Saab

SAAB may no longer make automobiles, but there was a time when it made some really great cars. And while I prefer the older SAAB 99 design, the Saab 900 of the 1980s and 90s wasn’t a bad car – and it certainly was known for its safety.

Being the year I made my debut on this planet, 1968 has always held a nostalgic fascination for me. Hey Jude, Sunshine of Your Love and Mrs. Robinson all hit the charts; Steve McQueen and his drool-worthy Mustang GT fastback starred on the silver screen in the all-time car classic Bullitt; and NBC cut away on the east coast from the Jets-Oakland game for the TV movie Heidi, infamously robbing many fans of a chance to see a near-miraculous two-touchdown, last-minute Raiders’ comeback.

If you think that 4-cylinder engines are for wussies, then you’ve clearly never heard this old Saab Sonett III, which has a tricked out V4 Ford engine (not an inline 4). Not only is the Sonett III arguably the sportiest looking Saab ever made, but with a properly tuned engine, it could sound like it does in this video clip.

National Electric Vehicle Sweden, the Chinese-backed company that bought Saab out of bankruptcy back in 2012, may have recently halted production of the 9-3 Aero, but that doesn’t mean they’ve ceased developing automobiles. The company just revealed a modified Saab 9-3 Aero sedan that was developed as an all-electric vehicle.

Saab, the Swedish automaker that we all thought was gone after shutting down production due to financial difficulties more than two years ago, is back. Saab’s new owners, NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB), have restarted production at the former Saab manufacturing facility in Trollhatten, Sweden and the first new Saab 9-3 Aero has already rolled off the line.