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.
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.
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.
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.
What advances should a retro 96 have offered?
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.
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.
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- McNessor, Mike; 2014. “Hemmings Find of the Day — 1971 Saab 96.” Hemmings Daily. Posted June 6; accessed June 10.
- Wikipedia, 2022. “Saab Automobile.” Page last modified Feb. 12.
BROCHURES & ADVERTISING:
- wildaboutcarsonline.com (Automotive History Preservation Society): Saab (1966)
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.
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.).
In Europe, there’s an aftermarket specialist who, thanks to a kit, transform the Citroen Jumper, a sibling of the Ram Promaster into a modern incarnation of the old Citroen Type H-van. https://www.motor1.com/news/141196/body-kit-citroen-jumper-type-h/