Category Archives: Saab 900

Saab 900

My idea for GM Europe and the Saab 900

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Let’s get one thing straight up front. This website wouldn’t exist without the Saab 900.

There were a lot of great things Saab did over the early years. The unique design of Sixten Sason’s cars, the aircraft links. Safety before it seemed important. And then there’s the whole rally thing. But the car that really embodied everything that Saab came to stand for, the car that piqued everyone’s interest and is still a point of both reference and reverence today is the Saab 900.

A few people mentioned it in the poll and the poll results articles here, and I’ve mentioned it several times in the last few years – Saab could do much worse than releasing a modern interpretation of the Saab 900. BMW have done it with the Mini and various brands are doing it with their historical hero cars. You take a modern platform and modern technology and combine them with the design and ethos of a great car from the past. If the Saab 900 was the subject of such an exercise I’m sure it would attract a lot of past Saab customers – and it would be one heck of a great car.

But a 2015 Saab 900 is not the point of this post.

The point of this post is a simple exercise that would cost peanuts and would capture the spirit of Saab in the offices of GM Europe. The officers in those offices basically hold the future of Saab in their hands. Saab is owned by General Motors in Detroit, but when it comes to Saab, they listen in large part to the advice provided by the people from GM Europe. We should all feel fortunate the Carl-Peter Forster’s in charge there and he’s a Saab fan. I’d be writing an Alfa blog if he weren’t and you’d all quite likely be looking for your next VW, Nissan or Subaru.

CPF’s a fan, but what about the bean-counters who work for him? We all know what Saab has represented in the past, what it could be again. Do they?

My simple idea involves a fleet of Saab 900s. Restore them all to good working order and have them in a car pool for GME employees to drive. Let them see exactly how far ahead the Saab 900 was in its day. Let them see exactly how well it drives. Let them see how good it is even by today’s standards (and yes, it’s still good).

All those commenters saying how the car they miss the most is their 900 aren’t sentimental fools. The car is actually quite outstanding, even today. This idea may seem incredibly simple and perhaps even a little quaint. But the 900 is a car that endears itself to the driver. It’s not just a funny looking design with an upright seat. It’s got a real personality to it and spending a week or two in one is a life-changing experience for anyone with an appreciation for cars and car design.

And that’s the allure behind the idea of a modern Saab 900. Drive an original 900 for a period of time and you’ll experience all that a modern Saab should be.

The design is visually beautiful. Few cars have ever had a more disctinctive and identifiable profile. The car was incredibly practical and is noted for carrying all sorts of rediculously large loads. The interior has ergonomics that once experienced, will leave you wondering why they’ve ever changed.

Most of all, though, it’s a brilliant drive. The car leans a little in the bends but it ends up exactly where you pointed it. It’s got a great driver’s feel, from the grippy steering wheel to the best seats of their generation, to the great engine and exhaust note. All combine to deliver a great driver’s experience. Put all the qualities of the Saab 900 together and you could quite literally drive it to theater on Friday night, bring furtniture home in the back on Saturday and take the whole family for a picnic on Sunday. It’s at home in all three scenarios – even in 2008.

This is quite simply a car whose spirit, design and ethos should never have died.

GM Europe probably won’t entertain my simple idea. They’ll probably find it amusing. Thankfully, there’s a number of people involved with Saab who still maintain 900s in their private garages. I’ve met a few of them personally and I know they love their 900s, even if they don’t get to drive them that often. I just think it’d be a great idea if a few of the decision makers got the same experience that many of us have had.

Maybe it’d be good if you got the same experience as well. 900s are getting older and cheaper. If you’re in the market for a weekend car or a hobby car, then put a post-1985 Saab 900 16v on your list. If you’re happy with less performance and like a funkier interior, then go for the earliest 900 you can find (more on interiors coming soon).

Saab are building an emphasis on their turbocharging history. The 900 didn’t start Saab’s relationship with turbos, but it was the car that brought that relationship into the limelight. The 900 wasn’t just about the turbo, and I’ll try and bring you as much about the car as I can in the coming week.

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Pollhattan Saab – the Saab 900 results

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There were a couple of interesting outcomes from the Saab 900 poll today. For me as a blogger, the fact that there were only 100 respondents (less than third of the usual amount) was interesting, but that’s a side issue.

The main outcome was that 50% of respondents have either never owned or never driven a Saab 900. This shouldn’t be so surprising. The youngest Saab 900s are now 14 years old and the oldest are 29 years old. That’s a lot of water under the bridge and I guess you could say it’s a testament to the brand’s longevity that there’s such a high proportion of 900-experienced people still hanging around.

