SAAB News: Support for the Saab Museum

Last Tuesday, the first meeting to found a support organization for the Saab Museum took place in Trollhättan. To say it in advance: a lot has developed positively since our last visit! Two months ago worries about long-term survival were still noticeable, now the future appears in a better light. 36 participants attended the event with coffee and tasty treats.

Margareta Hallin of the Innovatum and Peter Backström of the Saab Museum

Our small German delegation, consisting of Mark, Hubert, Götz and I grew spontaneously to 6 persons. Saab fans from Germany who we met in front of the museum participated in the event. Hubert, who had traveled from Germany with his Saab 96 two-stroke engine, acted as our translator. Entering the museum, the visitor greets the Saab 9-3 Griffin, donated by the Saab community. The last Saab of an era in Sweden is a lot of events. Cars have to be moved because they were built for that.

Margareta Hallin from Innovatum opened the session and gave us the first information. The Saab Museum, she told us, is getting closer and closer to Saab AB. A thing that is not self-evident. Saab Automobile originated from Saab AB, the origin, as we all know, lies in the aircraft industry. In recent years, the relationship between the two companies was not very good. The Saab AB saw their business increasingly endangered by the negative news headlines from Trollhättan.

Saab 9-3 Griffin from Saabsunited

In the meantime, the relationship has improved noticeably. The museum may bear the name “Saab” and continue to call itself “Saab Bilmuseum” or “Saab Car Museum”. The cooperation is intensified and expanded. Our museum gets a training jet from the Royal Air Force from Linköping, which is hung under the museum roof. In return, Saabs move from the magazine into that Air Force Museum to Malmslätt. The circle closes and one of the messages at the meeting was “Saab is not dead”. Saab lives on, even if only planes are currently being built.

The worldwide fan community provides proof of the Saab spirit that is alive. Peter Backström, the museum curator, introduced “… our German friends…” to the participants. Our presence, even if more moral than factual support, was greeted with warm applause. The small donation from German fans and the great support from Saabsunited and the large Saab community are not forgotten and are appreciated by Saab veterans and Swedish fans.

Saab 96 “Short Nose” by Hubert in front of the Saab Museum

At the meeting, a committee was appointed, which will work out the club structures. It's about the future organization, the involvement of industrial sponsors and the fans. In the preliminary committee are representatives of the following organizations, and I'm not sure if the list is complete:

Saab Veterans, Saab Club Sweden, Saab Turbo Club Sweden, IF Metal, Innovatum, Saabsunited, Innovatum, Trollhättan Municipality.

Over the next few weeks, this committee will work out the final supporter formation and monitor the use of incoming donations. The next meeting, which will take place at the end of September, will determine a final board, so that the club can start its work.

Saab fans, who want to become members or support the museum in its work on historic heritage, must wait until fall.

Text: tom@saabblog.net

2 thoughts on "SAAB News: Support for the Saab Museum"

  • And the best: the Saab Museum last week - contrary to the message on their homepage -
    open on two days (Wed. and Thu.), as there were many other inquiries besides mine ...

    Great performance & great Saab spirit.
    And not least a great museum with highly motivated employees!

  • Finally good news from Sweden. It's good to hear that the museum is slowly moving in a safe water. Teaming up with SAAB AB is a good signal. The aircraft museum is on the program for the next visit to Sweden.

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