The big gathering will begin at 3pm at the XXX Root Beer facility at 98 NE Gilman Blvd, Issaquah. Here’s your Google Map.

We’ll meet there and have a nice long look over each other’s cars before embarking on the Saab Club of Seattle’s Flogging Loop - click to enlarge.

That loop will see us end up at the Issaquah Brew House, where good old fashioned pub food will be available, as well as a responsible amount of the Brew House’s primary product. Friends don’t let friends drive their Saabs whilst drunk, so if you indulge too much I’ll have to confiscate your Saab for the duration of my holiday

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You Washington types can just make your way there at a liesurely pace. For those of you leaving from Vancouver, like me, the day is going to start a lot earlier.

We’ll be meeting under the flags at the IKEA outlet in Coquitlam at 9am. After a little bit of getting-to-know-you we’ll head south for the border and then on to the meeting point at XXX Root Beer.

Why such an early start? The border corssing, of course, which could be as quick as 30 minutes or as long as 3 hours. If it’s quick, we’ll have some time to kill, but SaabKen has a drive up his sleeve if that situation eventuates.

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It’s going to be a great day, and it’ll involve members from several different car clubs:

The Saab Club of Western Canada
The Saab Club of Seattle
Northwest Saab Owners Club

It’ll also involve a bunch of people who aren’t members of those clubs, but are interested in Saab stuff and have been in touch through Trollhattan Saab.

It’s going to be a great day and I hope you can all make it along. Great cars, great people, great driving. There’ll be heaps of photos to come.

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UPDATE:

The guys at XXX Rootbeer have been very accommodating, reserving plenty of parking for us and Jose from XXX is willing to throw in some tickets for drawings for XXX t-shirts and such (it’s a business promotion opportunity for XXX).

So, come along, meet some fellow Saab nuts and maybe you’ll come away with some XXX goodies as well!

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I’d like to thanks SaabKen (SCWC), James from (SSC) and Tim S (Viggen owner extraordinaire and member of NWSOC) for their help in planning the day.

It took some time, but we got there in the end!

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After reading the review for myself, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. I’ll go further and say that this is a review that could sell Saabs all by itself. This is a thoroughly researched piece of work that should be a yardstick for many of the ‘professional’ auto journalists out there. Quite a compliment, especially seeing Andrew used my most hated “Q” word in the text

Here’s a few snippets, but I suggest that any person interested in Saabs click through and read it for themselves. It really is worth the time. For one thing, Andrew’s reviewing the car that most Saab buyers in the US will end up with - the base model 2.0T. It’s so base it’s even got the 16 inch wheels.

Here were go:

By the late 1980s, Saab’s future was bleak: The ubiquitous 900 traced its roots to the 1968 99 and the 9000, an impressively roomy and fast sedan, was essentially conceived without the budget for a replacement. Fortunately, the General stepped in and the world still has Saabs, albeit Saabs based on GM-engineered platforms.

One the 9-3 base:

….based on GM’s Epsilon platform, which, in an extended configuration, also underpins the Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Aura, Pontiac G6 and even the Fiat Croma in Europe. That said, the 9-3 is marketed as a considerably more upscale vehicle and includes many of the features you’d expect to see in the entry-level sports/luxury sedan market. Not to mention that it looks and feels absolutely nothing like its platform mates.

And therein is a good indication of the quality of this review. Countless other publications would stop at listing the other GM models and craft a literary sneer to go along with it. The separation of the 9-3 is both appropriate and accurate.

….It’s not nearly as unique as the classic 900s were with their distinctive hatchback shape, but the 9-3 is overall a pleasant, vaguely generic European design. The 2008 upgrades go a long way to giving it a unique external identity….

….Otherwise, the interior design is functional and fairly upscale. The materials and designs aren’t quite as richly upscale as you’ll see in a BMW 3-Series, but they’re sufficient for the 9-3’s lower price point. Few materials feel genuinely out of place, but few also truly exceed expectations.

Again, objective and accurate.

Finally:

Why you would buy it:
You’re looking for a less-expensive way to experience unique European flavor and you want a car with personality as well as surprising performance and efficiency.

