Some might argue that getting snapped up by General Motors was Saab’s worst moment, but the plucky Swedish outfit was never going to last long without some serious support from a global carmaker. Sadly that ultimately meant Vectra underpinnings, a rebadged Chevrolet SUV and weirdly a reskinned Subaru Impreza estate that was hawked in the US for a few years.
The company’s long slow decline was truly painful to watch, mirroring the same downfall of the once great Rover in the UK not very long before – an initial unsightly surprise collapse followed by prolonged squabbling over the remains.