Remembering Saab – and the 3 weirdest things it ever did

Swedish automaker Saab went bankrupt in 2011, leaving behind a legacy of rather interesting cars – and quirky corporate decision-making:

1. In the early 90s, Saab built a car that used a joystick instead of a steering wheel.

2. As a hybrid automaker/defense contractor, Saab loved to inject real fighter jets into its car ads – even when you least expected them.

3. After GM bought Saab in 1989, it began supplying GM parts to lower costs. But Saab engineers refused to use them, even going so far as to design their own GPS system.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that the GM/Saab marriage didn’t last!

– Chris Butsch, The Arizona 100