SAAB's first production model was the 92. There were already SAAB 90s and 91s - the Scandia and Safir airplanes, respectively. But sales from SAAB's airplane division weren't projected to sustain the company in post-war Europe. So SAAB developed the 92 as the first venture into commercial automobile manufacturing. This 2-cylinder, 2-cycle sedan was offered for sale in Europe only from 1949 to 1956. All 92s from 1949 though most of 1952 were painted green and there was very little variation year to year aside from cosmetic improvements. However, the SAAB buyer who wanted something slightly different had the option of selecting the DeLuxe version of the 92, with armrests in the back, a clock, a temperature guage, and one additional horn. In December of 1952, the first big changes came, including a larger rear window, access to the luggage compartment through a trunk lid, repositioning of the gas filler neck to the left rear fender and different locations for the battery, gas tank and spare tire. The seats were padded with foam rubber, and the back seats were removable for additional carrying space. The model designation was now the 92B, and paint choices were light gray, blue gray, black, light green, tan, and maroon. In the fall of '53, a new carburetor and coil allowed an increase in engine power to 28 hp, wheels were ventilated, fenders were decorated with moldings, and the small separate parking lights next to the headlights were discontinued.
10,000 "Trollhattan Trolls" had been produced by March, 1954, and SAAB was becoming an increasingly popular make in Sweden and Europe.
By the end of the 92s run, a total of 20,128 had been produced. Of these, approximately 14,800 were Type 92B. It would not be until the next evolution in design - the Model 93 - that SAAB would arrive for sale on the shores of the USA. |
