There were once two Swedish automakers, and they were very different. One was Volvo, the other Saab. And while they had their differences and their adherents, the biggest distinction between the two was the fact that Volvos were rear-wheel drive while Saabs were front-wheel drive.
In fact, a Saab brochure from the early 1980s extolled the advantages of front-wheel drive, while saying their cars could tow lesser ones with rear-wheel drive when they got stuck. It pictured a Volvo.
Perhaps that’s why Volvo executives were laughing over their smoked herring when Saab crashed and burned in 2011, a victim of GM mismanagement. By then, Volvos had long been front-wheel drive. In fact, Volvo's first front-wheel drive vehicle hit the U.S. in 1992, nearly a decade after the first one appeared in Europe.
