Saab Hall of Fame: 1950-2007

Motoring Channel Staff - 4/June/2007

Trollhättan, Sweden — The name Erik Carlsson will be familiar to die-hard Saab fans, but most others will be scratching their heads in confusion. Often called Mr. Saab, Carlsson has been an intrinsic part of the Saab motor company for decades, helping put the Saab name on the motoring map in the early 1960s by winning numerous rally and road races for the marque.

An international rally racing legend, the 78-year old Saab ambassador recently put together his personal Hall of Fame in preparation for Saab's huge 60th Anniversary this year, and also tells the tale of Saab through his own eyes when in 1952, in his early 20s, he bought his first car, the Saab 92. 

But first, here is what 'Mr. Saab' thinks are the best models of each decade:

Carlsson’s Favourite Cars

• Saab 92 (1950)
  Monocoque construction, 2-door sedan, front-wheel-drive
  Engine: 2-cylinder, 2-stroke, 764cc. 3-speed gearbox
  Max. power: 18kW (25hp) @ 3800 rpm.
  Max. torque: 59Nm @ 2000rpm
  Max speed: 105 km/h

1950s: "I think we all have a special place in our heart for our first car," says Carlsson. "In my case it was a Saab 92, in green like they all were then, which I bought second-hand from a farmer in Trollhättan. It was 1952, I was 23 and I had started a job at a local garage.

"Saab was the big local company and they had just started making cars. It was an exciting time and the 92 really was something different from other cars, with its streamlined shape and aircraft engineering. Most cars then had a separate body and chassis bolted together, but the 92 had one single body structure, as most cars do these days. It was light but extremely strong, as I found in my rallying.

"It also handled really well with the front wheel drive. It had a small engine but I could go quicker than larger cars that had quite a bit more power."

• Saab 96 (1960)
  Monocoque construction, 2-door sedan, front-wheel-drive
  Engine: 3-cylinder, 2-stroke, 841cc. 4-speed gearbox
  Max power: 28kW (38hp) @ 4250 rpm.
  Max torque: 80Nm @ 3000rpm
  Max speed: 125 km/h.
  0-100 km/h: 25.6 secs

1960s: Erik's success in local rallying events at the wheel of his 1950s Saab 92 quickly led to full-time employment with Saab as a test and development and works rally driver. His ‘Saab of the 60s’ is the famous Saab 96 that brought international rally success for him and for the company. More than 500,000 examples were to be sold in a production run spanning almost 20 years.

"The 96 had more power, good suspension, disc brakes and great handling. We didn’t have a roll-over cage, but with the 96 you didn’t need one, as I appreciated a few times. Although I got the nickname ‘Carlsson on the Roof’, I don’t think I rolled all that many times. But I remember one occasion when I rolled over in a ditch and water was coming in. It was like sitting in an aquarium but the roof pillars were extremely strong so we weren’t drowned or hurt much at all," tells Carlsson.

The aircraft engineering tradition of combining strength with light weight helped establish the popularity of the Saab 96 and in snowy and icy conditions Erik was able to fully exploit its sure-footed handling. But he also has a soft spot for the sister car of the 96, the Saab 95 wagon.

"Quite a few eyebrows were raised when I did the ’61 Monte Carlo with one. It was unheard of to use a wagon or estate car but the 95 handled and drove every bit as well as the 96. I was fourth that year. We used the wagon, together with its aerofoil on the roof, because it had just come out with a four-speed gearbox, which really helped on the steep alpine passes."

• Saab 99 Turbo (1977)
  Monocoque construction, 3-door hatchback, front-wheel-drive
  Engine: 4-cylinder, turbocharged, 1985cc. 4-speed gearbox
  Max. power: 106kW (145hp) @ 5000rpm.
  Max torque: 235Nm @ 3000 rpm
  Max speed: 198 km/h.
  0-100 km/h: 8.9 secs

1970s: Carlsson’s choice as ‘Saab of the 70s’ is the now iconic, black Saab 99 Turbo: "A lot of people at the time said we wouldn’t get turbocharging to work for passenger cars," recounts Erik. 

"I would say history has proved them wrong."

Back in 1977, exactly 30 years ago, when the 99 Turbo was unveiled, Saab surprised the automotive world by declaring that it had succeeded in ‘taming the turbo’. "The 99 was a great chassis and with the turbo we had real power to exploit its potential," says Erik, who remembers secret forest test driving and his first experiences of the explosive performance on full boost: "We had to do a lot of work to control the boost, to stop the engine blowing up and to get the power on the ground. But, of course, we showed it could be done and just about everyone now uses turbocharging.

"Our top engineer, Pelle Gillbrand, who led the project, used to put it very simply. He would explain that all engines have a fuel pump, a water pump and an oil pump – so why not an air pump? That’s all a turbo really is and he thought it was strange that all engines didn’t have one," explains Erik Carlsson.

"The first production cars in jet black and cardinal red had Inca alloy wheels, which were intended to symbolise the turbine of turbo, not a cheese-grater, as some people suggested," laughs Erik. "It was, and still is, a very distinctive car. We had the ignition key between the seats on the floor and people were always surprised by that. But why not? There were valid reasons for it, to do with ergonomics and good crash impact safety. It’s like the throttle controls of an aircraft, between the seats in the cockpit. We still have it today and that’s another feature where I think we have proved the sceptics wrong."

