Gunnar Ljungström (1905–1999) was a Swedish

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

and technical designer, specialised in

aerodynamics Aerodynamics () is the study of the motion of atmosphere of Earth, air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dynamics and its subfield of gas dynamics, and is an ...

and

automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

industry, pioneering the early history of the Swedish car brand

SAAB Saab or SAAB may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Saab AB, a Swedish aircraft, aerospace and defence company, still known as SAAB, and together with subsidiaries as Saab Group ** Datasaab, a former computer company, started as spin off from Saab ...

Biography

Gunnar

Ljungström Ljungström is a Swedish family originating from Jönköping County, Småland, through the bailiff Johan ''Liungström'' (''floruit'' 1716, died circa 1730). Members in selection * Johan Patrik Ljungström (1784–1859), jeweler * Jonas Patr ...

was the born in 1905 as son of the industrialist

Fredrik Ljungström Fredrik Ljungström (16 June 1875 – 18 February 1964) was a Swedes, Swedish engineer, Industrial design, technical designer, and industrialist. Considered one of the foremost inventors of Sweden, Fredrik Ljungström accounted for hundreds ...

. After examination from Whitlockska samskolan, he was admitted to studies in

mechanics Mechanics () is the area of physics concerned with the relationships between force, matter, and motion among Physical object, physical objects. Forces applied to objects may result in Displacement (vector), displacements, which are changes of ...

at the

Royal Institute of Technology KTH Royal Institute of Technology (), abbreviated KTH, is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH conducts research and education in engineering and technology and is Sweden's largest technical university. Since 2018, KTH consist ...

. While there he was elected President of the Student Union at the Royal Institute of Technology, active the constructions of its new

student center A student center (or student centre) is a type of building found on university and some high school campuses. In the United States, such a building may also be called a student union, student commons, or union. The term "student union" refers mos ...

facilities Nymble in 1930 at the site of the new

campus A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls. By extension, a corp ...

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

. Furthermore, he was an avid

sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. While the term ''sailor'' ...

among other sports, also winning an academic gold medal in Sweden in

pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a #bar, bar. Pole jumping was already practiced by the ...

. He also pioneered

water skiing Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on one or two skis. The sport requires sufficien ...

in Sweden in 1929, culminating in introducing the new sport in slalom moves to the Swedish public at the 100th anniversary of the

Royal Swedish Yacht Club The Royal Swedish Yacht Club (, KSSS), is the largest and oldest yacht club in Sweden and one of the five oldest in the world, formed 15 May 1830. The Royal Swedish Yacht Club is also the oldest yacht club in Continental Europe. Activities inc ...

Sandhamn Sandhamn (Swedish language, Swedish for "Sand Harbour") is a small settlement in the central-peripheral part of the Stockholm Archipelago at the 59th parallel northnord59.se in central-eastern Sweden. approximately 50 km (30 mi) east of ...

in 1930. Graduating as

in 1932, he participated in the family's

steam turbine A steam turbine or steam turbine engine is a machine or heat engine that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work utilising a rotating output shaft. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Par ...

and other projects, including on

transmission Transmission or transmit may refer to: Science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Transmission (mechanical device), technology that allows controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual tra ...

technology for cars. After engagement in family-related businesses and extensive stays abroad, in 1936, Gunnar Ljungström returned to Sweden, deciding to help out with its

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...

industry in light of the turbulent affairs on the continent. At

Saab Saab or SAAB may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Saab AB, a Swedish aircraft, aerospace and defence company, still known as SAAB, and together with subsidiaries as Saab Group ** Datasaab, a former computer company, started as spin off from Saab ...

, he made extensive contributions in both

, and

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ge ...

s during wartime. Saab99 Saab96 CarMuseum

After the aviation contributions, post war, he was designated head of

Saab Automobile Saab Automobile AB () was a automotive industry, car manufacturer that was founded in Sweden in 1945 when its parent company, Saab AB, began a project to design a small automobile. The first production model, the Saab 92, was launched in 1949. ...

's development team of the company's first

s from the 1940s on, with technology based on their

design. He would proceed from the release of the

Ursaab Ursaab (lit. ''Proto-Saab''), also known as 92001 and X9248, was the first of four prototype cars made by Saab AB, which at that time was solely an aeroplane manufacturer, leading to production of the first Saab car, the Saab 92 in 1949. The car ...

in 1949 until the 1966

Saab 99 The Saab 99 is a car produced by Swedish manufacturer Saab from 1968 to 1984; their first foray into a larger class than the Saab 96. While considered a large family car in Scandinavia, it was marketed as a niche compact executive car in most ...

, presented for the public in 1967, a couple of years prior to his retirement.

Distinctions

* : Member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (, IVA), founded on 24 October 1919 by King Gustaf V, is one of the royal academies in Sweden. The academy is an independent organisation, which promotes contact and exchange between business, ...

* : Gold medal of the

* Clarence von Rosen medal in silver by the

Royal Automobile Club The Royal Automobile Club is a British private Club (organization)#Country or sports club, social and athletic club. It has two clubhouses: one in London at 89 Pall Mall, London, Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, ne ...

* Ljungström Prize of Svenska Mekanisters Riksförening * : Honorary member of

SAE International SAE International is a global professional association and standards organization based in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, United States. Formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers, the organization adopted its current name in 2006 to reflect bot ...

(first non-American)

References

Literature

* Fredrik Ljungström 1875-1964 Uppfinnare och inspiratör (1999) by

Olle Ljungström Lars Olof "Olle" Gustaf Ljungström (12 August 1961 – 4 May 2016) was a Swedish singer, songwriter, and musician. Ljungström grew up in Vaxholm. He was vocalist and guitarist in the group Reeperbahn from 1979 to 1984; since the early 1990s he ...

, Sveriges Mekanisters Riksförening, {{DEFAULTSORT:Ljungstrom, Gunnar 20th-century Swedish engineers 1905 births 1999 deaths Swedish industrial designers Swedish automobile designers Swedish automotive pioneers Saab Swedish male pole vaulters Sports inventors and innovators Swedish water skiers Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences Gunnar