Saab 600

The Saab 600, also called the Saab-Lancia 600, was a compact car sold by the Swedish marque Saab that was in fact the Lancia Delta under another name. At the turn of the 1970s and 1980s Saab needed financial support to develop a successor to the 96 and agreed a cooperation with the Italian Fiat group and its Alfa Romeo and Lancia firms. That deal produced the Lancia Thema, Alfa Romeo 164, Saab 9000 and Fiat Croma on a common platform, and one part of it was Saab selling the Lancia Delta on the Swedish market as the Saab 600. The car was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and first shown at the Frankfurt show in 1979, and the Delta was named European Car of the Year for 1980. The Saab differed from the original mainly in its badges. It fitted Saab's range because it had front wheel drive and a hatchback body, and both cars had good rust protection and suited cold climates. It was sold only in Sweden and Norway, with a few cars bought in Finland, Denmark and Iceland. Trim levels were GL, GLS and GLE.