Fridays are never as good as Mondays for people seeing stuff, and this is one that I figured people might find particularly interesting, hence the re-post.
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Who knew that yesterday – 11/11/11 – was going to be dubbed “Nigel Tufnel Day”? Outstanding. Thanks Jim.
We celebrated the alignment of the ones on the calendar by taking a look at the car that could have become the Saab 9-1 if was built, which it wasn’t. That car was the Saab 9-X BioHybrid, a concept car from the 2008 Geneva Motor Show.
That story aroused the interest of an old friend of mine, someone simply known as Djup Strupe, which is Swedish for “Deep Throat”. Dust was blown off the Djup Strupe filing cabinet and the image below was sent via carrier pigeon with a simple note saying how Saab saw their new cars in 2001.
Click to enlarge.
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Back in 2001, of course, the 9-3 Sport Sedan range was still in the final stages of its development. The 9-5 was only a few years old and isn’t referenced in this image, which seems to reflect only cars that were in development at that time.
It features four 9-3 models that we did get to see (eventually) and one that we didn’t.
Saab have certainly had a decent run with concept cars over the years. I’d have to go back and do the math, but the number of new Saab concepts over the last 10 years or so, starting with the original Saab 9x, actually outnumbers the number of new Saab road-going vehicles over several decades. The concept-to-new-car ratio would be a nice one to address, but that’s a post for another time.
One of those Saab concepts was the Saab 9-X BioHybrid from 2008.
The 9-X BioHybrid was first shown at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, where it actually followed in the footsteps of the Saab Aero-X two years earlier by winning the award for the best vehicle at the show.
Lead Designer, Anthony Lo, said at the time…..
The 9-X BioHybrid is a vision of what a future compact car from Saab could look like. It is designed to reflect the priorities of youthful customers who seek progressive looks, responsible performance and high-tech communications, all in a sporty, fun-to-drive package.
I distinctly remember Bob Lutz saying that if Saab were to build this car, it would be called the 9-1. We were all very excited to see the car, but it was the “IF” in Lutz’s statement that had the enthusiast community feeling a little deflated. Saab needed a small car and we all thought this could be it. Of course, as things turned out, Saab was up for sale less than 12 months after this concept was released. I guess Lutz knew that was possible when the car was shown, hence there was no commitment made.
So…. this is the car that could have been a Saab 9-1 if things had worked out differently. The only other Saab with a 1 in the model number was an airplane, so it seems appropriate to mark the 11/11/11 with a tip of our collective hat to this beautiful concept car.
This concept was joined later in the year by a concept called the Saab 9-X Air, a convertible version of the vehicle that looked absolutely amazing with the top down (though not so good with the top up). The Saab 9-X Air name was later dropped in favour of the name Saab 9-X Convertible.
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Saab 9-X BioHybrid:
Boosting Efficiency in Compact Design and Performance
The Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept is a vivid vision of what a future compact car from Saab could look like. It is designed to reflect the priorities of youthful customers who seek progressive looks, responsible performance and high-tech communications, all in a sporty, fun-to-drive package.
Exploring design themes from Saab’s award-winning Aero X and earlier 9X concepts, the 9-X BioHybrid also demonstrates the potential for ultra-efficient power from a 200 hp (147 kW), 1.4-liter BioPower turbo engine backed by GM’s next-generation Hybrid system. Projected combined cycle CO2 emissions of just 105 g/km on E85 fuel are testimony to the promise of this package.
The interior showcases an entirely new expression of Saab’s driver-focused cockpit design, together with innovative, seamless connectivity for personal nomadic devices and a rear cargo deck with a ‘low friction’ loading system.
We had a poll recently, on Twitter and Facebook. It posed the Saab Catharina against the Saab 9x concept car. The voters wish was for detailed photos of Catharina. Here she is…..
The story of Catharina is pretty well known, but for those who don’t know…..
In the early 1960s, Saab’s legendary designer, Sixten Sason, penned his ideas for a personal project vehicle – a two seat sports coupe. Swedish company, ASJ, took an interest in the project and manufactured this fibreglass bodied vehicle based on Sason’s design and using the engine, gearbox and floorpan of the Saab 96. It was made in Katrineholm and accordingly, it was christened Catharina.
Saab also wanted a sports coupe after their fledgling plans for the Saab 94 faltered in the 1950s. They considered Sason’s design, along with another design from a company called Malmö Flygindustri (MFI). MFI’s design won the day and the Saab Sonett II was born.
Catharina now resides at the Saab Museum in Trollhattan, which is where I photographed it earlier this week.
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Click any of the photos to enlarge…..
Sason’s design included a removable Targa top, which was pretty uncommon at the time. The top clips out easily and it is stored in the trunk of the car, which has special little carpeted brackets in place just for this purpose.
