Here’s something I was thinking about today as I walked to the car after work. One of these little babies went cruising past me, top up, unfortunately, which was a little silly as it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon here.
Lime Yellow.
I quite like it, myself, but I know it’s not everyone’s favourite color. I don’t think there’s any question, though, about it being a fairly unique color and the convertible’s instantly recognised as a Saab partly because of it.
So here’s a few questions….
What are Saab’s other signature colors? And can you consider Snow Silver the latest signature color, given that silver is the most popular and common new car color?
Should signature colors be confined to models that are limited in number? I’d consider Lightning Blue a signature color, and Monte Carlo Yellow, but what about the very popular Scarabe Green? Is Dolphin Grey limited enough to be considered a signature color, or is it just pretty ugly?
And one thing I don’t know much about at all is what enthusiasts would consider signature colors for Saab’s older vehicles – pre-900. Actually, is there a signature color for the 900 itself?
Anyhow, fire away in comments and maybe we can come up with a definitive list.
Lightning blue for sure! Your Viggen!
Edwardian Gray SPG!
Black or Red for the 9000 Aero and Carlsson
Burgundy for the 99
white (snow silver) is definetely a signature color now for the new 9-3. though i like the Arctic White the most (thats the color all saabs, except for the TurboX were in at Frankfurt), but its only available for convertibles.
mine 9-3 Aero (2000 my) is silver. do not think its quite the right color.
my next 9-3 is gonne be white for sure.
Ebola Red for 9000
169g walnuttbrown the best saabcolour right after plain black
see my website
mvrgr Jacco
Fusion Blue- 9-3 Compi
Laser Red- old 9-3 SS
Brilliant Red- 9-2X
Sonett II- Burnt Orange
Eucalyptus Green for 900 SET -94
Cayenne Red for 900 Talladega -97
And Jacco, NOT Ebola Red – Imola that is. Ebola is a discease, Imola is a race track in Italy.
//Lennart
Pearl white – Saab 99 Turbo ´77 / Saab 900 Aero ´84. I don´t know if the colour was same, but on pictures it looks brilliant!
Fusion Blue – Saab 9-3 Sport Combi
Laser Red- Saab 9-3 Sport sedan
Imola Red – Saab 9000 Aero
Monte Carlo Yellow – Saab 900 T16S Convertible
And yes, Snow Silver is signature colour for new 9-3. Even if it is the most common colour, Snow Silver is a bit different than Silver. It´s visible on a bright light. Dealer had MY07 9-5 Wagon in silver and next to it was MY08 Snow silver SS. Snow silver has a nice hint of white where the light touches it. Cool colour.
And oh yes, Lightning Blue – Saab 9-3 Viggen.
Limited edition colours are good. I like that idea. Slightly different colours make limited editions more special. Waiting for that to happen to 9-5.
Antelope Brown!
Classic 70′s Saab colour. And according to legend it wasn’t at all inspired by antelopes, but by a goat in a Gothenburg zoo. But they couldn’t name it “goat brown”…
Martin
let’s not also forget Dorado Brown, that dark brown that is now de riguer for leather sofas!!
My father had a 99 in that colour. Don’t know if it is ready for a comeback, nearest was the cappuchino brown on the 9-3ss/sc but I think it has been dropped?
CAM – right on with Burnt Orange!! But was that the Sonett II or the Sonett III?
Definitely a great color, though.
I’d second the votes for Fusion Blue on the Combi and Cardinal Red Metallic on the 99T.
Does the 9-5 have a signature color? There hasn’t been much in the way of special editions of that model. Another reason to do the 9-5 Turbo S that I keep crapping on about.
Some might say that black is the signature colour for the 99 Turbo or the 900T. Both came with those lovely crimson velour interiors with tje X pattern ribbing – until it was deleted.
But some might say that pearlescent white as per the original Classic 900 T16 show car is a definitive colour.
But, in terms of the 9-5, the 9-3 how can anyone argue with Cosmic Blue?
Cosmic blue with ALU 36 wheels!
And on this site we have seen shots of a 900 Classic sprayed in cosmic blue – and did it look good – you bet.
