It’s time again to spin the globe, close our eyes and point to a spot, knowing full well that somewhere in the city where it stops there’ll be a Saab nut ready to show off their Swedish metal.

Elkpaaaaaaaaaaaaaarts.

Today’s entry is one that’s close to my heart, being a beautiful red Viggen, owned by Rich from St. Paul, Minnesota.

Click to enlarge.

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I felt compelled to enter the Pride of Ownership contest so that an earlier entry would not leave the Saab enthusiasts’ world believing that all the Twin Cities area has to show off is a soybean field! (but hey, the way it was being plowed up by Greg’s 9-5 was something else! - SW)

Minnesota is known as the “Gopher State” due to the large number of giant, anthropomorphic rodents that roam the countryside. As you can see in the first picture, these are fearsome beasts - those teeth could easily rip through a convertible top. This one can be found on the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair, which is a rather peaceful place for about 350 days of the year. The car is an ‘01 Viggen which I have owned for 1½ thoroughly enjoyable years. It replaced my first Saab - a 1992 9000 Turbo (also red!). If this were summer, the Vig would be on typical five spoke Viggen rims. While the snow tires change the look of the car, they make it possible to enjoy driving year ’round.

As you can see in the second photo, we do not let the long, harsh Minnesota winters get to us. The temperature doesn’t need to be too far above freezing for it to qualify as “top down” weather. Why do you think they invented heated seats? (okay… on this day I was thoroughly engaged in wishful thinking). The backdrop for this shot is the Mississippi River which begins in northern Minnesota and winds its way between the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The river provided both power and transportation for the cities in their early years. The power generated by Saint Anthony Falls (the Mississippi’s only waterfall) helped Minneapolis to attain its one time status as flour milling capital of the world.

Living in St. Paul and working in Minneapolis, I cross the river on a daily basis. Having made this crossing thousands of times in my life, it is something I never gave much thought to - until we started having certain bridge issues…. It is hard to believe that the idyllic spot pictured here is a mere snowball’s throw from St Paul’s soon to be closed Ford plant.

A notable portion of Minnesota’s population is of Scandinavian descent. I have both Swedish and Finnish ancestors, so it feels appropriate that I own a Swedish car manufactured in Uusikaupunki, Finland. This photo shows the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, which is devoted to Swedish culture and the history of the Swedish immigrant community. It is housed in what was originally the home of institute founder Swan Turnblad. The “bonus Saab” in the photo was a nice stroke of luck.

On a less grand scale than the Turnblad mansion is this home in Minneapolis’ Kenwood neighborhood near Lake of the Isles. Fans of the 1970’s sitcom Mary Tyler Moore will recognize this as the location of Mary Richards’ apartment. The Mary Tyler Moore show featured shots of a number of Minneapolis locations and certainly raised the profile of the Twin Cities on the national radar. If Minneapolis could serve as the setting for a major network show, we had definitely arrived! “Mary’s house” became so much of a tourist attraction that the home’s owner discouraged filming of additional exterior shots by hanging an “Impeach Nixon” sign in a prominent location (prompting Mary’s move to a high-rise apartment for the show’s final seasons).

While I plan to stop back at these same locations in warmer months to capture the Viggen in its summer mode, I feel these photos capture a key element of my “Pride of Ownership”. I feel quite lucky to have found a vehicle that provides a combination of performance, comfort and stunning appearance that can be enjoyed through all of Minnesota’s seasons.

Rich
Saint Paul, Minnesota