Among the quirkiest of automotive brands, Saab cranked out unique cars using meager budgets paired with ingenious Swedish engineering solutions. Among the many quirks of a Saab are the location of the key in the center of the console between the front seats, and the placement of their slanted 4 cylinder engine in reverse, such that the clutch is actually in the front of the car and the driven accessories are toward the back of the engine compartment against the firewall.
Saab fell victim to the financial crisis of 2008 during the restructuring of General Motors, which decided to sell the brand off to the highest bidder, as reported by The New York Times. The attempt by boutique car maker Spyker to keep the storied Swedish marque afloat ended in abysmal failure, with the pieces of Saab picked up by a Chinese company that, according to Motor Trend, has since gone bankrupt and later been revived as an electric mobility company. At the time of its demise, Saab had concept cars and new platforms in the works and had just released an all-new Saab 9-5 model. The Spyker-led company managed to produce only 3,419 of the new 9-5 models before production ceased, per eSaabparts.com.
It is likely a modern Saab would have continued on this path, creating new hybrid and electric models with updated styling. Without the calamity that was the 2008 financial crisis, there is no reason to think that Saab would not be here today.