In 1947 the site in Trollhättan
was transformed to allow construction of cars, and those working
on project 92 moved from Linköping.
Sister cars 92.002 and 92.003 were driven on every possible
type of road surface and with 92.001 they clocked up over
530,000km - equivalent to 13 journeys around the world and
typical of Saab's commitment to thorough testing.
It wasn't until 10 June 1949, after thorough testing of 20
pre-production prototypes, that the Saab 92 was launched to
the press and public in Trollhättan.
Full-scale production of the Saab
92 commenced on 12 December 1949, the model year 1950 car
- 700 of which were made. The 1951 model year Saab 92 was
identical in every respect except that German VDO instruments
now replaced the American Stewart-Warner components.
Philipsons, Sweden's largest automotive distributor, reportedly
had a waiting list of between 15,000 and 35,000 people for
the Saab 92. They also had the exclusive distribution rights
as they had guaranteed to take 8,000 units in the first four
years. More importantly to Saab, Philipsons had given a large
advance that made it possible for Saab to start production
of the 92.
Saab manufactured 1,246 cars in 1950 - all of them green -
and production increased by more than 2,000 units a year.
The target of 8,000 cars in the first four years was exceeded
by 1,000.
The cost of production was critical
to Saab at the time and only 17% of the cost of the 92 was
from imported materials. Hence the Henry Ford principle of
any colour you like as long as it's… green in Saab's
case! It has been said that the reason that the first Saabs
were available in this colour only was that they had a surplus
of green paint left over from their wartime aircraft production.
Substantiated or not, it's an interesting story.
A two-cylinder, two-stroke 764cc 25hp thermo siphon water-cooled
engine powered the 92. The maximum speed was around 105km/h.
The 92 had three gears, the first being unsynchronised.
In 1953 the Saab 92 was replaced by the 92B, although that
designation was never used in any advertising in its first
year of its production.
The first major modifications
to the Saab 92 were introduced for the 1953 model year.
The sleek Saab now had a much enlarged rear window -
53% larger - to improve rearward visibility. A new boot
lid made the luggage compartment externally accessible
and the luggage area had grown by 32% by moving the
spare wheel and relocating the battery to the engine
compartment. Additionally, the fuel tank filler cap
had been moved to the rear wing.
This Saab was versatile, the
first of many. Saab produced a special box that, when
the detachable rear seats were removed, could be inserted
to convert the car into a handy little transport van.
A bed kit made of plywood enabled the conversion of
the interior into a useful double bed.
Four colours were now available: grey, blue-grey, black
and, of course, green.
For the model year 1954 the Saab was, for the first
time, officially designated the 92B. A new Solex 32BI
carburettor and a new ignition coil boosted engine output
to 28hp. The American sealed beam headlamps, which had
a tendency to dazzle oncoming traffic, were replaced
with Hella units.
For the first time Saab offered
the option of a factory-fitted large textile sunroof,
but at a cost option of 600 krona there were few takers.
A further colour, maroon, was now available and the
10,000th Saab rolled off the assembly line on 6 March
1954.
An electric fuel pump and square rear lamps installed
in the rear wings were modifications officially for
the 1955 model year but were first introduced on chassis
no. 11,001. Standard colours were now grey, maroon and
a new moss green.
The Saab 93 was introduced
in Dec 1955 but production of the 92B continued alongside
its successor with the last 92B being assembled as late
as Dec 1956/Jan 1957. Two new colours, grey-green and
beige were now offered. A total of 20,128 Saab 92 models
were built, of which 14,828 were of type 92B with the
external boot lid.