The comments in the post were a testimony as well. There were a lot of fond memories shared there and it all pretty much confirms a thought that’s been forming in my head in the last few days – that the Saab 900 was quite possibly the best “attainable” car of the 1980′s and one of the best of the 1990s as well.

By attainable, I mean that there were possibly more desireable cars in this era – who didn’t want a Lamborghini? – but the Saab 900 was a great performing, comfortable and incredibly practical car that was pretty affordable in most markets.

But more than that, the car had incredible character. From the profile of the three-door to the funky interiors, the Saab 900 just oozes personality and it loses none of that when you get behind the wheel.

I’m going to post more on that later, but thanks to all who participated and stay tuned for some more Saab 900 thoughts and prognostications over the weekend.

Golfhunter’s two-tone 900

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Pollhattan Saab – the Classic 900

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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.

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Saab Classic 900 vs. the Bear

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Vive la 900 classique!! (I wish I knew the Finnish equivalent. It would be unpronounceable anyway, but it would be appropriate.)

From Riku1100s, a regular reader here at TS, comes the link for this gem. He was inspired by Swade’s musings about bears.

I love this clip! Why, for crying out loud, wouldn’t they have used this as advertising in North America??? You could have subtitled it in English, and used a tag line such as “Scandanavian tested, so you don’t have to.”, “Saab: It’s even bear proof.”, or “Saab saves lives — again.”

And, Saab, give it up. Bring back the hatch. The C900 hatch was the most versatile car that I ever owned.

Watch.

More detail on that “special” Saab 900 SPG from the TurboX drive

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At the risk of complete over exposure of this car on Trollhattansaab (there are posts here, here, here and here), I’ve got a few photos of my own to contribute to the ever-growing pile.

Folks, it’s that good. It’s perfect, perhaps even more perfect than any Saab ever was driving off the assembly line in Trollhattan. I’ll put it this way: if I had the US$42,000 for a new 2008 TurboX, and GM were to offer this 1985 Saab 900 SPG for the same amount, I may choose the 900. In fact, I’d probably choose the 900.

As someone noted while in the seat, “It even smells like a new Saab should smell.” Indeed.

Black is beautiful.

Look at the engine bay. Nary a speck of dust on anything.

*sniff* I’m… I’m not really crying…there’s just something in my eye. Really. *choke*

Here’s the money shot for all of us C900 owners. For such a pristine dash, carpet free of wear and absolutely perfect leather, I may be talked out of a kidney.

Saab TurboX Media Day — Celebrating 30 years of turbocharging

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One of the great revelations of this week’s meeting with Steve Shannon and Jan-Willem Vester was their commitment to “strengthen” the Saab marketing message. According to Mr. Shannon, the upcoming marketing campaign will still play on the Saab aircraft heritage, but will be focused on Saab’s history with turbocharging. They are also planning to include messages that will, in their opinions, attract the smarter, younger auto enthusiast.

My speculation is that Saab will feature the turbocharger as both “green” and “go”. Performance that makes sense. It is already happening with the BioPower everywhere and the turbo diesel in Europe. The remainder of the message isn’t so clear, but I believe that you’ve already seen the first wave of appeals to the urban sophisticates with Anthony Lo so prominently displayed during the last year or so. Again, it’s my guess, but artful design and European heritage will play a large part.

To get us talking about that turbocharging history, Saab USA provided these cars for us to flog on Tuesday:

19761978 Saab 99 Turbo (the first Saab turbocharged car available in the US)
1987 Saab 9000 Turbo from “the Long Run” at Talladega
1993 Saab 900 SPG
1996 Saab 900 Turbo from the Talladega Challenge
1997 Saab 900 Turbo from the Pikes Peak Hillclimb driven by Simo Lampinen

I drove them all but the 9000. Given more time, I would have driven it, too. Pictures below!

Eat your heart out, Swade. I must say that I learned a valuable lesson with the 99: power steering is a good thing, a very good thing.

Check out the period-correct plates! For those of you outside the US or too young to remember (ahem), 1976 was the year of our country’s bicentennial so the nationalistic red, white and blue motif was ubiquitous. Michigan was obviously no exception. (It even has the 1978 registration sticker!!)

More pictures on Flickr at some point.

Minor Saabrina Update – the final steps can take a while

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As many/most of you have experienced, any project seems to move well until that final 10% or 5%. Then it seems that the “final steps” slow everything to a crawl.

I think that’s the story with Mark and his electric vehicle conversion of a Saab NG900.

In the latest installment, Mark has installed the stereo, fabricated a way to create a simulated tachometer input so that he can continue to use many of the existing computers and components for running the auxiliary systems.

He’s applying for registration, so he must be getting close to completion.

Go Saabrina go!