in previous communications. Representatives from Spyker and Saab will continue to work with these solutions, while the dialogue between Saab and suppliers progresses.

-Production is sensitive to, and therefore easily disturbed by these events and what direction they take. It may be that the situation changes from day to day, or even from hour to hour. It is therefore very difficult to make further predictions, but we have to take one day at a time. In order to avoid taking on more supplies than necessary, we have decided to reduce production plans this week. We are all working hard to get production running consistently again, and as soon as possible,” said Gunnar Brunius.

PhoeniX in New York

I’ve been waiting to show you these photos for a while now.

What would you do if you saw something like this in a streetscape late at night?

You’d photograph it, of course. And that’s exactly what plenty of people did late one cold spring night in New York City. Me included.

Back in April when the New York Auto Show was on, Saab’s latest design concept, PhoeniX, was taken out at night for a photo shoot for Top Gear magazine. The car was unloaded at the meatpacking district around 10pm and so began an all-night photoshoot that didn’t actually finish until around 1pm the next day at Chelsea Piers.

The latest edition of Top Gear magazine, featuring the photos from that night, is now available at reputable magazine stands everywhere. That’s good news for you and I, because it means I can finally share these images, which I took during the first few hours of the shoot. For those who’d like to know, the car was parked just down the street from the Standard Hotel.

Click to enlarge and enjoy.

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Saab Safety – Crash Test Dummies

They’re a key part of Saab’s staff. It’s only a small team and they’re the most overworked and underpaid ‘people’ in the company. They risk life and limb every time they go to work in order to protect you as best as possible.

They are, of course, Saab’s crash test dummies.

Some key crash test dummy facts……

The dummy family includes a 95th percentile male weighing approximately 100kg and standing 1.9 meters. Also included is a 50th percentile male weighing 80kg and standing 1.75 meters.
The ‘youngest’ dummy is a one year old baby, but there are also three year-old and six year-old ‘children’ in the dummy family.
There are different types of dummies that are set up specifically for different types of tests – side, rear and front impact.
Dummies use a variety of sensors to measure movement and compression in a variety of tests.
Tests involving dummies are conducted around three or four times per week. Up to 200 tests per year involve the use of crash test dummies.
There are also tests without dummies, usually measuring load shifting within a vehicle on impact. Weight boxes are usually used for these tests.
According to the standard, every dummy has to be re-calibrated after a maximum of ten tests. Saab re-calibrate dummies after seven tests, or after six months (whichever comes first).
Due to their cost, dummies tend to be upgraded to meet new standards rather than scrapped and replaced.
New dummies cost approx 1,500,000 Swedish krona each.

Next time you jump in your Saab, take some assurance from the fact that you’re driving one of the safest cars that money can buy. And spare a thought for the hard working crash test dummies at Saab that helped make them that way.

Saabosphere – Saab links we liked this week

It’s been another week where Saab has been covered with some great stories out in the Saabosphere. Let’s a look at some of the links we liked this week.

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Carsales.com.au featured a great review of the Saab 9-5 today, including some of the best photography I’ve seen for a web review.

Well worth your reading.

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There’s nothing like a good spirited discussion and Saabs United had one a few days ago, debating the various options available for marketing and pricing Saab cars in the US. I read through the entire discussion when it was around 180 comments in length. It’s at 358 comments as I write this and that’s substantial, both in terms of quantity and in most cases, quality.

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Arild has posted an interesting summary of what the community knows so far about the upcoming Saab 9-3 replacement. It’s about as comprehensive a document as you can see on this subject right now and no, I can’t comment on the accuracy of the summary 😉

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‘BaileyUSA115’ has a fantastic set of photos from the Carlisle Import and Kit Nationals held a week or so ago in Pennsylvania, including some great shots from the Saab Heritage Collection displayed at the show, and other Saabs that were gathered at the event (close to 300 of them!)

You should out his full set of Carlisle images on Flickr.

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Saab was involved in sponsorships of two different golf events in Wales over the last week.

PowerPlay Golf is a new type of golf tournament, with the rules formulated to make the short form of the game more interesting and engaging for viewers and players alike.

For the golf fans out there, Colin Montgomery can explain it better than I can…..

