Saab Concept Cars Before and After the Saab Bankruptcy (c. 2000–2023)

 

Saab was known for buildin’ some real-deal, no-nonsense badass cars, and truth be told, it still stings a bit that they went under. Saab always did things their own way, stubborn, clever, and a little weird in the best possible sense. Over the years they rolled out a whole mess of wild concept cars, both before and after the original bankruptcy. We’re talkin’ the Saab 9X Concept, the Aero-X, the 9-6, the 9-1, the 9-8X, heck, they even cooked up an all-wheel-drive Saab based on the Subaru Tribeca. And then there’s the Saab 9-4X, which barely made it out the gate before the lights went off for good.

Now, here’s where things got interestin’ at least back when this piece was first written in 2023. A lotta folks didn’t realize that Saab’s DNA was still breathin’ over in China through NEVS. They were buildin’ the NEVS 9-3, a modern spin on that long, proud bloodline runnin’ straight from the old Saab 99 and 900 all the way up through the classic 9-3 roots stretchin’ back to the late ’60s.

At the time, it felt plain strange and honestly a little heartbreaking that the NEVS 9-3 never found its way to Norway. Folks had been talkin’ about importin’ it for years, but nothin’ ever came of it. Back then, it still felt like there was hope. Like maybe, just maybe, Saab’s spirit was gonna roll back onto Scandinavian roads where it belonged.

Now we know how that story ended. NEVS has since gone belly-up too, which just adds another chapter to Saab’s long tale of missed chances and what-could’ve-beens. Still say what you will both Saab and NEVS built cars with soul, and that kinda thing don’t just disappear. There’s plenty of Norwegian Saab folks out there who still feel that loss deep down in their bones.