Sydneysider and new Dad, PT, has submitted a “9-List” in comments to last night’s open entry.

Maths may not be his strong suit though, as he’s entered 10 items in his 9-List.

The full comments entry is as follows:

Top 9 things I’m going to do in the first week that I’m CEO of General Motors:

1) Sell off all peripheral brands and non-core businesses. Chevy, Cadillac, Opel, Holden etc.
2) Announce new investment strategy in Core Business: Saab.
3) Buy back Scania & make real trucks.
4)Re-launch the corvette with a turbo biopower engine, AWD, wraparound screen and call it Sonnet.
5) Do a joint venture with BMW to do a share on the X5 and build a SAAB 4Wd to be proud of.
6) Commission the 91, 93 & 95 hatchback coupes.
7)Move global HQ to Trollhattan and the PR department to Tasmania.
Change the business name from General Motors to Specific Motors. Or maybe Turbo Motors.
9) Launch the Saab WRC and F1 race teams with their Biopower engines.
10) Buy back the Saab jet business and convert them all to ethanol then launch a new all-ethanol airline with Richard Branson.

Obviously we can’t have a 9-List with 10 items, so I propose you all make your suggestions as to which item should be culled.

OK, this is a new element here at Trollhattan. Let’s run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes.

It’s an idea sent in by new dad, NG900 owner and all round top bloke, PT.

Anyone seen the Late Show with David Letterman? (that’s a rhetorical question for US readers) On that show, Letterman has a Top 10 list every night, which is usually quite funny.

Daily status isn’t something I think we could ever aspire to here, but funny in a Saab kind of way is a distinct possibility, regardless of how often they get produced.

So, in that spirit, here’s the first Trollhattan Saab Top 9.

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Top 9 reasons to still drive a C900 turbo hatch.

9. It’s beyond fashion.
8. You can put a motorcycle in it.
7. It’s officially a classic car.
6. Your accountant will respect you
5. It will cost less than a watch advertised in any of the weekend newspaper magazines.
4. After 250,000 kms it’s only just starting to feel run-in
3. You can still get the parts
2. It makes BMWs from the era look frumpy
1. It’ll cost you around 1.5% of a Porsche GT3.

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Love it.

Thanks to PT for the idea, and for the first Top 9.

If you’ve got a Top 9 topic to suggest, or even a Top 9 list to submit, then feel free to shoot me an email.

No new year’s resolutions here, just 9 things I want to see for myself, for Trollhattan Saab and for Saab as a whole.

1) Fix my front shocks

It’s nearly been a month since I last drove my Viggen properly owing to stuffed front shocks. Having things go wrong just before Christmas is the worst. I’m getting withdrawals walking past that car every day. Driving it around the block once a week just doesn’t do it for me.

2) 10 movies

I’m setting a goal of getting at least 10 movies done this year. Most likely they’ll be driving reviews of various Saabs, either new or classic. The ultimate goal is a compilation DVD that I’ll be able to offer mega-cheap for car clubs or any other interested parties.

3) More news – direct

One of the real joys for me this year has been the emerging opportunities to cover Saab events first hand. In 2006 we managed to get photos direct from Detroit, New York and LA Auto Shows as well as the Saab Museum and some Euro events like the Ice Experience and the Pilots Wanted promotions. I managed to personally get a ticket to Sydney for the Aero-X adventure there and will also cover the diesel and BioPower launches personally in the next month. Added to that we’ll likely have an official presence at a Saab USA 60th Anniversary event and I’ll be attending the Saab Owner’s Convention in August.

Everything you get here at Trollhattan Saab will be as fresh and timely as I can possibly make it.

4) A killer 9-3 refresh

We’ll likely see some new 9-3 action starting around midyear at the Saab Festival in Sweden. The 9-3 is the backbone of the company and whilst this isn’t a totally new car, it’s going to be significantly altered from the current 9-3SS – and it’s prudent to say you don’t mess with your bread and butter in a negative way.

The potential here is enormous and hopefully it’ll result in…..

5) Increased sales in Germany

Germany could almost be considered a greenfield market for Saab again, so low are the current sales there. It started the year as Saab’s fourth biggest market but was recently overtaken by Spain. Given its vast automotive history, wealth and appreciation for good engineering, this is definitely a market Saab should be doing better in.

