Pollhattan Saab - the Classic 900
My Saab 900 had been with my mechanic for just over a week prior to me picking it up this aftenoon. He was driving it from time to time to try and re-create and then trace the intermittent problem I’ve been having with it. The problem still hasn’t been identified, but getting the car back today was a revelation, all over again, of just how brilliant these cars are.
And it got me thinking.
I’ve got an idea. A crazy, yet delighfully simple idea. But before I tell you about that idea, I need to get a better understanding of who I’m writing to.
I know there’s a lot of old-time Saabers here, but I also know there’s a predominance of modern Saab owners. Some those modern Saab owners may have had a 900 in the past. Some have been in one. And some may never have seen a classic Saab 900 close up. Amazing, but true.
So the question for today’s poll is a simple one. Have you ever driven a classic Saab 900?
You might have owned one in the past. You might have driven a friend’s car. It doesn’t matter whether it was a turbo or not. Any experience will do.
Cast your vote in the poll and if you’ve got any anecdotes to share, then comments are open as always.
n
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I drove several of my Dad’s 900s between 1986 and 2000 when he finally got one of the new fangled GM900s(!). I never liked it though, felt stodgy and never liked the rear lights/number plate configuration - nor the 9000’s, but I digress…….
I loved the classic 900s - Dad’s range included a couple of white 4 doors, a special edition SE blue 5-dr hatch with leather and wire wheels, two red saloon and two 99s.
For me the highlights included the seatbelt warning light, the swooshing sound of the ventilation controls, the square rear seat headrests, the enormous boot, the enormous bonnet (hood), the day running lights (I nearly cried when the characteristic Saab day running lights were done away with in the GM900). In those days people got into your Saab and went, ‘wow, what is this?’ Doesn’t happen much in my 20069-3
I learnt to drive in my mother’s brand new ‘86 c900i 8v 5dr. At the time, of course, they were fairly common, but always a little bit different. I always quite liked them, but my Citroen fetish always came first.
About four years ago, we were looking for something cheap but rock solid to take on the Plymouth-Dakar run across the Sahara. The rules of the event say maximum £100 on buying the car, £15 on preparing it… and an ‘88 900i 8v 2dr popped up. It was a little tatty, but after a good service it got us there with a grand total of one flat tyre.
Then, last summer, a friend of mine who does a bit of car trading got a black ‘90 900T16 3dr. I knew he wouldn’t want to keep it long, so put first refusal on it. I’ve had it a year now, and whilst there’s been a few teething troubles getting it back into daily service, it’s been damn good fun so far.
Of the late ’80s market, the c900, the Citroen CX, the Alfa 75 - they were the three that really stood out from the crowd. I’ve had all three now - and they’re all great cars, in different ways. If you forced me to pick, I’d go for the c900 as just being the most practical daily car 20 years down the line. But I’d still want a go in the other two occasionally…
There’s still a few c900s around here - probably more than any of the contemporaries - this morning, I even came into work in convoy with a ‘92ish 5dr 900XS…
There is one option left. The modern Saab owners become members of a Saab Club of XXXX and after few time of enjoying its car and the meetings/community decide to buy as a second/third or simply as a weekend car a second hand, old 900(usually is the first selection) or a 9000 or a 9-5/9-3(usually as a second car and rational decision if you want as a “common use car”).
I say this because in the Saab Club of Spain community a lot of members do this. For example, I begun driving the ‘95 9000 v6 of my father(he changed it for a ‘99 9-5 2.3t now he has an ML350), after that, now I drive a 2003 9-3ss 2.0t(nordic stage2 and some other mods). I mantain the 9000 v6 and the last year I bought a ‘92 900 convertible. As a way of realizing one of my dreams, to own a cabrio. It would be perfect a 9-3ss v6 or a V8 Aston vantage, but…..
regards
When I thoght about it, I realized I only driven a 900 once. It was a dark blue 5-door 900, probably about 10 years old at the time. It was very different to drive from my 99. It felt so much bigger and not at all like a “drivers car” as my smaller 99.
The only 900 I ever drove was an SPG (two door and black, of course). Beautiful car, lovely to drive, however I was underwhelmed by the power. Strangely, my current 9-3 has the same nominal output (175hp), but it goes like a bat out of hell. The SPG just didn’t leap to the red line like my car does.
Bernard,
I had exactly the opposite experience. After modding my 88 900T with an SPG APC box, my car suddenly screamed onto the highway. But when I test drove a 175 hp GM900 convertible, I was underwhelmed.
In any event, the C900 is a fun car to own and drive.
Nope, never had the joy of driving one but I do want one. 1978 SAAB 900 turbo please! I’ve always heard they were wonderful cars! As soon as I was out of college I bought a SAAB and my wife did too a few years later. We just haven’t been able to get our hands on a 900, YET!
I had a mid 80’s 900 s loaner car when my 9-5 aero was in the shop after being sideswiped. I have amazing memories of bombing around in that car, listening to the “Blade Runner” soundtrack with my new girlfriend ( she is now my wife) Truly a special memory and one that I will always cherish I might just have to get a 900 someday to relive it….
Chris
Never driven one, but that is one heck of a sharp car.
Here is an idea (GM). With the success of the Ford Mustang, (anticipation for) the Dodge Challenger as well as the upcoming Chevrolet Camaro why not have Saab build something like that? People seem to ‘like’ new old things here in North American so…..
Classic design brought up to date with modern technology. Throw a fuel efficient engine in that car with it’s hatchback design offering decent cargo space and you have instant success. At least on paper.
