Saab continued its UK sales growth in March, with an all-time record for the month of 4,265 sales, an increase of 37% over March 2004, making the UK Saab’s largest global market for the first time ever, overtaking the United States and Sweden.

Saab’s cumulative British sales year-to-date reached 6,603 cars, another all-time high for the first quarter sales period.

This means Saab remains the nation’s fastest growing premium car brand, as it has done for the past 10 months, with first quarter sales up 39% against 2004. Overall British new car sales remain in decline, down 7.2% for the year to date, whilst sales of premium cars have fallen by an even greater amount compared to last year.

Demand for the 9-3 1.9 TiD Sport Saloons exceeds supply, and during the first-quarter, demand rose 59%.

Sales of the 9-3 Convertible increased 25%. The Saab 9-5 saloon and estate models experience sales growth of 15% to-date.

Jonathan Nash, Saab Great Britain's manaing director, says: "For the UK to have surpassed Saab’s sales in both the world’s largest new car market, the USA, along with the brand’s home market of Sweden, where drivers are fiercely loyal to the Saab brand, is a huge achievement and testament to the fact Saab is designing and building the type of accessible premium cars that British drivers desire.

"The combination of Saab’s celebrated Swedish design ethic and its enviable aircraft heritage is clearly hitting the sweet spot in what is widely regarded as one of the world’s most cut-throat car markets. Long may it continue."