Robert J. Sinclair
Encyclopedia
Robert J. Sinclair, was a United States
automotive industry
executive who served as Chief executive officer
of Saab-Scania
of America from May 1979 until September 1991, where he helped improve the popularity of Saab's cars by convincing the parent company to manufacture cars with high-end options such as turbocharger
s and a convertible version of its Saab 900
that was designed to appeal to American consumers.
. He met the woman who was his wife-to-be while performing in an operetta there, and his plans to pursue a career as a concert pianist were cut short after his hand was injured by a meat slicer in his father's grocery store. He attended Lafayette College
in Easton, Pennsylvania
and later took a job selling medical equipment.
In the late 1950s he joined Saab USA
as a salesman and, after a short break working for Volkswagen
and Volvo
, rejoined Saab to become president of its American division in 1979. By 1983, under Sinclair's management, the 25,833 Saab vehicles sold exceeded the previous year's record-breaking sales by 42%. In lieu of the annual allotment of 1,000 two-door economy-model sedans, Sinclair pushed the parent to manufacture vehicles equipped with high-end specifications including fuel injection
, turbocharger
, a five-speed gearbox, and also that the car would be available as a convertible
, a body style that other car manufacturers had stopped producing expecting that safety rules would ban them. The convertible came in 1986 and was a great success. Some 250,000 of the Saab 900 convertible were sold (including the NG900) over the succeeding two decades. In a 2007 interview, Sinclair stated that his approach in introducing the new vehicles was that Saab "should add content, add performance, add sparkle and luster to the brand" in order to move to a higher niche market in the United States while the firm was focusing on a "no-frills market" in Europe.
Sinclair initiated an effort to construct buses at a manufacturing plant near the firm's Connecticut headquarters in 1984, but terminated the program in the face of "low bid" contracts that made the sale of buses unprofitable.
In the 1980s, Sinclair was named a Commander of the Order of the Polar Star
by Sweden
's King Carl Gustav XVI
, the country's highest honor awarded to non-heads of state for contributions to Sweden's economy and culture.
Sinclair was a resident of Santa Barbara, California
after his retirement
from Saab in 1991. He died there at age 77 on May 10, 2009 due to cancer. He is survived by his wife Anne, three sons, three daughters and eight grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
automotive industry
Automotive industry
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
executive who served as Chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Saab-Scania
Saab-Scania
Saab-Scania AB was the name chosen when truck and bus manufacturer Scania-Vabis of Södertälje merged with car and aeroplane manufacturer Saab AB of Trollhättan in 1968, under the Wallenberg family group of companies. The merger meant that Saab no longer had to import the British Triumph Slant-4...
of America from May 1979 until September 1991, where he helped improve the popularity of Saab's cars by convincing the parent company to manufacture cars with high-end options such as turbocharger
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
s and a convertible version of its Saab 900
Saab 900
The Saab 900 was a car produced by Saab Automobile from 1978 until 1998 in two generations. The first generation from 1978 to 1993 is known as the "classic"; the generation from 1994 to 1998 is known as the "new generation" ....
that was designed to appeal to American consumers.
Biography
Sinclair was born on March 17, 1932 in Philadelphia. As a child he helped in his father's grocery shop and attended Haverford High School in Upper Darby Township, PennsylvaniaUpper Darby Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Darby Township is a home rule township bordering West Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Although it retains the term "Township" in its legal name, presumably for historic reasons, it is the largest municipality of any type in Delaware County. Upper Darby is also home to the Tower Theater, a...
. He met the woman who was his wife-to-be while performing in an operetta there, and his plans to pursue a career as a concert pianist were cut short after his hand was injured by a meat slicer in his father's grocery store. He attended Lafayette College
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
in Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
and later took a job selling medical equipment.
Career with Saab
Saab Automobile
Saab Automobile AB, better known as Saab , is a Swedish car manufacturer owned by Dutch automobile manufacturer Swedish Automobile NV, formerly Spyker Cars NV. It is the exclusive automobile Royal Warrant holder as appointed by the King of Sweden...
as a salesman and, after a short break working for Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
and Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
, rejoined Saab to become president of its American division in 1979. By 1983, under Sinclair's management, the 25,833 Saab vehicles sold exceeded the previous year's record-breaking sales by 42%. In lieu of the annual allotment of 1,000 two-door economy-model sedans, Sinclair pushed the parent to manufacture vehicles equipped with high-end specifications including fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
, turbocharger
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
, a five-speed gearbox, and also that the car would be available as a convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
, a body style that other car manufacturers had stopped producing expecting that safety rules would ban them. The convertible came in 1986 and was a great success. Some 250,000 of the Saab 900 convertible were sold (including the NG900) over the succeeding two decades. In a 2007 interview, Sinclair stated that his approach in introducing the new vehicles was that Saab "should add content, add performance, add sparkle and luster to the brand" in order to move to a higher niche market in the United States while the firm was focusing on a "no-frills market" in Europe.
Sinclair initiated an effort to construct buses at a manufacturing plant near the firm's Connecticut headquarters in 1984, but terminated the program in the face of "low bid" contracts that made the sale of buses unprofitable.
In the 1980s, Sinclair was named a Commander of the Order of the Polar Star
Order of the Polar Star
The Order of the Polar Star is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim....
by Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
's King Carl Gustav XVI
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him...
, the country's highest honor awarded to non-heads of state for contributions to Sweden's economy and culture.
Personal
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
after his retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
from Saab in 1991. He died there at age 77 on May 10, 2009 due to cancer. He is survived by his wife Anne, three sons, three daughters and eight grandchildren.