"Carl (@stuffcarlsays)" (carllevine)
04/02/2015 at 09:36 • Filed to: Saab, 99, Today in History
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"Carl (@stuffcarlsays)" (carllevine)
04/02/2015 at 09:36 • Filed to: Saab, 99, Today in History | 8
| 1 |
...the boffins at Saab started working on the 99.
This car went on to become the keystone of Saab's design philosophy until their bitter end in 2011, and the basis of one of their most successful cars, the 900.
April 2nd in Sweden is known as Gudmund's day which is derived from the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! name Guğmundr which was derived from the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! "god" and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! "protection". Far be it from me to declare something as a god (y'know, false idols and all that business), I still feel that the 99 and subsequent 900 are worthy of high praise. Seems like a fitting day to start building a sturdy, safe automobile that would eventually introduce turbocharging to the masses.
So, the aptly named Project Gudmund went on to spawn a few interesting prototypes. First, there was the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . They cut a Saab 96 in half and widened the whole car to accommodate an array of powertrains that might be used in the new car, while maintaining an air of anonymity under the guise of a familiar sight on the Swedish roads.
When an eagle-eyed motorist noticed the difference, Gudmund's cover was blown. This was ok, though, as the new car's prototype body had been completed and was ready to be driven. However, the world couldn't know at that point in the development that it was in fact a whole new Saab car underneath the sleek, Sixten Sason designed skin. So, they took to a few Saab Sport badges they had laying around and crafted the word 'daihatsu' out of the letters.
The 'daihatsu' logged the requisite test mileage and proved to be a rugged, comfortable and efficient car that would take Saab to new heights in the 1970s and beyond. The 99 was released to the public with great fanfare in Stockholm on November 22nd, 1967.
The 99 continues to be one of my all-time favorite cars, along with its successor, the 900. They have become exceedingly rare, and are beginning to appreciate in value. If you have the opportunity to acquire one and return it to its former glory, consider it a blessing - after all, this was the car that was derived of 'god' and 'protection'.
Nibbles
> Carl (@stuffcarlsays)
04/02/2015 at 10:49 |
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And my wife wants me to get rid of my 900