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Saab

SAAB (originally an acronym for "Svenska Aeroplan AB") was founded as a Swedish aircraft industry in 1937 in the city of Linköping in Sweden. After World War II, the company sought ways in which to diversify its business and started to manufacture automobiles in the early 1950s (in the city of Trollhättan) and computers (Datasaab) in the late 1950s. Later Saab also acquired the truck maker Scania and for some time the company was called Saab-Scania. General Motors bought half of Saab Automobile in 1990 and acquired the rest a decade later.

Automobiles

Some of the early cars were quite successful in rally sport. It was also one of the first mainstream manufacturers to sell cars with turbochargers. In order to increase production volume, Saab helped Valmet to start a car factory in Uusikaupunki (Nystad), Finland. In 2003 Saab no longer manufacture any cars in Finland, since the production of the 9-3 Cabriolet was moved to Graz, Austria.

A common feature of Saab car types is the use of the figure 9 in the model numbers. Current models are the 9-3 and 9-5, both which are manufactured in Trollhättan, Sweden.

For more info, see Saab Automobile

Models

Saab 92 (1949-1956)
Saab 93 (1955-1960)
Saab 94 (1956)
Saab GT750 (1958-1960)
Saab Formula Junior (1960)
Saab 95 (1959-1978)
Saab 96 (1960-1980)
Saab 97 (1967-1974)
Saab 99 (1968-1984)
Saab 90 (1984-1987)
Saab 900 (1978-1993) ('Classic', the convertible was also in production in 1994.)
Saab 900 (1993-1998) ('New Generation')
Saab 9000 (1984-1998)
Saab 9-3 (current)
Saab 9-5 (1997-current)
Saab 9-2 (planned)
Saab 9-7 (planned)
Saab Sonett in four versions, see Saab 94 and Saab 97).
Saab 600

Experimental and prototypes

Aircraft

Currently, the main focus of the aircraft production is fighter aircraft, with the recent JAS 39 Gripen as the flagship model. Saab has been making airplanes since the 1930s, and predecessors to the Gripen were among others the Lansen, the Draken and the Viggen. The last civilian models made by Saab were the Saab 340 and Saab 2000. Both were mid-range, turboprop powered, passenger planes.

The development and the manufacturing of these airplanes has all been made in Linköping, Sweden.

In 1995 Saab Military Aircraft and BAE SYSTEMS formed the joint venture company Saab-BAe Gripen AB, with the goal of adapting, manufacturing, marketing and supporting Gripen internationally.

BAE SYSTEMS designed an improved wing, which they then manufactured and are set to produce 45% of currently planned export airframes. Saab Military Aircraft is responsible for the overall 'aircraft system' including basic aircraft development and production, and testing and delivery.

In 1998 BAE SYSTEMS acquired 35% of Saab Military Aircraft.

Models

Datasaab

The Datasaab company was a result partly of the need of heavy computational power for the aircraft development, partly of the science-fictional idea to make a computer that would be small enough to mount in an airplane as navigational equipment. During the 1960s several successful and advanced systems was developed and sold to several European countries (used in e.g. banking). The aircraft computer (CK37) was achieved in 1971 in the Viggen. The now less successful company was sold off in 1975 to Sperry Univac, while flight computer development was kept in Saab.

Space & Military Technology

Saab Ericsson Space is a joint venture with Ericsson, designing the on board computers used in the Ariane 5 rockets used by the European Space Agency. Saab Missiles develops military applications.

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Saab".