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Unveiling South Korea’s Saab Enthusiasts – “From Extinction to Immortality…”

SAAB – From Obscurity to Immortality: Unveiling South Korea's Hidden Saab Enthusiasts

Vibrant gathering of Saab enthusiasts at the HLUT exhibition in Seoul, showcasing a rich tapestry of vintage Saabs and memorabilia.Vibrant gathering of Saab enthusiasts at the HLUT exhibition in Seoul, showcasing a rich tapestry of vintage Saabs and memorabilia.

In our journey across Asia, we’ve encountered Saab enthusiasts from Taiwan to Japan, but South Korea’s Saab community has remained largely under the radar. Contrary to popular belief, the Swedish brand has a passionate following in this part of the world. This was vividly showcased at the recent Saab exhibition in Seoul, held in a unique showroom called “HLUT.”

HLUT: A Hub of Style and Saab Devotion

HLUT is not just a showroom; it’s a celebration of style, industrial design, and global design culture. This venue, in collaboration with the enthusiastic communities of HLUT x EREVO x SSOLDOT, hosted an exhibition titled “SAAB – From Extinction to Immortality.” The title itself is a paradox – new Saab cars are no longer produced, yet the brand is more alive than ever.

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Inside view of the HLUT showroom in Seoul, brimming with classic Saab cars and an array of Saab-themed memorabilia, reflecting the brand's enduring charm.
Inside view of the HLUT showroom in Seoul, brimming with classic Saab cars and an array of Saab-themed memorabilia, reflecting the brand’s enduring charm.

The Exhibition: A Testament to Saab’s Legacy

Described by the organizers as a homage to Saab, a brand that built cars with stubborn dedication, the exhibition was more than a car show. It was a journey through Saab’s history, philosophy, and its relentless pursuit of excellence, much like its aircraft manufacturing heritage.

Assortment of Saab memorabilia available for purchase at the exhibition, showcasing unique collectibles cherished by Korean Saab enthusiasts.
Assortment of Saab memorabilia available for purchase at the exhibition, showcasing unique collectibles cherished by Korean Saab enthusiasts.

Visitors could immerse themselves in a vintage setting at the foot of the beautiful Bukaksan Mountain, surrounded by Saab cars and furniture embodying the brand’s ethos. The exhibition also offered a range of Saab-themed memorabilia, from specially designed sweatshirts, badges, posters, and books to keychains and paintings.

Exclusive collection of Saab memorabilia on display at the Seoul exhibition, featuring unique merchandise cherished by Korean Saab enthusiasts.
Exclusive collection of Saab memorabilia on display at the Seoul exhibition, featuring unique merchandise cherished by Korean Saab enthusiasts.

A Community of Enthusiasts: Bringing Saab to Life

The videos linked below offer a closer look at South Korea’s Saab community, a testament to the brand’s enduring appeal:

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The event, co-planned by the vintage furniture salon Hlut, the Erevo aviation club, and the cultural curatorial platform Ssoldat, was a heartfelt tribute to Saab. It was intriguing to see such reverence for the Saab automotive brand in South Korea, a country from which news seldom reaches us.

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Captivating scene at the Saab exhibition with a Saab 900 on display and vintage Saab promotional films projected on the gallery wall.
Captivating scene at the Saab exhibition with a Saab 900 on display and vintage Saab promotional films projected on the gallery wall.

A New Chapter for Saab in Asia

This exhibition in Seoul marks the beginning of a new chapter for Saab enthusiasts in South Korea and beyond. Stay tuned as we delve deeper into the activities and stories of Saab enthusiasts from this intriguing part of the world. The Saab spirit, it seems, is far from extinct – it’s immortal.

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.

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