The first PowerPlay Golf Tournament was held just over a week ago, at Celtic Manor, in Wales. With Saab sponsorship in place it seems fitting that the tournament, which features men and women playing in the same competition against one another, was won by a Swede:

Caroline Hedwall upstaged major champions and Ryder Cup stars by winning the inaugural PowerPlay Golf event at the Celtic Manor in Wales.

The 22-year Swede scored 32 Stableford points, 18 of which came on the final three holes, in a new shortened version of the game played over nine holes.

And in a rare double for Saab, Golf and Wales, last weekend saw another Swede winning a Saab-sponsored tournament, the Saab Wales Open.

Alexander Noren of Sweden beat Denmark’s Anders Hansen and Gregory Bourdy of France by two shots to win the Saab Wales Open at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport.

Noren began the final round one clear of the field and he fired a solid closing 70 that included two birdies and just one bogey at the driveable par-4 15th. It was a second European Tour title for the Swede and he was delighted with his consistency through the week.

Congratulations from Saab to both Caroline and Alexander for their success this week!

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Robin M was actually at the Saab Wales Open over the weekend and snapped some wonderful photographs of the event. You can see them all at his Flickr account.

Great to see Saab so prominently featured in such a wonderful setting….

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Poll: Lime Yellow – hot or not?

I saw something strange on the roads around Trollhattan on Saturday.

I was on my way to Vanersborg and coming towards me on the other side of the road was a new-look (i.e. post-2008) Saab 9-3 Convertible in Lime Yellow.

Lime Yellow was one of the prominent launch colors for the new generation 9-3 convertible (based on the 9-3 Sport Sedan) when it was launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March, 2003.

Here it is (in pre-2008 body styling)….. click to enlarge.

The curious thing about the car that I saw was that Lime Yellow was discontinued prior to the new, 2008 Saab 9-3 front end. The owner of this car had either put a new front-end on his pre-2008 car, or he’s taken a 2008-or-later car and had it repainted in Lime Yellow. Either way, it shows a rather extraordinary commitment to what is seen by some as being a divisive color.

Personally, I’m a big Lime Yellow fan. I think it looks great on the convertible and stands out in a world of silver/black/grey cars. But I know that others feel differently.

How differently? Let’s find out.

Would you do the same as this owner had done and go to so much trouble to have the newer face on your convertible with the Lime Yellow color? I guess it all comes down to whether you think Lime Yellow is hot or not…….

[poll id=”5″]

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This week, I’ll look to continue our series on the Saab Convertible, which was sidelined a bit due to corporate news responsibilities regarding production and our deal with Pang Da. There are still plenty of convertible stories to tell.

And if I see this Lime Yellow 2008 model on the road again, I’ll try and get a photo.

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Saab 9-4x deliveries beginning in the United States

I thought it might be good to bring back some Saab 9-4x review summaries on the front page of this website.

The reason for this is a quote from Tim Colbeck, COO of Saab Cars North America, who appeared on Autoline After Hours last week. He stated the following during the interview:

“Around 5:30 today, the first 9-4x’s were shipped from the factory at Ramos, where they’re produced. So they’ll hit dealerships by the end of the month.”

That means there are some very exciting times ahead for Saab and a for a number of future Saab 9-4x owners. Your vehicles are on their way!

This has become one of the most anticipated model launches in modern times for Saab, both for the additional segment the vehicle will bring to Saab’s range, and also because the Saab 9-4x has been so well received by the motoring press in reviews so far.

If you haven’t checked them out already, here are the the early reports on the Saab 9-4x…..

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Autoblog: “From its cantilevered roof to its sweeping “hockey stick” greenhouse, ice-block blue headlamps and full-width LED taillamp band that echoes that of the 9-5 sedan, Saab has done a remarkable job imbuing brand hallmarks old and new into this simple two-box form…..

…..the 9-4X clearly skews toward the sportier end of the luxury crossover arena, eschewing leather-lined kinschleppers like the Lexus RX and Volvo XC60 in favor of chasing sportier entries like the Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLK, and BMW X3.”

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AutoGuide: “Saab hasn’t been cruising on easy street, but the 9-4X could be the x-factor that changes negatives into positives.”

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Car and Driver: C&D took a comparative approach, looking at the 9-4x in comparison with it’s sister vehicle at Cadillac, noting that Saab engineer Peter Dörrich was the chief architect behind both vehicles. You can see Peter’s view on the “Saabness” of this vehicle in this video, shot in Los Angeles last year.

