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Classic Saab 900 sedan, illustrating the road-car marque discussed here. Photo: Taxiguy57 / Wikimedia Commons , Public domain / PD-self. No content alteration; resized display. Saab’s appeal came from an unusual combination: aerodynamic thinking, practical accommodation, winter usability and a willingness to make familiar controls work differently. Its aircraft connection is real, but the road cars deserve attention for their own engineering rather than a collection of aviation metaphors. There are also two histories to keep separate. Saab’s aerospace and defence business continues, while Saab Automobile’s passenger-car business followed a different corporate path. A car company’s bankruptcy is not evidence that every business using the Saab name disappeared. From an aircraft company to a passenger car Saab’s corporate history dates the aircraft company to 1937. The Saab Car Museum chronology records the presentation of the first car in June 1947 and production beginning in Decem...