Saab History

Saab 9000 drive-by-wire (1992)

Saab 9000 Drive-by-wireSaab 9000 Drive-by-wire

All We know that Saab carries the legacy of aviation, and one of the projects related to that is Saab 9000 drive-by-wire from 1992.

1992. SAAB is experineting with a drive-by-wire system similar to fly-by-wire aircraft control systems.

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The test car SAAB 9000, even has side-mounted joystick instead of a steering wheel. The stick sends electrical signals to a control box ona a hidraulic cylinder that moves the steering linkage.The two-litre Saab 9000 Turbo used to test the active steering has automatic
gears and anti-lock brakes and a conventional accelerator.

Since no steering column is needed, reason SAAB, why clutter up instrumental panel with steering wheel, a prime safety hazard during a crash?

The system is fail-safed with reserve hydraulic preasure and electrical power. Saab’s research tide into Europe’s PROMETHEUS smart highway program.

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Eventual production model should have two joysticks one for each arm so the driver can swap the arm in control. Project remained at the level of research.

Goran Aničić
the authorGoran Aničić
For over 15 years, Goran Aničić has been passionately focused on Saab automobiles and everything related to them. His initial encounter with Saab cars took place back in 2003 when the first Saab 9-3 and sedan version were introduced. At that moment, he was captivated by the car's Scandinavian design logic and top-notch engineering, and everything that followed stemmed from that first encounter. Later on, through his work at the editorial team of the Serbian automotive magazines "Autostart" and later "AutoBild," he had the opportunity to engage more closely with Saab vehicles. In 2008, he tested the latest Saab cars of that time, such as the Saab 9-3 TTiD Aero and Saab 9-3 Turbo X. In 2010, as the sole blogger from the region, he participated in the Saab 9-5ng presentation in Trollhättan, Sweden. Alongside journalists from around the world, he got a firsthand experience of the pinnacle of technological offerings from Saab at that time. Currently, Goran owns two Saabs: a 2008 Saab 9-3 Vector Sportcombi with a manual transmission, and a Saab 9-3 Aero Griffin Sport Sedan from the last generation, which rolled off the production line in Trollhättan in December 2011.

1 Comment

  • To this day I’m sad the idea never caught on. So easy with today’s tech to drive long distance this way. Saab = innovators. Innovators fail. Toyota’s etc succeed. Don’t innovate! Copy. 😠

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