• Saab 900 Turbo Convertible (1986)
  Two-door convertible, powered soft-top, four-seater, front-wheel-drive
  Engine: 4-cylinder, turbocharged, 1985cc. 5-speed gearbox
  Max power: 129kW (175hp) @ 5300 rpm.
  Max torque: 273Nm @ 3000rpm
  Max speed: 205 km/h.
  0-100 km/h: 8.7 secs

1980s: Carlsson’s choice for the ‘Saab of the 80s’ – the Saab 900 Convertible – surprised the automotive world when it was revealed as a design study at the Frankfurt Show in the autumn of 1983. "I don’t think anyone was expecting Saab to come up with a convertible," says Erik. "After all, it is not the kind of car that a Scandinavian manufacturer was expected to produce, but it turned out to be an outstanding success."

Back in the 80s, convertibles were not as popular as they are now and Saab was to play a pioneering role in establishing the attraction of an open-top car as a practical, all-year-round means of transport. "We always had a strong soft-top which was fully automatic, quick and easy to use," says Erik. "That was an essential requirement and we were able show people this was a car that was good to own and drive in winter as well as summer."

Initially produced for the US market, the first 900 Convertible soon went into production for global sale: "It was a great looking car, roof up or down, and looked like a completely new car, rather than a version of the 900 three-door model. I still run a Saab Convertible at different times of the year. Even in winter, when it’s cold, you can have the soft-top down with the heater going and still be very comfortable," enthuses rally great, Erik Carlsson.

• Saab 9000CS Aero (1993)
  Monocoque construction, 5-door hatchback, front-wheel-drive
  Engine: 4-cylinder, turbocharged, 2290cc. 5-speed gearbox
  Max power: 165kW (225hp) @ 5500rpm.
  Max torque: 350Nm @ 1950rpm
  Max speed: 240 km/h.
  0-100 km/h: 6.9 secs

1990s: The ultimate expression of performance was the Saab 9000CS Aero of 1993, and Erik's choice as the ‘Saab of the 90s’. It set a first template for top-of-the-range Aero models that continue at the pinnacle of Saab’s product range today: "The 9000 was a great car, very roomy and comfortable. It was a large hatchback that offered all the versatility of a wagon. With the rear seats down, you could carry a hell of lot, and with the seats up it was just like being in a sedan," says Erik Carlsson.

Saab was also introducing its own engine management system, Saab Trionic. With a processing capacity greater than the computers that put men on the moon, Saab Trionic was an ideal platform for the launch of the more powerful Aero. "The new 2.3 turbo engine gave fantastic torque and the Aero model was the quickest car we had ever produced at that time," Erik says.

"The engine was extremely smooth with its balancer shafts and gave good power from very low revs. It really showed what we could do with turbocharging. You could be in almost any gear, just put your foot down and go. With the 9000 Aero, we asked everyone to ‘talk torque’ when describing what it was like to drive. It was a large car, but it handled very well and everyone appreciated how good the seats were. That is something Saabs has always been known for. Even the seats in my first 92 were very comfortable," recounts Mr Carlsson.

• Saab Aero X Concept (2006)
  Monocoque construction, 2-seater coupé, canopy opening, all-wheel-drive
  Engine: V6 BioPower, twin turbochargers, 2792 cc. 7-speed gearbox
  Max. power: 298kW (400hp) @ 5000rpm.
  Max. torque: 500Nm @ 2000rpm
  Max speed: 250 km/h (limited).
  0-100 km/h: 4.9 secs (projected)

2000s: When he’s not at the wheel of a Saab Convertible, Erik usually drives a Saab 9-5 Aero SportCombi, but this is not a contender for his choice of a Saab for the first decade of the new millennium. That honor goes to the Saab Aero X Concept, shown at the Geneva Show last year. With its aircraft-like canopy and a V6 BioPower turbo engine capable of running on pure bioethanol fuel, offering the prospect of zero fossil CO2 emissions, the Aero X is a concept in tune with the demands of the new century.

"Sweden has a great tradition of concern of the environment," says Erik, "and Saab was first to introduce improvements like asbestos-free brake pads and CFC-free air conditioning systems. This car follows in that tradition, without sacrificing the sort of turbo performance we all enjoy. Looking at the Aero X, I see how far our cars have travelled in 60 years," says Eric.

"But I think this is a good time to be looking towards the future, as well as enjoying the cars of the past," he adds. 

"The Aero X is a very modern design and it shows that Saab will be making exciting cars in the future. We did not produce a concept car until 1985, now there have been several recently, which shows the Saab spirit is strong. That wraparound windscreen gives it a good Saab character. It is, of course, a design concept, but I’m not sure about the opening canopy without any doors, but then my first Saab did not have a boot lid and the doors opened from the front!" admits Erik.

In a more serious vein, Erik agrees that when his career with Saab began, the company’s cars were almost unknown beyond Scandinavia. And he is too modest to point out that his rallying success played a major part in establishing Saab outside its home country. The brand is now a global player, selling premium cars in more than 60 markets around world. Carlsson and Carlsson’s Choice can both take credit for helping to make it happen.

Erik will be reunited with his favorites cars at Saab's 60th Anniversary Festival in Trollhättan (Sweden), from between the 7th and 10th of June, celebrating the unveiling of the first Saab car exactly six decades ago. In what could be the biggest-ever gathering of Saab fans and enthusiasts complete with all their unique cars, more than 30,000 visitors are expected to come from all over the globe to enjoy a packed program of events, including track work, performance demonstrations and of course an air show. 

See www.saabfestival.se for more details on the big 60th birthday bash.

Related articles:
- Saab 9-3 SportCombi (2008)
- Saab 9-5 Linear (Road Test)
- Saab 9-3 Aero (Road Test)
- Saab 9-5 (2006)