Comments by "John Burns" (@johnburns4017) on "DW REV - Cars & Mobility" channel.

  1. The SAAB 99 used the British Triumph slant-4 engine. It was used only in the SAAB for a few years before being used in Triumphs. Triumph put in 4 valves per cylinder increasing HP, installing it in the Dolomite Sprint. SAAB put a turbo on it and fuel injection to get more power, as they had no money to make a new bigger engine. SAAB initially used British made engines, then made them under licence in Sweden, but made improvements as time went on. Many of the engine parts were still sourced in the UK. Triumph discontinued the slant-4 in 1981, but SAAB were still making it 30 years later, up to around 2010, when GM forced them to fit a GM stock engine in SAABs. The rights to the engine is now with the Chinese company BAIC who bought out SAAB. BAIC made a car based on the SAAB in 2013. So this engine from 1968 still continues. SAAB still exist making EVs but changed their name. The SAAB name reverted to the aircraft making company.
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  2. The Triumph engine was only used by SAAB for its first 2 years of production. There were a few small early production problems which were ironed out, mainly the water pump. SAAB kept the engine making it under licence after about 3 years, later adding a turbo charger and fuel injection. The Triumph engine was so bad SAAB were making it 30 years after Triumph stopped making it.
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  3. Quality of German cars has not declined. It is that others have caught up.
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