CHAPTER 7The Transformation Triangle
THROUGHOUT THE 2000s, Swedish carmaker Saab used the catchy tagline “Saab: Born from Jetfighters” in television commercials for their aerodynamic sports cars and luxury sedans: The sleek design of its flagship 9–5 shared an extremely low drag ratio lineage with several generations of Saabs. From early in its history, the company recognized that wind resistance—or the air buffer generated by a car’s momentum—would affect engine and fuel efficiency. Its first car, Project 92—a prototype built in 1947—had a drag coefficient of 0.32, an impressive accomplishment even by contemporary standards.
But recognizing drag and wind resistance effect on cars isn’t where “Born from Jetfighters” came from. Founded in 1938, ...
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