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LeftLane News: “Unlike the SRX, the 9-4X’s steering felt linear and direct, if a little light on feel. Reactions were quick at any speed, with positive turn-in and good straight line stability. Despite the Aero’s big 20-inch wheels wrapped in performance-oriented tires, the 9-4X was nearly silent on the highway. That bling hardly disturbed ride quality, either, which was several notches above the SRX. Where the Cadillac is wooden and confused over undulating surfaces, the 9-4X happily took anything in stride. Body lean is modest, as it should be in a soft-riding crossover.”

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Motor Authority: “Cargo-wise, there’s lots to love here. Although the floor is a bit taller than you might expect, there’s a ‘hidden’ compartment under a large portion of it; rear seatbacks also fold flat, and they can be adjusted for rake to three different positions. The cargo management system is very useful, with a bar that can be configured to split part of the space off—to keep grocery bags from tipping, or suitcases from sliding around the space.”

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Winding Road: “The controls enhance this feeling of refined responsiveness. The steering has a well-chosen ratio with decent on-center operation. The brakes are firm, with a pedal feel that should be studied by some sports car makers. Best of all, the automatic transmission, especially in sport mode, anticipates the downshift you will need so that you seem to be in the right gear for acceleration much of the time.”

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What Saab can learn from a 4 year old cocker spaniel

I do this personal stuff from time to time…..

It’s Saturday evening here in Trollhattan and it’s been a wonderful day. I spent the afternoon with the family of one of my Saab colleagues in Vanersborg, where there is a festival on this weekend. The sky was bright blue, the sun shining. Their kids were having fun and laughing, we had good food and good conversation. What more could you want?

Well, this morning, hours before that wonderful afternoon, I had a special moment that started my day off just perfectly. It all happened during a Skype call with my wife back in Australia.

I should preface this story by stating that I love my wife very much and the fact that this little highlight from the morning involves my dog rather than her, shouldn’t cast any shadows across our relationship in any way whatsoever 🙂

It was evening back at home and I could hear our cocker spaniel (Charli, a girl) barking at the back door. She’d just eaten her dinner and wanted to come inside. I asked Trish if she could let her in so that I could say ‘Hi’ to her on Skype. I know what many of you are thinking, but the pet owners out there know that I’m not crazy.

Trish set the computer down on the sofa and went to the door. I sat waiting with no small amount of anticipation because the camera on the computer was pointing right at the spot where Charli always runs to when she first comes inside. Sure enough, 20 seconds later there’s a blurry black fluffball with a wagging tail at the other end of the sofa.

Whenever I’ve said hello to Charli on Skype in the past, she has recognised my voice without understanding where it’s coming from. More often than not, she immediately runs to the front door to see where I am. My boundless belief that I have the most intelligent dog in the world is dented momentarily, though it tends to return soon after – a process that I’m sure anyone with either pets or children is familiar with.

This time, however, whilst she looked towards the door, she didn’t run. I said hello again and she actually looked at the computer. Excited by this progress, I began some of that stupid talk that pet owners (and in a slightly different way, the parents of infants) tend to do and she kept on looking at the laptop at the other end of the sofa. Eventually, she even walked towards the computer and to my delight, a giant dog-nose filled my Skype video panel as she sniffed at it.

The penny had finally dropped!! My dog had just grown in intelligence once again!

It caused me some small amount of disappointment when she proceeded to walk around the back of the computer to see if I was hiding behind it. My hopes of her being the first canine Rhodes Scholar were dashed once more.

But the penny had indeed dropped. She had recognised me, even though all that was there in the room was a synthesized voice and a blurry small video image that she couldn’t really see. Somewhere in that tiny head of hers, some puppy-synapses had flashed and she’d finally recognised something that she knew all along.

Right now, though you’re mildly entertained, you’re probably wondering to yourself what the heck has all this got to do with Saab?

Continue reading What Saab can learn from a 4 year old cocker spaniel

Poll wrap – How long have you been a Saab owner?

I didn’t want to let this week end without noting the fantastic response received to the poll posted earlier in the week – How long have you been a Saab owner?

We had over 1,200 votes in the poll and what was remarkable to me was that almost 10% of respondents had owned Saabs for over 30 years. The #1 and #2 results were 6-10 years and 0-3 years, indicating the impact of the 9-5 and 9-3 Sport Sedan over that period. There are things that we should be thankful towards GM for.

