Ask for It by Name!

Mazda has sold a lot of cars with its catchy “zoom-zoom” jingle, but a case could be made that the motto really belongs to Saab, a car company that was zooming long before it made its first automobile.

Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget was formed in 1937 as Sweden’s national manufacturer of military aircraft. After World War II, company engineers realized that the expertise in design they had acquired in building combat aircraft would translate well to the building of automobiles, and launched a secret car project in 1945. In 1947, they presented their first prototype in public, a highly advanced auto design that featured front-wheel drive, a safety cage surrounding its passengers, and an aerodynamic design based on the shape of an aircraft wing. The Model 92 was a hit with the public when it was released two years later, and the world discovered the Saab brand, an acronym formed from Svenska Aeroplan AktieBolaget.

More than 20,000 Model 92s were built over the next seven years, and Saab has since become famous for pioneering engineering, safety and comfort. Saab also still makes aircraft, including high-performance military and commercial jets.