It all began in 1947. It hasn't stopped since. Innovation after innovation. 60 years of turbocharged thinking.

It's been 60 years since the first Saab car was revealed. Since then, the manufacturer's unconventional approach to car design has resulted in many innovations and a commitment to turbocharged thinking.

The journey begins in 1947. Saab - Svenska Aeroplan AB - had been building planes since 1937 but,  with the Second World War over, it had the opportunity to take a new direction and widen its production program for a new era. Apart from planes, what could it create that would be refreshingly new - a form, a system, a combination of Scandinavian heritage, technology and innovation? How could it extend and complement its aviation technology? What would successfully utilise the skills of its technicians?

Commerical vehicles perhaps? Or maybe even kitchen units? Both were possibilities, but Svenska Aeroplan's engineers had other ideas. They would make cars. Bold, dynamic and powerful cars designed to marry aviation technology with a new and inspired approach. They would be unlike any other cars on the road, full of distinctive Scandinavian values of independence and innovative thinking, developing and taking inspiration from the rich aircraft heritage.

The aircraft factory in Trollhattan was well suited for making cars longside aeroplanes, and if it so happened that only two of the sixteen aircraft engineers working on the very first Saab had driving licences, that would be no deterrent. This was a time for bold experimentation. A new marque was about to be born.

It started with the Ursaab: Ur, from the Swedish for 'original'. It was the first prototype car Saab ever made and the forerunner of what rapidly became the Saab 92 production model. The 1947 Ursaab's sleek black form looks as good today as it did 60 years ago.

It took a lot of effort to create it. Hand hammered into shape by technicians using a combination of readily available natural materials, Saab craftsmen could get the precise sculptural form they were searching for - and it worked. The first Saab was born.

Ursaab was a compact, front-wheel drive, monocoque construction - a rare combination in the 1940s and a departure from the norm that could only have been created by an aircraft manufacturer. It was one of the most aerodynamic design ever developed, and was built around the driver's needs in the same way that aircraft are built around those of the pilot. This unconventional thinking has since come to typify the company's approach to car making.

By 1949 Swedish motorists were eagerly awaiting the first Saabs to roll off the production line. Interest in the Saab 92 was so strong that there was a growing waiting list of drivers, keen to get their hands on this distinctive and very original car. They were not to be disappointed.

During the 1950s, the Saab 92 evolved. At first with the 92 any luggage had to be inserted through the side passenger doors and into the boot at the back!

The launch of the Saab 92 B in 1952 dealt with this curiosity by incorporating a new boot lid (hooray!), a much enlarged rear window and something even more unexpected: a double bed. Saab produced a special box that, when the detachable rear seats were removed, could be inserted to convert this particular dream machine into an even more comfortable dreaming machine. How very Saab. How very Scandinavian. How very innovative!

Soon after, in 1955, came the Saab 93. Although Saab had previously sent cars overseas, it was the 93 that firmly established the export of Saabs beyond Swedish shores. With the arrival of the 93F in 1960 - black and alluring, with its white and red trimmed wheels - it was easy to see how foreign car lovers would be attracted to Saabs. But why the letter F? For 'front' hinged doors, of course. Only 600 of these beautiful objects were ever made. Like the 92 before, it was another 'teardrop on wheels' and looked just as striking.

Innovations and striking new models came apace through the 50s, 60s, and 70s. For Saab this was a time of radical ideas and perhaps the most innovative of all during this period was the introduction of a safety details that was extremely rare for its time - a dual braking system with two independent circuits. Unveiled in 1963, this unique and clever device utilised two circuits that were diagonally connected so that one worked on left front and right rear wheels, and the other on the right front and left rear wheels. If one breaking circuit should fail there was still braking power for the two remaining wheels. The car could still be steered straight and skidding was reduced. It was a very Saab solution to a serious issue, and typified the company's commitment to safety wherever possible.

Saab's intuitive decision to place the ignition key between the front seats - unveiled in 1967 with production beginning in 1968 - rather than in its customary position beside the steering column was so obvious yet so revolutionary. It's only when you physically go through the sequence of starting the engine, engaging gear and releasing the handbrake that you see how logical this process really is, with all three elements working together as a seamless process.

In 1970 Saab became the first company in the world to sell production vehicles with headlights wipers and washers - an innovation that also saw the company duly awarded the 1971 Gold Medal of the Swedish Automobile Association. This innovation also has real safety implications: a dirty headlamp can lose up to 90 per cent of its efficiency, so a system combining a washer jet and wiper blade made a real difference.