I know SportCombi sales might be short of expectations, but lets face it - nobody knows about the car. Someone at work saw my 9-3 the other day and asked “when did Saab start building a wagon?” Sigh…
The first car I bought myself was Saab 900. It was 900 i16 4dr ´89. I´ve had few since that, including “Classic” from ´93. Now I have 900 T16S 1991 in Talladega red which I´ve had almost ten years already. To me Saab 900 is The Saab. I can´t help but I always compare other cars to that one. I still love it, I love to drive it, it looks magnificent and it really is a classic. Best car that I´ve ever driven.
It has Saab 185 hp kit and it is a quick car.
If some of you have not driven, I suggest you go´n try to find good exampe and take it for a ride. Lovely cars, no matter if they´re 3dr, 4dr, 5dr turbo or n/a they are all great cars for enthusiastic drivers.
Truly one of the best cars of all time.
I test drove a 1993 900 Turbo Commemerative Edition just a couple years ago and I am still kicking myself for not buying it even though I ended up purchasing a Saab 9-5 Aero 5 speed.
Oh, the swooshing ventilation controls! never thought much about that, but I’ve had a few ACC cars since then.
I’ve never had a Saab where daytime running lights couldn’t be had. They always shut off whe you turn the key off. And if you mean where they can only be turned off with the key, that’s a simple Tech-II 1 or 0
I’ve never driven one as well. It’s not that I don’t want to though, just haven’t had the opportunity. I’m guessing it’s like driving my 1978 Alfa - pure driving enjoyment; something that is lost on many, if not all new cars. Many cars these days are so sterile and built for the lowest common denominator. One shining exception being the 9-5. It still has some old-school feel to it that I love. But I digress…
I’m looking forward to the day I get to drive a C900 to see what all the fuss is about!
I’ve never driven one, but I do remember riding in one while visiting the East Coast when I was about 15. It was a family friend and they had just got a “new toy” to complement their Subaru wagon. Funny how it all makes sense now! It was an all black 900 Turbo. I remember the curved windshield and funny trunk. They asked if wanted to go for a ride and we got in. The engine started and whirring exhaust was a sound that is unique to the 900. After pulling out of the driveway, all I can remember is the rush of speed, trees blurring by, and the smile on my face.
I remember going up and down the rolling hills that made the road a roller coaster like ride. The effortless acceleration and being pressed into the seat. Back in the driveway, the shifter in reverse and key being pulled out from between the front seats.
I currently “still” own a 1989 Saab 900 3-dr hatch 5-sp non-turbo 116k miles and running strong. I drive it on my days off and good weather days. The other 900 I owned was an 1982 4-door 8-valve no-turbo 5 speed which ran good for a 110 hp engine. The reason for selling it was I was taking a 3 year European assignment with my company.
I’ve never owned a C900 (or any Saab, yet, sadly) but I did have the chance to drive a girlfriend’s C900 8v sedan with an automatic a while ago. It was in pretty bad knick so I’m going to not base my judgement on the C900 on it… nothing in there worked, it was slow, the brakes were bad, and the steering was too light. I’m sure a better maintained 16v turbo 3-door (not ungainly like the sedan) would be a different experience.
after 10 years of NG 900 & 9-5, I drove the 900 again. It still is a dream to drive, even for today standards so I decided to buy it…
where’s the “I own and use one right now” option? that’s the one I would choose. since it wans’t there I clicked the top one.
love my MY92 900, but gasprices are killing me right now. have looked at smaller cars, but not found anything in my pricerange.
I had to vote never driven one unfortunately. Got my license(Swedish license) just last year so i have only been driving my fathers car (Saab 9-5 2,3t BioPower, swapped every year). I have been riding Saab’s all my life though so, driving? No, ridden in one? Yes.
I should tell you it is my car of choice when i buy my first car though, has to count for something right? I have to have that exhaust note!
Owned a 1984 900SE 3 door hatch for almost 10 years. It replaced a 1976 99EMS. Both were great cars and fun too! They don’t make them like they used to and probably can’t, but a bit of 99 and C900 in the next 9-3 would go a long way to making the car a whole lot more popular.
Here’s an idea, I know in some ways Saab needs to look forward and not backwards, and I agree in some respects. It can do this with the 9-5 and the 9-1 (if it ever sees the light of day?), but a retro C900/99 styled replacement for the 9-3 would be a terrific idea. That means 3 and 5 door hatches as well as a 4 door sedan and a convertible. A wagon version could replace the 2 door sedan that existed in the C900 lineup. Sill less doors doors would be great too and definitely a clamshell bonnet! If BMW can successfully bring the Mini into the 21st century, surely Saab can do it with the C900/99?
My first and favourite Saab was/is the classic 900. Whilst I love my 9000 Griffin, I’d swap it for a 3dr turbo either in black or scarabe green, with tan leather in a heartbeat. Or a Monte Carlo yellow cab…
The little red dude with the big grin that Saab used in their marketing a few years back is far more suited to the classic 900 - you can’t help but have a smile on your face when you drive one, be it from the burble of the exhaust, the comfort and ergonomics, the kick from the turbo (if fitted, if not the 900i still goes pretty well), the general 80’s coolness, or the smiles and waves you get off other people.
Until buying my 9-3 a few years ago, I had owned/driven classic 900’s exclusively for 18 years. As good as my 9-3 is, I really miss my 900’s!! To me, the 900 is a work of functional art which is even more pleasurable to drive than the 9-3. It’s Saab’s strongest design ever created, period, and I’m sorry it was scrapped and not taken to the next level. If I had the money, I’d be driving a fully restored 900 today and wouldn’t even miss my 9-3.
I’ve driven one Saab 900 before, at a used car dealership I found a non-turbo 900 from like 1991 or something, with a manual transmission. Even in naturally aspirated form, it was super fun to drive, and this comes from someone who owns a 9-5 Aero and a Turbo X. It is definitely on my list of must-have cars sometime in my life.
Biggest mistake ever is perhaps trading it in.
I still miss (my) 900.