6) Some sneaky-peeks at the 9-4x

The 9-4x is the most likely newcomer after the refreshed 9-3 and hopefully we’ll all get a look that’s more elaborate that a brief slide on an audiovisual presentation.

Who knows? There may even be a prototype at Frankfurt – one can dream at least

7) Something more on the Hybrid

A hybrid Convertible would be such a statement for Saab, especially in the vital US market. Saab got a good run out of the BioPower Hybrid back in March/April, but it was overshadowed somewhat by the scorching-hot Aero-X.

It would be a tremendous step forward to hear that the technology behind the concept car was close to marketable – especially if it retained it’s original plug-in capability.

A pair of great enthusiast’s events

I’d dearly love to go to the Saab Festival in Sweden, however time and funding are against me. The great consolation in all that is I’m a 99% certain starter for the Saab Owner’s Convention in Michigan in August 2007. My main goal is to get the chance to sit down and have a chat, however brief, with Mr Saab.

Whichever event you get to, I hope it’s a great one.

9) The product. Always the product.

The one thing that’s more important than anything else, is the product – your Saab. Whatever model you’ve got, whatever you buy through the year, I hope you have a great time driving what I truly believe is one of the great all-round practical and performance cars there is.

And Saab – build them the best you can and sell plenty!

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Best wishes to all for a great 2007.

I recently posted here about an Australian report that unveiled Saab as the most poorly promoted carmaker (i.e. by owners) here in the Australian market. The theory being that if you rate your experience with your vehicle highly, you’re more likely to promote that vehicle to friends, acquaintences etc.

So that got me thinking about how I am as a promoter of the brand. Given that I eat, sleep and breathe Saab (and in between I produce this weblog), I don’t really have a problem with seeing myself as a promoter. But what sort of things can someone do to enhance their motoring experience to the point where they’re more likely to be a promoter?

It doesn’t cost anything (much) and I find I enjoy more car/driving time more as a result. Here’s a few suggestions:

1. Buy the Saab you always wanted

For a lot of us that’s quite possibly an older Saab, a 900 Aero or something similar and if so, then it needen’t be overly expensive. Whatever it is, go out and find one that you can afford or one that you’ll be happy with in the meantime. My philosophy about cars has always been “If I’m going to spend X-thousand dollars on something it better be a lot more than just adequate transport”. Getting the car you’re really happy with goes a long way towards your natural willingness and tendency to promote it.

2. Delve into the culture

One of the great things about Saab is that it has a rich history; unusual design, innovation, a bond with it’s end user and their environment, not to mention motorsports. Saab, through the years, truly have punched above their weight in the contributions they’ve made to the development of autmotive technology and safety.

3. Join a car club

I can’t put enough emphasis on this one – if there’s a Saab Car Club in your vicinity, then go along and check out what’s happening. Every group of people has it’s loonies and car clubs are no exception, but overall you’ll get some great exposure to some magnificent people and some great vehicles. There’s a hell of a lot of experience and inspiration out there in car-club-land.

4. Take it to the track

This one’s usually made easier when you join a car club (see point 3). A little bit of track work can go a long, long way in you understanding your own limitations as well as your Saab’s outer boundaries. They’re awesome track cars as well as great daily drivers and you’ll learn a hell of a lot and be buzzed for weeks afterwards.

5. Get some literature

This sort of ties into the ‘culture’ point at no.2. There’s not as much Saab literature out there as there is for the more famous makes, but there’s still some very good reading to be had. Reading about historical models and how advanced they were was one of the primary motivators that got me interested in owning them. Imagine owning a slew of 1980′s cars (like I did) only to read about a 1972 Saab that was more advanced than all of them in many areas. If you’ve been amongst the Saab community for a little while then some of this might have already filtered through as head knowledge, but to read it in total and see the full gamut of Saab technology is an eye-opening experience (I’m a big advocate of reading in all areas of life).

6. Wash and detail your car

Put this in the same category as “why do soldiers shave when they’re at war?” It’s a morale thing, a pride thing. I’m as big a sinner as anyone else in this regard. But boy, my Viggen looks 200% better following an afternoon with the lambswool mit and I feel a lot better driving it too.

7. Road Trips

Whether it be a long holiday or a bunch of Sunday drives, doing something different with your car can give you a better appreciation of its capabilities. It’s not just about driving either – a decent trip can be a good reminder about the Saab’s humungous load carrying capacity as well. Re-reading this one, it sounds like I’m a relationship counsellor or something, but you get what I mean.