And surely Odorado Grey was a signature colour- named afetr teh Italian Saab importer’s snappy suits i deep charcoal grey- the legend says his name was Odorado Pagani- apparently. Later to make cars?
Surely Erik Carlsson and all the old timers at Saab would vote for that green that all Saabs came in 1949- 50s.
How about Toreador Red used for the 96 from 1959-74 (according to Sherwin Williams). Didn’t Saab always race red cars back in Erik’s day?
an imola red 9-5 aero! it doesn’t get any better than that.
Cardinal Red for the 99′s. There’s a dark blue for the 99′s, whose name escapes me, that would qualify as well.
I am one of those who believe Lime Yellow is an abomination against Taste. The Saab dealer in St. Paul had a Lime Yellow convertible in the show room forever, and they finally had to do a dealer trade with someone down south to get rid of it.
These are just my opinion, but…
92 – Duh
96 – Red
Sonett II -Orange
99 – Burgundy
Sonett III – Yellow
900 – Black
900 Vert – White or Monte Carlo Yellow
9000 – Green
NG900 – Black
9-5 – Gray
OG9-3 – Blue
9-3 – Black or Silver
Cayenne-Red. This was a colour the 9-5 inter alia had in the first years after its launching. Brilliant specially in the sunshine.
Black…. look at the whole Black Turbo thing!
sorry swade, yea it should be a Sonett III,
if id of just opened my eyes, there is one sitting in front of me
The obvious ones according to my 0.02 are:
Ursaab: Black (what else ?)
92, 92B: Green
93, 60′s 96: Toreador red
70′s 96: Indisk gul (orange), Opal green, Verona green
1980 96: Metallic blue
99 EMS and Turbo: Cardinal red, Black
C 900 1978: Acacia green
C 900 Aero 1984: Pearl white
C 900 Aero: Black
C 900 Cabriolet: Monte Carlo yellow, black
9-3 Viggen: Lightning Blue, Monte Carlo yellow
For the rest of the models, I’d say there are no obvious ‘signature’ colors. The 70′s colors in general were quite radical (‘pop’) to todays standards and there are many to be remebered.
You used to see an awful lot of c900s in Rose Quartz. My favorite color was always Malachite Green. Though I tend to go for the weirder colors. My og9-3 is Frost Gray.
I will take delivery of on 04 vert: this Saturday from Roberti Saab, Fusion Blue Metallic. I LOVE THE COLOR. I will miss my 02 Hazellnut Metallic.
Interior on the 04 is Parchment. It looks like an off white to me. The lime yellow is ok.. A little loud for me. Wife and kid’s said they would shoot me if I got that color. I checked with three Saab Master Level Teck’s and they told me to go for the 04, it’s a great car and safer and stiffer than my 02.
My first Saab was an Admiral Blue 1986 900S.
And, to be 100% correct: it was “Special Black” for C900s. It was the same price uplift as metallic paint in those days.
Edwardian (Eduardian?) Gray, Rose Quartz and Malachite Green were great colors for the C900. For whatever reason, a great number of the 1986 900S Two-doors were Malachite Green.
My current Saab is Cirrus White. Pretty good for an older car — it shows fewer scratches.
For the 9000, I’d say that the silver and black are good, but the LeMans Blue is the best IMO on the Aero/Carlsson.
For the newer cars, lime yellow is good on the 9-3, as is the Snow Silver. The 9-5 looks great in the dark blue color, not sure of the name.
My incomplete list…
C900:
Edwardian Grey
Rose Quartz
Malachite Green
C900 SPG/Aero:
Beryl Green (Oh my, what a lovely color on that car)
9000
LeMans Blue
Amythist Violet (I’ve only seen pictures)
9000 Aero
Eucalyptus
LeMans Blue
9-5:
Steel Grey.
While I like red and black, and black could make the list if you convince me, I tend toward the unique. A Talladega Red SPG/Aero is something to look at though.
Any well-kept Saab is pretty though, so don’t get sideways with me here!
Cheers,
Peter
Hey guys, every morning while heading to work I see a cosmic blue 9-5 heading in the opposite direction. I have to say it’s REALLY sharp! Almost Vig-like! Could that be considered a signature color for the 9-5?
