Turning to the first real, real car, the production Saab 92 that hit the roads in 1950; perhaps not surprisingly this was seized on by at least one local toy maker and several examples have now survived for around 50 years or so. The firm of Brio founded in the 19C by Ivar Bengtsson and still owned (I think) by the Ivarsson family, are well known for their wooden toys especially their simple yet effective ‘classic wooden railway system.’ What is less well known is that in the early 1950s they also produced early plastic models of cars including at least two versions of a Saab 92.

Very few of these fragile toys still exist. I know of only one or two still in mint condition, held by avid collectors in Germany and Austria. I have 4 examples in my collection but none of them are in perfect condition. The smaller vehicles are more or less to 1:43 scale and are extremely fragile. They comprise a basic one piece coloured plastic moulding without interior and plastic wheels in contrasting colours on axles that are clipped into the main moulding. I’m afraid I don’t know how many different colours were produced, but in addition to mine, I believe cream and red examples exist, and I expect several more colours would have been created during their all too brief production life.

The larger models around 1:20 scale, appeared both with and without rudimentary clockwork motors in their again one piece plastic moulding. Their appearance is somewhat more rugged than their smaller brethren, but once more it is understandable how few seem to have survived to the 21C. Mine are well play-worn! I don’t think anyone knows for sure the full extent and range of colours that were produced.

Considering their age and obvious toy heritage both sizes of the Brio Saab 92 are amazingly accurate replicas of the real thing! I am unaware of any collaboration between Saab and Brio when the toys were being made or whether perhaps Brio toys were given away by Saab franchisees to a customer’s children, or were indeed sold by Saab Dealers …

As a marked contrast, you would have to wait over 30 years for the next firm to produce a model Saab 92; and you may have needed a second mortgage to purchase an example! Somerville models have never been cheap, and cannot be considered as toys; they have however been of an exceedingly high quality and meticulously mastered and produced in white metal by a craftsman to his own personal high standards.

Doug McHard, proprietor of Somerville models, produced the first 50 models of his Saab 92 (Somerville model reference no 119) in 1983 for Saab themselves. This first production run of models were both individually numbered on the base of the model and on their boxes; and they are now both exceedingly rare and consequently very expensive to purchase if any come onto the collector’s market. Subsequently a production run of 1000 pieces were again produced for Saab in Sweden, and the white metal collector in Britain and the rest of Europe had to wait a further year before another batch of 92s were made for domestic customers.

All these models were made in a standardised dark green livery, the same as the real car in 1950 in Sweden. The batch for Saab in Sweden has specially designed blue boxes with both Saab and Somerville logos and a line drawing of a Saab 92. All other batches have been in the standard red and white Somerville boxes.

Very soon after the basic 92 had been made, another model utilising the same shell was made to represent the Monte Carlo Rally entrant of Greta Molander from Norway. This was the cream coloured car with which Greta and her co-driver Helga Lundberg won the ladies class in 1952. Again the first run of 1000 pieces went directly to Saab in Sweden and Somerville’s faithful domestic customers had to wait for another year before they could find an example in their local specialist shop.

Until recently, all the Somerville Saab models have been available on a Saab part-number from your local dealership, but since the GM takeover this is no longer the case.

All Somerville models have been produced a batch at a time, and Doug and Roly McHard sought to continually improve their production as time went on. Consequently there have been some discernible changes to certain models. The original model 92 had cast windscreen wipers, whereas later ones had separate very fragile chromed photo-etched wipers fitted.

In addition to the superb factory finished Somerville models, it has also been possible to buy kits (at around half of the price of the finished model) and build these to one’s own specification. Kits of the Saab 92 were available for a few years and I have one that has been built with open suicide doors and bonnet, complete with a replica two-stroke engine in the bay!!

The last batch of Saab 92s was finished in a rich maroon colour. I say the last, as very sadly, Doug died suddenly in August 2002. Roly McHard has now sold the firm in its entirety to another company and it is uncertain whether any further batches of ‘Somerville’ Saabs will be produced.

The final Models of the Saab 92 are made by Autosculpt. Similar to the prototype 92001, these are one piece solid resin castings of a uniform ‘pewter’ appearance, (derived from the aluminium dust mixed with the resin in the casting process).

This time both 1:90 and 1:43 versions are available. The smaller ones have also been made into badges by the simple expedient of slicing a car from corner to opposite corner and sticking a pin on the reverse side!

Iain