And with safety and comfort embedded as important pillars in Saab's thinking, the introduction of electrically heated seats on all Saab models in 1971 managed to combine both facets.

Saab's commitment to safety was further developed in 1972 with the development of its side impact safety bars. While most manufacturers were focusing their attention on frontal collisions, Saab developed strong side-impact reinforcment in the doors to help protect passengers from the effects of right -angle collisions.

And then came a truly ground breaking moment: the first Saab Turbo. Of all Saab innovations, the Saab Turbo revolutionised just about everything.

The Saab 99 Turbo was revealed in 1976 and literally turned engineering on its head. In August 1978 Modern Motor magazine wrote: "It is necessary to drive the car to believe that such a seemingly endless surge of strong acceleration is possible from a 2.0L engine in a far from lightweight car."

Indeed most of the press reports were so laudatroy that Saab was reticent about repeating them too often for fear that they would be accused of excessive bragging. But the reports were all true and the breakthrough that Saab made with its Turbo technology has since become one of the iconic elements in Saab's makeup.

Saab was the first car manufacturer to develop a turbo engine with the reliability and durability that is required for everyday use, truly revolutionising the automotive industry.

Saab 900s and 9000s dominated the 1980s. During its lifetime more than 900,000 Saab 900s were produced, almost 50,000 of which were the stylish 900 Convertible: a four seater four season convertible and a Saab icon ever since. Its cult status reamins to this day and sales of the latest generation of Convertibles were in excess of 18,000 in 2005.

The greatest example of the sucess of the Convertible is the degree to which it wowed the American market. A design study at the IAA in Frankfurt in 1983 created such a stir among public and press alike that Saab decided to put the car into production in 1986. The first 400 cars made for the US market sold out before any marketing had been done or the vehicles were available.

1991 coincided with the launch of Saab's Trionic engine management system. This system was developed in house and is still one of the world's most advanced systems for engine management. It measures all the paramaters that play a significant part in the combustion process. The data is used for real-time control of turbo-charging, fuel injection and ignition and includes ionisation measurement inside the cylinders while the engine is running.

It was also a significant milestone, along with development of the turbo, towards the realisation of Saab BioPower and its ability to deliver extra performance from bioethanol, utilising its higher octane number.

There are too many other innovations during the 90s to mention them all here, but some of the most significant include the night panel introduced in the new 900 for 1993. This feature allows the driver to focus more attention on the road when travelling at night, achieved by darkening all gauges and lamps in the main instrument cluster except for the speedometer. And electronic monitoring system activates each instrument automatically so the driver is alerted  (in the same way as it does for pilots in an aircraft), if the fuel level is getting low, or if the engine temperature begins to rise. Add to that that Saab Active Head Restraint helping reduce whiplash injuries by up to 75 per cent, ventilated seats, cooled glove box... the list goes on.

It is the launch of the BioPower technology in 2004 that ranks as one of the defining moment for Saab today and into the future. This engine delivers what many commentators thought was impossible: it delivers more power to the car while helping protect the environment.

The BioPower engine runs on a mixture of 85 per cent bioethanol and 15 per cent petrol (E85). The engine can also run on petrol if E85 isn't available and Saab's innovative engine management system can automatically switch between the two when necessary.

Bioethanol is a substance derived from plants as diverse as corn, sugar beet or forestry products. This intriguing solution to one of the most significant issues in the car industry today is typical of Saab and goes right back to the company's very roots. The BioPower engine is clear proof that if you have the right mixture of innovative thinking, leading -edge technology and a constant eye for the driver's needs, extraordinary results can be achieved.

60 years ago Saab produced a mould breaking car that set the agenda for what was to come. The very latest incarnation of the Saab ethos - the Aero X concept - epitomises all of those attributes that helped get Saab off the ground in 1947: innovation, aircraft-inspired thinking and true Scandinavian values. It comes as no surprise to those who know Saab well that the Aero X was met with such widespread acclaim upon its unveiling in 2006.

The Aero X isn't just about Saab today but about Saab for the next phase of its development as it continues to defy categorisation and take car making into newer and more exciting realms. The story of Saab is the story of 60 years of innovative thinking. Better still, let's call it 60 years of turbocharged thinking!