It’s time for yet another entry in the Saab Pride of Ownership competition, proudly presented by me and supported with almost as much pride by Elkparts!

Today’s entry comes from Terry in the UK, but will have a special connection for all who attended the Saab Festival 2007. Quite an ownership story, too.

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The picture is a MY95 Saab Aero that I purchased from new (no it doesn’t have a pet name, the relationship is far more spiritual). The shot was taken the day before the Kinnekulle circuit day. We had driven out to the circuit the day before the meet to make sure that we knew how long it would take to get there. On the way back we could see the lake on the satnav and went off route to take a look, the shot wasn’t staged, I had parked the car, and my wife and I had walked down to the lake shore and on the way back I saw the car in that pose.

It’s currently got around 170,000 miles on the clock. I have driven Saabs for twenty years now. At my previous job I was fortunate enough to have a two-degrees-of-separation situation and bought a few of the Saab UK director’s cars after they finished their six month tour of duty. So I started off with a red 900 and then went to a pale blue 9000 before I left that job to start my own company in 92.

I dabbled with a BMW 5 series (535) for about four weeks and gave it back to them, I am just not a BMW or Mercedes driver and I doubt if I ever will be. After giving it back I decided to buy a new 9000 and the local dealership was going out of business and tried to sell me a 3.0l Griffin than they had in stock, but I saw the Aero, didn’t want auto anyway and so the Aero was what I purchased. I am so glad that I did. I have had enormous fun in the car as on occasions I have to do 600 mile trips in a day and with the Recaro seats it is not a problem.

My wife has a 9-3 Aero cabriolet, my daughter a 9-3 saloon and my son has had three 9000s and loves me upgrading mine as he gets the bits that come off, most recently my 3″ exhaust and 17″ alloys for the exhaust and 18″ alloys that you see on the photo. All of the cars are maintained by Abbott Racing Motorsport and we are all genuine Saab fans.