As a direct competitor to the likes of Audi, Mercedes and BMW, the Saab automobile manufacturing company, based in Sweden, is more than holding its own. Saab is an acronym of Svenska Aeroplan Aktie Bolaget (The Swedish Aeroplane Company) and until 1990 was part of a conglomerate with SAAB Aerospace. The company can trace its roots back to 1937 when it was established to build aircraft for the Swedish Airforce. Its first car was the Saab 92, a two-door saloon, built around the end of the Second World War. Today Saab offers an impressive range of executive vehicles with the 9-5 and 9-3 ranges having been introduced in 1997 and 1998 respectively and still going strong to this day.