Volvos and 40 Saabs--a count that appeared to have been matched this year.

Saab automobiles gained international prominence early on thanks to their success in rally racing. Indeed, their track record even led to a model called the Monte Carlo 850 after Erik Carlsson won that famous rally in both 1962 and '63. (The photograph on the opening page of this feature shows an example of the Monte Carlo 850.) Front-wheel drive, an engineering feature of the marque from its inception, helped.

The Saab 99, the first to have the ignition key between the front seats (so as not to injure the driver's knee in a crash) appeared in dealerships