Rose Quartz on the 9000CSE!!! Imola Red for 9000 Aero And that orange on a Sonnett III!!! 9-3=Midnight Blue. Also maybe that copper color on the 900
My first saab was a steel bumpered 1969 model 99 in green. My best Classic 900 circa 1985 model was royal blue- (admiral?) and the 9 5 is a lovely Cayenne red.
There was a silver green metallic that lasted about 6 months in 1979 -they withdrew it as it flaked and rusted very quickly.
And does anyone remember the hearing aid beige on the C 900s- YUK
900 conv (1st gen) CIRRUS WHITE (153) + CROSS-SPOKE
9-3 (1st gen) COSMIC BLUE (264) + 6-SPOKE 15 X 6 1/2″
9-3 (1st gen) SILVER GREY (268) + 3-SPOKE DELTA 15 X 6 1/2″ (ALU 23)
9-5 (2007) JET BLACK (BC 298) + 3-SPOKE DOUBLE 17 X 7″ (ALU 36)
First three in list above were second handers so they could have turned out differtent. My wife disliked the blue one. White 900 wasn’t trendy at all at moment i bought it, but colour was superb.
And now the ultimate wishing list for santa claus:
96 in POLAR WHITE + ‘MINILITES’
95 in KERMIT-THE-FROG-GREEN + ‘MINILITES’
Sonett II in GREEN + ‘MINILITES’
99 in BURNT ORANGE + ‘INCA’S’
Sonett III in BURNT ORANGE + ‘FOOTBALLS’
900 CONV 900 (1st gen) MONTE CARLO YELLOW
+ ‘SUPER AERO’S’
9-3 VIGGEN in LIGHTNING BLUE
9-3 SPORTSHATCH (MY08) in FUSION BLUE with 5-SPOKE-SPLIT 18 x 17 1/2″
9-3 CONV (MY08) in SAFRRAN YELLOW with 19” Hirsch Performance 8.0 x 19″-Rim (3-spokes design)
and finally of course the 9X in SNOW SILVER with 18″ turbo-X-alloys
Voila.
… which gives the 9X the status as a crossover, everyone is talking about and no-one has in its range: fluid elegant lines in resemblance of the urmus, german-inspired-merc-interior, xwd, coupé-cabriolet-pick-up-sportscar-4-seats-roadster, and as it is a saab despite all the infuences it is the car for both sides of the brain.
lance!!
When are you publishing that 9000 book???
’06 electric blue 9-3 convertible.
No better colour for the 9-5 than Black!
My vote goes out to Scarabe Green, Electric Blue, and Ice Blue.
Lightning Blue
Edwardian Gray
Midnight Blue
Imola Red
Monte Carlo Yellow
But most of all …… BLACK ! (UrSaab and 92 were black)
I think of Steel Gray as a signature colour for the 9-5. It seems to be the most common colour for the 9-5 here in Norway, and in an interview with Einar Hareide, the saab head designer, he said he liked the 9-5 best in Steel Gray. Gray is a pretty common colour, but the steel gray looks far superior than any other gray I’ve seen so far.
For the 9000, I think it’s LeMans Blue (which is actually the colour of my 9000). It may look pretty ordinary in drab lighting, but when the sun shines, it has an icredible colour and glow which makes me recognize it immideatly.
But the ultimate signature colour for now must be the Lime yellow on the 9-3 Convertible. You can spot it from a mile!
Fusion(/Viggen) Blue! It’s the only color I see that says, ah, only Saab…
My top colors:
1) Fusion Blue Metallic (9-3 SportCombi)
2) Electric Blue Metallic (’06 9-3 Convertible with Teal-piped seats!)
3) Deep Blue Metallic (9-2x)
4) Merlot Red Metallic (9-5)
5) Cocoa Metallic (9-7x)
Beryl Green
Monte Carlo Yellow
Platana Gray
Edwardian Gray
Talladega Red
Rose Quartz
Lightning Blue
Cosmic Blue
Eucalyptus Green
Couldnt pick just one!
For the 9000 definately Amethyst Violet Mica, the Anniversary colour. Almost black, but when the sun shines on it deep metallic purple.