Saab-Spyker chief wants new retro Saab 92

Saab Automobile's new chairperson, Victor Muller, wants the Swedish firm to prioritize the development of a new version of the classic Saab 92 in a retro design mirroring similar moves by Fiat, with its 500, and the Volkswagen Beetle.

The trip down memory lane could attract new devotees to the brand, Muller claimed at a car show in New York in an interview with the US website motortrend.com.

The new Saab 92, which according to Muller will probably be given the name Saab 9-2, is not currently part of the firm's business model. Muller confirmed that the firm has to start earning money before the project could become a reality, but he added that it is something of a personal dream for him.

"The Saab 92 is definitely the missing link in the portfolio of Saab cars. And this is clearly what we want to bring to the market, really soon," Muller told the website.

The Saab 92 was the firm's first car model and was launched in 1947. The aerodynamic car, with an engine that was considered by some to sound like a coffee percolator, went into mass production in 1949.

All early Saab 92's were painted racing green, which according to rumour was because the firm had a surplus of green paint from wartime production of aircraft.

The last Saab 92, of a total of 20,128 vehicles, was manufactured in early 1957.

"The Saab 92 is definitely the missing link in the portfolio of Saab cars. And this is clearly what we want to bring to the market, really soon," Muller told the website.