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I started the month with a fantastic story about a Saab 900 Convertible and the need to carry more wine. The end result was a Saab trailer to be towed behind the convertible. A Saab and a Half.
JL Racing had a good round in the Canadian Touring Car Championship bringing their Saab 9-3 in for three first placings and second placing in the four races held. Haven’t heard from them for a while, actually. Hmmmmm.
I figured out why Saab could do so well in the North American market if GM let them off the leash. Unfortunately, I don’t think GM listen to such things, though.
I ticked off another automotive rite of passage – driving a LHD car with stick – and togethre we thought up some other automotive rites.
One of the highlights during our family trip to Canada was the Great TS Pacaific Northwest Meetup. A few of us met up in Vancouver and then drove down to Seattle and met up with a bunch more. It was an absolutely brilliant day and I loved getting a chance to meet up with a lot of people who’s names I see on this site at regular intervals. Great people, great weather, great cars, great food – what more could you ask for?
I wrote a quick thankyou to all who turned up and especially those who organised the day, but I’ll thank them once again right here for what was an oustanding day and lasting memory of our trip.
One of the attendees at that event has what is hands-down the best Saab NG900 I’ve ever seen. You should check it out, too. An inspiration.
I drove the 2009 Cadillac CTS and I didn’t even get a lousy T-shirt. Eggs drove a Hyundai Tucson and he didn’t get a lousy T-shirt either, though he did get a bad back.
We found out that the Saab 9-X Air was going to be called…… the Saab 9-X Air! We indulged in a little 9-X Air photoshop speculation, too, which wasn’t too far off the mark, either.
In what I think was a real landmark decision – a canary in the coalmine, if you will – Carter Saab in Seattle handed in their Saab keys and became a Subaru dealership.
The car I used to get to the Great TS Pacaific Northwest Meetup was a Saab 9-3 supplied by Dueck Saab in Richmond, Vancouver. Bill Convery gave me a tour of their new facility, which was still under construction at the time. They were doing great things for Saab there when I visited them and I hope it’s all going well now that the new showroom is open.
Jan-Ake Jonsson in Paris, September 2008:
“We are brand on the move.” says Jonsson. These concepts are building blocks in the most intensive product development program we have ever attempted. It is part of strategy that will take Saab into all major segments of the car market. “While we will be launching a number of new models in different market segments, they will all share the core values that go into making a Saab a Saab – progressive, Scandinavian-inspired design, sporty driving with the driver in focus, and efficient, responsible performance.”
“We are determined to grow the brand through expanding our product portfolio while also renewing our current product offerings. The strategy and resources are in place and the execution of our plan has already started with these influential concept cars.”
Jan-Ake Jonsson is currently looking for an equity partner, or buyer, for Saab. How times change, eh?
That quote was from the Paris Motor Show, where Saab released what I think was the best of the three concept cars they showed this year – the 9-X Air.
Eggs did his first podcast. I think we should do more (and Mr Abbott says “i been telling you that since January!!)
In our final week in Canada, I got to drive a Lambofieroghini!! It was loud, very windy and heaps of fun.
Matt the fudgepacker defied all the stereotypes you placed on him and became a father. Sally the future fudgepacker just had her first Christmas.
And finally – I wrote down my dreamy vision as to what Saab will be like on March 30th 2010 – that’s 18 months from the date of the entry and it’s also the date of my 40th birthday.
