History/driving impressions originally published in European Car August 1995; republished by the author The first Saab to come to America, at least officially, was a 93. It was an unusual addition to the automotive landscape. To a continent rife with aircraft-inspired automobiles came a truly aerodynamic automobile, and one made by an aircraft manufacturer, no […]
Saab Sonett II: Different strokes from Swedish folks
History/driving impressions originally published in AutoWeek June 9, 1986 Bound in this white plastic projectile I dance on the offset pedals and coax the stubborn column shifter from gear to gear, surrounded by the peculiar note of the two-stroke triple. I brake early for the corners and then slither through the corners at full throttle, […]
Volvo 122-S and 123GT, Sporty Volvos: Did You Say Peppy, or Preppy?
History originally published in AutoWeek, January 9, 1984 By some strange twist of circumstances, the automobiles produced by one Swedish manufacturer have come to represent a group of people equally defined by alligators, ducks and plaids. This is, we are told, because these people respect a good value and admire the frumpy. They have therefore […]
Saab Sonett I: The open sports car the Swedes should have produced
Originally published in VW & Porsche, June 1990 The winter nights around Trollhattan are cold and long and snow is always on the ground. But, in January 1955, in a rented barn a few kilometers out of town, a group of Swedish engineers began building an open sports car. They had permission from Saab, funding, […]
What They’re Saying