With advanced four-wheel drive and innovative solutions, Saab wanted to steal away buyers from Audi and BMW. But Opel said no, Saab Cars Magazine can now reveal.
Saab had grandiose plans for how the 9000 model, which turns 40 this year, would attract well-heeled buyers and climb the prestige ladder.
The idea was to launch a special model called the Saab 9000 Ecosport. It would shock visitors to the 1992 Geneva Motor Show and featured a 280bhp engine and four-wheel drive – a trend few car brands caught on to at the time.
Saab Cars Magazine has, almost 40 years after the start of the project, traced the process of developing the 9000 AWD. This has been done with the help of hitherto unpublished material from the Saab Museum’s archives and with interviews of engineers and marketers who were involved in the development work.
But at the last second the launch had to be stopped. By this time Saab was owned by GM, and an executive at sibling Opel wanted his brand to be first with the technology – not Saab.
“The posters were printed. Everything was ready. Instead, the rub went into the container when the four-wheel drive was scrapped,” writes Calle Carlquist.
A front-wheel-drive variant had to be rushed forward in a panic, and it received almost no attention at all in the motoring press.
The Saab 9000 Ecosport had several technical innovations, including a smart “thermos technology” in the engine and so-called UV headlights. It also had a surprisingly simple solution to lowering the ground clearance of the show car. You can read more about these and other subtleties in the magazine.
Saab Cars Magazine #12
More to read in the magazine:
✔ The technical subtleties that had to be scrapped
✔ Rony Lutz magic exploded sketches
✔ The people behind the Saab 9000
Read more >
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