Ur-Saab and Some Antecedents
In 1947 SAAB ( Svesnska Aeroplan AB ), builder of military aircraft, was exploring entering the automobile market. The initial result was the prototype that some people nowadays call the UrSaab . (In Germany and some parts of Europe probably including Sweden, the prefix "Ur" is sometimes applied to the earliest example of something. The word Ur is the name of what some anthropologists claimed was the world's oldest city.) A series of prototypes were built, details edging towards the first production model, the Saab 92 that reached the Swedish market in 1950. Below are images of that car and another prototype along with two earlier cars with similar rear styling details. Because Saab built aircraft and had a wind tunnel, it is no surprise that the new car was tested to enhance aerodynamic efficiency. Whether or not the other streamlined examples actually influenced Saab designers is belong the scope of my source materials. That said, I hope you might ...