Saab Repair and Service PDF Manuals

The history of Saab as an automaker began in 1947, before that the Swedish company was engaged in the development and production of aircraft and aircraft engines.

The first Saab 92 model, resembling an airplane inside with a fenced off driver's seat and numerous instruments, toggle switches and buttons, was released in 1949. In addition, the car had a very decent aerodynamics, which looks good even at the current level. The body of the 92nd Saab was made from a single sheet of metal, with holes for doors and windows cut out. Under the hood was a 2-cylinder 794 cc engine that could develop up to 25 horsepower. The first generation was painted exclusively in dark green, and only in 1953, when the second generation came out, Saab cars were also painted green, black, gray or gray-blue at the buyer's choice. The Saab 92 turned out to be a very decent car - since the start of production, the model has regularly participated in racing races, taking prize (often first) places.

In 1978 the company released the Saab 900, which became the brand's most successful model. The first generation was in production until 1993, and became a classic of the brand, and since 1994 the second generation has been on sale. The car received many titles and awards, and was produced in many variations - sedan, 3 and 5-door hatchback, convertible, and others. This model also used a number of original developments of the company, which gave the cars an unusual character in driving and became a kind of Saab chip. One of them was the use of turbocharging in an engine in mass production, other manufacturers began to use it much later. The concave windshield provided excellent visibility to the driver - this was inherited from the aircraft of the same brand. And since 1987, it became possible to buy a Saab 900 in a sports configuration with a rigid suspension and shock absorbers, leather-covered seats, an audio system and air conditioning were installed in the cabin.

In 1990, General Motor bought out 50% of Saab's shares. This was perceived by fans as the end of the uniqueness of the brand's cars, but GM did not live up to these expectations, preserving the original style of the brand.

In 1994, Saab, under General Motors, released a new version of its top model based on the Opel Vectra. Despite the new chassis, the car retained its distinction from other brands, and sales of the company increased, which allowed it to finally make a profit after 7 unprofitable years. Vehicle safety has also improved with a new side impact protection system for passengers.

In 1997, a new Saab model was released - the 9-3, developed for the 50th anniversary of the company. She received a turbocharged diesel engine and improved air suspension. And the most successful car of the brand was renamed from 900 to 9-5 and got a sedan-type body.

In 2000, "Saab" completely becomes the property of "General Motors". The following year became a landmark for the brand, at the Frankfurt Motor Show the company demonstrated a new concept car, the design of which had features of both a coupe, a pickup, a roadster and a station wagon. The technical stuffing of the car consisted of an all-wheel drive chassis with an aluminum 3.0-liter turbo engine capable of delivering 300 horsepower. However, things did not go beyond the concept, and the project was curtailed before it reached production.

With the onset of the economic crisis, GM decided to sell Saab, as there was practically no profit from it. Despite the start of production of a rather promising crossover model 9-4X, first presented in 2010 in Los Angeles. In 2011, the company went bankrupt and stopped car production. A year later, the Saab brand was bought by the National Electric Vehicle Sweden consortium, which decided to use the already well-known brand for the production of electric cars under this name.