 2006 Saab 9-3 anniversary edition  1947 Saab 92 prototype |
Saab said it'll celebrate its 60th anniversary by launching special editions of its 9-5 and 9-3 model lines.
The Swedish company's tweaking exterior and interior detailing with no-cost options it said are worth up to £3,000. The anniversary editions will go on sale from January 2007.
Anniversary editions of the Saab 9-3 range will all feature DVD satnav and Bluetooth phone systems as standard -- valued at £2,580, according to Saab. Externally you can specify ice-blue metallic paint, colour-keyed door handles and special five-spoke, 17-inch alloy wheels. Internally, features will include black sports seats with grey inserts, contrast stitching and the word ‘Saab’ embossed on the front seat facings.
Saab 9-5 models come with a choice of six metallic colours including ice blue metallic and the 17-inch alloys. Estate models also include optional roof rails finished in matt chrome.
Inside, all anniversary edition 9-5s come with a DVD satnav, black sports leather front seats with a Saab logo embossed on the upper backrest. All seats include contrasting inserts in grey leather, together with grey contrast stitching, which is also adopted for the door armrests. The Saab 9-5 estate also features a chromed aircraft-shaped handle in the cargo floor and chromed air vent control knobs, similar to that on the 9-3.
Saab called the anniversary editions "the first step in a series of initiatives that Saab is planning in recognition of a rich heritage founded in aircraft design, Scandinavian culture and a tradition for independent, forward thinking."
Initially founded as a manufacturer of military aircraft, Saab (an acronym for Svenska Aeroplan Aktie(B)olaget) surprised the automotive world in June 1947 when it revealed the prototype for its first production car, the Saab 92. With streamlined bodywork, unitary construction and front wheel drive, it owed little to the conventional design wisdoms of the time.
Pity the new cars have been considerably "de-Saabed" since the company's acquisition by GM in 1990 -- although the Aero X concept shows that the company's not entirely lost its interest in innovative engineering.
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