8. Support your local

File this loosely with joining a car club. It’s not always possible to buy a new Saab from your local Saab dealer. I’ll probably never buy a brand new one in my lifetime as the cost here in Australia is prohibitive, especially given my late start to working life and current mortgage circumstances. But I’m pleased to have developed a good relationship with my local dealer, and I know that if I’ve got any queries etc I can go to him and get a straight answer. The same with my local repairer, who’s a vast recepticle of Saab knowledge. These relationships have given me a much greater appreciation for the marque and make me much more comfortable recommending them to any friends looking for a new ride…..which leads me to the last point:

9. Talk about them!

The previous 8 points were all about fleshing out your experience and the way you feel about owning and driving a Saab. If you’re to become a natural promoter of the brand they’re all pretty valid, but they’re all quite moot in this discussion if you don’t actually promote. It doesn’t take too much and we’re not talking about a Mormon mission here – just as and when circumstances present then be happy to share your experiences (car club, track runs), share some facts (that you’ve read about) or talk turkey about why your car (the one you’re so happy to have bought) looks so good (after your detailing session).

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It’s just a few thoughts, an incomplete list, but one that you could lambaste or add to as you see fit. I’m reminded of Olav from Norway, who always signs off his emails with “from Olav, who always takes the long road home”. There’s a promoter.

I’m a steadfast believer that Saab made/make vehicles that are amongst the best in terms of all-round, practical and performance driving. It shocked me to see that Australian experiences were so negative in recent times. I’m not talking about being blind to the truth if it’s negative, but being honest and enthused about the car you enjoy if that is indeed the case.

Nine Reasons why the C900 Convertible deserves the Autoblog RR of the Week

Stop me if I’m going overboard on this Autoblog poll thing, but given the minimal press that Saabs of any description get on sites like that I think it’s important to make the most of it and show the readership there that the brand’s got something.

So….9 reasons why the C900 deserves to win that poll.

1. Character
- perhaps the Alfa could claim a small margin over the 900 here, but not by much. The Bimmer’s only character points come from the fact that it’s a coupe. The Fiero’s too US centric to claim character from an expanded readership and the Supra – puhlease…

2. Looks
- That 900 line is called the classic 900 for a reason. The Saab 900 was as distinct a car as you could get and whilst it’s looks marginalised some, there’s no doubt about it’s classic lines – absolutely beautiful.

3. Enduring Looks
- All cars in the poll were made in the 1980s. How many of them still look as good today as they did back then? The Alfa still looks great from the front but it’s a little wierd at the rear 3/4 and maybe the BMW has retained around 75% of it’s appeal, though that massive bumper looks a little too much like a neck brace. The 900 still looks fresh and when seen in peak condition, one could imagine it’s just come out of the showroom.

4. Practicality
- I’ll bet you could get passengers 3 and 4 into the 900 Convertible quicker than any of the others. And you’d still get at least one set of golf clubs in the boot.

5. Icon status
- which of these cars produces a more vivid memory of the 1980s? The latter half of them, anyway.

6. A working heater
- I can’t speak for the Pontiac or the BMW, but I’ve owned Alfas and a Celica XX (predecessor to the Supra) and any Saab heating system would outpoint the “cabin comforts” offered by either of them. This may sound like small potatoes, but it does lend to the 4-seasons claim about the Convertible. If your Alfa’s too icy then it’s only a car 6-8 months of the year, correct? The rest of the time it’s just taking space.

7. The Turbo
- It’s never going to be king of the twisties, but the Convertible in manual form will give you enough of a rush to make the smile you’ve already got on your face that little bit bigger.

8. The difference factor
- BMWs are every wannabe’s car of choice. I’d imagine Pontiacs are quite common on roads in markets where you can buy one. Toyotas are the motoring equivalent of male genitalia – it seems like half the populations got one. Want to go for a drive and have the pleasure of seeing your own car only once in a blue moon? Get the Saab or the Alfa.

9. It’s a Convertible, stupid!
- Isn’t this the trump card that makes all other points moot? They may be somewhat impractical and shake a little – but what better way is there to go cruising and if you’re picking amongst offerings from the 1980s, then the 900 Convertible has to be your ride of choice.