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So the Saab 900 was an Aero, after all
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So the Saab 900 was an Aero, after all

December 18th, 2008 · 15 Comments



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Following on from the Aero Turbo paraphernalia I featured here the other day, a discussion broke out in comments to that article as to whether or not the classic Saab 900 was officially referred to as an Aero at all.

It was the SPG in th United States. Here in Australia it was badged a Saab 900 Turbo but referred to as a Saab 900 T16, which was similar to other markets as well. We also had a quite rare T16 S here in Australia, too, of which there were only a handful imported in the later years of the C900’s life.

Edwin has passed along some photos of brochures that he’s got in his Saab library, clearly showing that in some markets, at least, the 900 was officially called an Aero. Edwin lives in Sweden and although he didn’t specify in his email, I assume these are Swedish brochures.

Click to enlarge:

pc160069

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pc160074

pc160075

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Thanks Edwin!

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Tags: Saab 900 · Saabology

15 responses so far ↓

  • 1 MarkacNo Gravatar // Dec 18, 2008 at 10:20 pm

    Swade: I’ll have to do some homework but as far as I remember the Turbo 16S was the Aero? The Turbo 16 was any 16 valve turbo model minus the bodykit. I only have brochures from about 1988, but I have some road tests from earlier including one on the C900 Aero prototype that was painted in Mother of Pearl. The brochures normally called the cars “900 Turbo 16S Aero” or just “900 turbo 16S” which came in a 3 door hatch and the rare 2 door available in some markets. From about 1990, some markets including the UK got a 900 S Aero which had a LPT engine. Unfortunately here in Oz, instead we had the 900i Aero with a 2.1 normally aspirated engine. IMHO it’s a car that should never have been given the Aero name. It was really just an EMS with an Aero bodykit. Thankfully it never carried an Aero badge, but then again no C900 ever did, did it?

  • 2 Drew BNo Gravatar // Dec 18, 2008 at 10:43 pm

    Mark, Australia actually had the FPT Turbo-S version, but at almost double the price of the 900i ‘Aero’ not many were sold.

    Drew

  • 3 MarkacNo Gravatar // Dec 18, 2008 at 11:25 pm

    Drew B: That was the 16S and was available in Australia from 1985 to 1992. In 1993 the only Aero available was the 900i. We never got any special editions like the “Ruby” for the final year of the C900. I just think we should have got the 900S LPT Aero instead of the 900i Aero 2.1 when it was released. It certainly would be more desirable today. Not many people want to buy an old 900i Aero today! The excuse I got at the time was that insurance companies were quite likely to charge as much for an LPT car as they would for an FPT car, but I heard later that LPT engines were in short supply. That is the more likely the reason Australia missed out.

    You’re right the 900i Aero was about $A33,000 whereas the ‘real’ one cost around $A64,000.

  • 4 wilfriedNo Gravatar // Dec 18, 2008 at 11:26 pm

    For German market it was initially the 900 turbo 16S (1987) with 129 kW/175PS/273Nm without katalysator or 118 kW/160PS/255Nm with kat.
    The Aero-name was in 1987 only used as a special edition created by the Swiss importer containing the aero-kit spoilers & side skirts and in Switzerland only available with the 160PS katalysator engine. It had on the end of the sideskirts, just before the back wheelarch the AERO text.

  • 5 GrumpyNo Gravatar // Dec 18, 2008 at 11:59 pm

    In Sweden the 900 S was the LPT and then above that there was the 900 Aero with the full pressure turbo. I used to have the 900 S and always loved to drive it. THe rich and Famous were driving the more expensive and more upmarket Aero.

  • 6 ArnoldNo Gravatar // Dec 19, 2008 at 12:05 am

    In June 1993, I had the choice between two remaining 900i classics. The Citron Silver one I eventually chose, and a red “Aero.” The Aero had a whale-tail and the three spoke wheels, along with the body kit and anti roll bars.

    The Aero version was only three grand more than the plain 900, and that was certainly a good deal. In the end, after having had the SPG, I would have felt short changed by the pretense of the Aero – a sheep in wolf’s clothing so to speak. I thought it rather pointless to drag around all the extra fittings, since they were just something else to maintain. Mind you, I would have loved the wheels instead of the steel one’s I settled for.
    In the end I thought my plain Jane was more elegant, and the silver seemed classier to me. As for the turbo’s, unlike in Canada, where there was a reasonable price difference for the turbo, here the premium of twice the price made no economic sense to me.

    After 15 years, I am still happy with my choice, and wonder what that red one looks like now.

  • 7 Drew BNo Gravatar // Dec 19, 2008 at 12:09 am

    My previous 900 Aero actually had the name on the face of the surround controller unit mounted in the centre console. These units were fitted between 1987 and 1990, after which Eurovox radios were used and the surround sound system deleted.

    http://dgbedelph.gallery.netspace.net.au/albums/album01/HPIM0790.jpg

    BTW, here’s what’s on the rear of my 10/92 cabrio:

    http://dgbedelph.gallery.netspace.net.au/albums/album01/P9280091.jpg

    Drew

  • 8 zippyNo Gravatar // Dec 19, 2008 at 5:25 am

    Now the T16 is a Saab Id love to drive. Evry now and then I see one here and always turn around and take a second look. Some of the ones I see are not well looked after which is a crime really.

    I actually used to have that same Saab 900 Turbo 16S brochure YEARS ago! LOL!

  • 9 EdwinNo Gravatar // Dec 19, 2008 at 8:13 am

    Right, I live in Sweden now but I am Dutch… The brochures are from Holland 1984. See my comment under the Aero- item earlier this week.

    //Edwin

  • 10 Andy RupertNo Gravatar // Dec 19, 2008 at 10:03 am

    Nice pics. They bring back some great memories. I must say, though, that the leather on my seats never looked that good. Those look extremely soft and comfortable. By the time I got mine, they were stiff but still comfortable.

  • 11 TompaNo Gravatar // Dec 19, 2008 at 8:25 pm

    Drew B.. That is So cool! I´ve never seen that Aero badge Or the surround system. But many things are market specific.

    Cheers/Tom

  • 12 Drew BNo Gravatar // Dec 19, 2008 at 10:20 pm

    This evening I checked the delivery papers on my two 900 Aeros, the 10/92 Turbo-S cab and the 10/92 Turbo-S 3dr. The cab papers simply state “900 Turbo 2D Convertible”, whereas the 3dr states “900 Turbo Aero 3D”.

    Interesting!

    DB

  • 13 Bob SinclairNo Gravatar // Dec 21, 2008 at 3:28 pm

    In the United States as well as in Canada we used the designation SPG (for Special Performance Group) instead of Aero because Saab Cars USA, Inc. was informed that one of the Detroit companies (I forget which one) “owned” the term Aero for automotive use.
    Or maybe it was just for use on automobiles.
    Frankly, I don’t think we ever checked on whether that was true. I just assigned our marketing folks the task of recommending
    a suitable different name. “SPG” was what
    they came up with. I think it was Bill Walters’
    idea. I approved it, and that was that.

    Bob

  • 14 swadeNo Gravatar // Dec 21, 2008 at 5:19 pm

    Great story, Bob. I wonder how many meetings, focus groups and dollars go into such a decision these days. My guess is many more than back in the 1980s.

  • 15 Tim in DenverNo Gravatar // Dec 22, 2008 at 5:29 am

    thrilled to have your clarifications, Mr. Sinclair!
    Thank you.