Originally an aircraft and defence company, Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, Saab diversified into car manufacture in the 1940s. The first model, the Saab 92, had clear aircraft inspiration, launching in 1949. It had a very low drag coefficient of 0,30, a figure that only began being commonplace in the 1980s.

Its cars evolved gradually, with the next all-new saloon model, the 99, not appearing till the 1960s. The 9000, a joint-venture car developed with Fiat and Alfa Romeo, appeared in the 1980s.

In 1990, with financial difficulties, GM purchased 50 per cent of Saab, with the remainder falling under the ownership of the American company in 2000.

Continued difficulties saw GM introduce non-Swedish Saab models such as the Subaru-based 9-2X and the 9-7X SUV, built in Japan and the US respectively. R&D was moved to Opel in Rüsselsheim, while Trollhättan, the traditional home of Saab, made Cadillacs for the European market.

With GM facing bankruptcy in the US in 2008, Saab was put up for sale. A letter of intent to take over Saab was signed by Swedish sports’ car manufacturer Koenigsegg in June 2009.