Should Saab have come out with a retro 96 in the 1990s?

1973 Saab 96 and Porsche 911

EXPANDED FROM 6/10/2014)

In a Hemmings post about a 1971 Saab 96 for sale, Mike McNessor (2014) described the car as “irresistible and timeless as the VW Beetle or the Mini.” He went on to wonder whether Saab might have “had a hit on its hands” if it followed in the footsteps of J Mays’ retro-looking New Beetle.

This is an intriguing idea because in the United States the 96 was right up there with the original Beetle in offering the most iconic styling of the 1960s. In addition, the Saab would have arguably been easier to “retro” than the Volkswagen because of its front engine, streamlined side styling and somewhat more squared-off rear end.

Circa 1961 Volkswagen Beetle

The Saab 96's iconic shape should have been evoked in subsequent Saabs
One of the great ironies of the 1960s was that the VW Beetle was far more successful in the U.S. than the Saab 92/93/96 despite the latter offering a more advanced design — at least aside from an archaic two-stroke engine.

A retro 96 could have given Saab a needed boost

After General Motors bought a 50-percent stake — and management control — of Saab in 1989, it wisely chose to maintain the brand’s stylistic continuity (Wikipedia, 2022). Unfortunately, GM focused narrowly on perpetuating the blocky look of the 900.

Saab 900 3-door hatchback

Saab 9-3
The GM-designed and Opel-based Saab 9-3 mimicked the styling of the original Saab-designed 900 and 99.

Coming out with a retro 96 in the 1990s could have given Saab a badly needed boost because such a car could have had much more road presence than the rather austere 900 descendants. However, one might reasonably wonder whether a retro 96 would have seen its sales fall in a similar fashion to the New Beetle’s once its stylistic newness wore off.

Also see ‘Saab 99/900: The box that crushed a carmaker’

That might have depended on whether GM designers transcended J Mays’ approach. As discussed here and here, the New Beetle may have been an effective styling exercise, but it paid no attention whatsoever to any of the practical qualities that made the original so unique in the American automobile market of the 1950s and 60s. This is why I would argue that the New Beetle powerfully illustrates the bankruptcy of the retro styling movement.

VW New Beetle taillight

VW New Beetle interior
Volkswagen’s New Beetle was the ultimate “postmodern” design — it was a deeply cynical caricature of the original.

What advances should a retro 96 have offered?

1966 Saab 96 ad
1966 Saab ad. Click on image to enlarge (Automotive History Preservation Society).

A retro 96 could have transcended that bankruptcy if GM had emphasized functional innovation. For starters, the car needed to offer outstanding aerodynamics, fuel efficiency and all-weather traction. Perhaps that meant a mostly aluminum body and an unusually small but turbocharged engine. Certainly an all-wheel-drive “rally” model was necessary.

Saab also arguably needed to push the envelope in other respects, such as with a toxic-free interior and components that were unusually recyclable — and easily replaceable.

Essentially what I have described is a 1990s-style “green” car. The market for such an entry might not have been huge, but it would have given Saab a unique niche that could have proven increasingly important to the brand’s survival in the difficult years ahead.

Also see ‘What a modern simple car should look like’

A green retro 96 would have presumably violated GM’s hierarchy of brands, where Saab was supposed to be a higher-priced Opel that was distinguished by relatively superficial styling and equipment differences. I would suggest that this is why Saab never gained much traction while under GM’s control. Retro styling alone wouldn’t have improved Saab’s prospects — at least for very long.

NOTES:

This is an expanded version of a story originally posted on June 10, 2014.

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3 Comments

  1. In practice a retro take of the Saab 96 at that time by Saab under GM would have likely been based on the 6th generation Pontiac Le Mans or FWD T-platform, as with other post-GM Saabs similar to how VW used the Golf platform to base the retro styled Beetle.

  2. Honestly, a retro 96 would have had a great welcome from nostalgia car fans and North-Easterners alike, many of whom would have paid a good high dollar for a well-executed design. It may have been a real “win” for GM and Saab. The car should have been marketed as a “lower” production niche product and not allowed to get as numerous as the New Beetle, or the PT Cruiser. A later rally/sports model addition (as you said, Steve) – maybe a turbo – would likely have kept it in the news for close to a decade with good, clever marketing.

    l’m waiting for FCA to make a retro Citroen DS – with a V8 “Hemi”! (Kidding, of course. l’ll make my own! Kidding again.).

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