Former Saab USA chief Bob Sinclair died earlier today at the age of 77 after a three-year battle with cancer. Best known as the creator of the Saab 900 convertible, a car that became synonymous with the Swedish automaker, Sinclair is credited with bringing Saab into the mainstream in the North American market.
It was Sinclair’s idea to chop the top off of the 900 two-door in the early 1980s, thus helping rebuild the then-suffering convertible segment into what it is today. Sinclair was also credited with helping create the sporty 900 SPG (Special Performance Group) three-door hatchback and he was considered one of the driving forces behind the automaker’s move upmarket with the Saab 9000.
Sinclair retired from Saab in 1991, after being the automaker’s U.S. chief for the 12 years that saw Saab grow from a small New England-centric brand to a well-known brand.