I’d also like to acknowledge the wonderful comments and stories left in response to the poll. Many of you had great tales to tell and wonderful collections over the years. I already featured Xavier’s story of leaving and coming back to Saab on the site, but here’s a few more from the poll results:

Kurt Krauss, whose 19-Saab journey since 1980 has come full circle with the recent purchase of a 1980 Saab 900.
Kef107 who took Euro delivery of a Saab 99 in 1972 and has had around 10 since, with another Euro delivery thrown in. Currently driving a Merc, but we’ll get him back 😉
Tim Winker’s first car being a 2-stroke 1960 Saab 93F bought for $250
Evan H, who avoided losing his girlfriend in 1960 when she said she wouldn’t go out with him if he bought a Volkswagen. He bought a Saab and they’ve been married for 51 years!
Andreas P, who has only been driving 18 months and has already bought two Saabs (it’s addictive, isn’t it?)

I also had a few emails come in about the subject, like the one from B. Steiner here in Sweden. A fantastic story that goes right back to the roots of the company:

The story begins 1947 when I happened to get sight of a test-car of the very first SAAB 92 which was parked in a street in my neighbourhood. I found the shape of the car to be so very different from other cars on the market. I became so fond of what I saw so I said to myself that such a car must be mine as soon as I was allowed to drive and could afford to buy one. I was only 14 years old at the time.

The time went by and 1954 became the first year when my dream to drive a SAAB 92 became a real possibility. The local SAAB dealer needed people to drive home sold cars from Trollhättan about 150 kilometers away. He asked me if I was interested and of course I was. This “sidejob”, I had earlier the same year been employed as a police officer, lasted until my desire to buy a SAAB became reality. On October 21 1957 my wife and I became proud owners of a brand new SAAB 93B. Ever since then we have been faithful to the brand and have had the great pleasure to be owners to several 96 two-stroke and V4, 99, 900, 9000, 9-5 and finally 9-3, all new. Besides them we have had a number of used cars, SAAB 92, 93 as well as 96 two-stroke and V4. We have still a 93B from 1959 which we bought 34 years ago, still going strong.

I tell you, the stories around this company never cease to amaze me.

Apologies to all those not listed. They were all great stories and there’s too many to list here, but I wanted to give people just a taste in the event they hadn’t read through the 40+ comments themselves.

We know here at Saab that we have a very loyal and engaged customer base. We also know that we have to fight for you and work hard to keep your loyalty. I can assure you that the sense of urgency has never been higher here in Trollhattan. We want to win you over, win you back and bring some of your friends along for the ride as we create a whole bunch of new memories for people to share in the future.

Thanks for participating. We’ll have another poll on site over the coming weekend.

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Saab’s US chief Tim Colbeck appears on Autoline After Hours

UPDATE:

The show is now finished. You can view a replay below or at Autoline’s site. You can also check the Inside Saab twitter feed to read the live coverage.

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Autoline is a motoring news service headed up by John McElroy out of Detroit, Michigan.

Autoline After Hours is the Autoline equivalent to MTV Unplugged, with a more casual atmosphere and a focus on detailed questions to the special guest. The show also takes in questions from viewers and right now, AAH has opened the door for Saab fans to ask questions of Saab’s new US chief, Tim Colbeck.

Tim will be appearing on tonight’s show, which will stream live at 7pm ET in the US. From the Autoline Twitter feed……

Send us questions for tonight’s #AAH guest, Saab COO Tim Colbeck, or phone them in at 1-620-288-6546 (1-620-AUTOLIN)

I believe the correct link for the broadcast is here, though there’s nothing about tonight’s show there yet. It will appear just before the scheduled broadcast time.

You can send your questions directly to viewermail@autolinedetroit.tv and include “AAH Question” in the subject line. If you’re a Twitter user, you can also send your question to Autoline’s Twitter account.

It should be interesting to hear what TIm has to say now that he’s had a few weeks behind the wheel. And don’t worry if you miss the live broadcast because all of Autoline’s After Hours shows are archived at that link as well.

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Tim Colbeck appears at around the 29 minute mark of the broadcast (you can click the timebar to get straight to that point if you don’t want to watch the preliminaries).

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