Why you wouldn’t:
You’re a Saab purist disheartened by the GM-sourced motor and platform.

Even the pictures do the reader a service by pointing out the good and the bad:

Head on over to Left Lane News and check it out for yourself. If you’re in the market for a 2008 Saab 9-3, then it’s well worth a read.

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It was very nice to reconnect, and meet again in open dialogue with Saab owners from all over the U.S. I had met several last year for the first time, when the convention took place close to our current Saab headquarters in Detroit.

While last year’s event was special because of Saab’s 60th Anniversary as an auto maker, this year certainly had its unique attractions as well. First off, there was the convention’s theme of “30 Years of Turbocharging Leadership”, starting with the original 1978 Saab 99 Turbo…..

….In addition to 30 Years of Saab Turbocharging, technology that now seems more relevant than it ever was, we used the opportunity to share many positive developments with the Saab family at large.

Those developments include the new 9-4x and 9-5, which are covered in terms we’ve all heard before.

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Aussie Saab nut Steve B travelled Stateside for his third consecutive SOC, and as in the past, he’s provided a brilliant collection of photos.

Once again, Steve’s risen to the occasion and his Flickr account is overflowing with 200+ excellent photos from the convention. I’ve selected around a dozen for your perusal, but you’d be wise to head on over and check them all out for yourselves.

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A very interesting 2-tone Saab 95.

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Saabs are good mannered motor vehicles. Here they are bowing in the presence of esteemed owners. Manners are the glue of good society.

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I want a Sonett. Every time I see a picture like this I want one more and more. Is there a cooler and more unusual small car in any manufacturer’s historical range?

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All credit to the Turbo X for reviving the C900 turbo gauge, but I’d LOVE to see this one revived. From the 99 Turbo.

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Another Sonett. A “three” this time.

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And one more……a “two” giving the rolling road a scare

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Dame Edna was in the house and she continues to look better and better, every time I see her.

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The Saab 9-X BioHybrid was the star of the show, and is now doing an extended tour at a Washington Times car show this weekend.

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Now that is one clean engine. Kudos!

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Just for Richo - Saab 9-3 Viggen with vents.

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Some more beautiful and deferential looking old Saabs. Magnificent.

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And finally, the group photo.

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Just quietly, Steve’s put in years of work producing the best Saab club magazine in the world for the Saab Car Club of Australia, he owns two beautful customised Saabs and has put in innumerable hours on behalf of the brand for club activities and personal travel overseas for various events.

Saab could do a lot worse than contracting him to record next year’s SOC in Denver. It’d be a just reward. Just my 0.02c.

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GET IN QUICK AS THIS IS GENUINE GREAT VALUE. IVAN’S DESIGNS ARE TOP SHELF AND THE SPREADSHIRT PRODUCT IS TOO.

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Our T-shirt provider, Spreadshirt, is having a back-to-school sale and it doesn’t matter whether you’re at school or not - everyone gets the discount!

The discount applies at the US shop only, but I’m pretty sure anyone can order from the US shop so don’t let your location put you off. The discount does not apply to postage.

Jeremy recently sent me a shot of his shirt, which he created with our TS Custom Shop designs in the Do It Yourself version of the shop. In the DIY shop, you can mix and match whatever shirt and design you like. You can even add your own customised text.

Here’s Jeremy’s shirt.

As you can see, you can add designs to the front, back and either sleeve (at a price, of course).

The most recent TS logo is now at the store as well, and there’s Ivan’s full range of Saab designs, too. Spreadshirt have a huge range of shirts to choose from, for both men and women.

If you want to get the 25% discount, you need to order 2 or more items. The discount offer runs to August 25th 29th.

When you go through the checkout, you need to add either of the following codes:

US code: SCHOOL608

Canada code: CADSCHOOL608

Note: although there’s a spearate code for Canada, international visitors should be able to use the US code. I used it around 2 months ago to order my latest polo shirt and it worked fine. Just check it’s applied the discount before you pay for it.

These shirts from Spreadshirt are fantastic quality and you’ll wear yourself out long before you wear the design out.

Click here to visit the pre-loaded shop with garments we’ve put together for you.

Click here to visit the DIY shop and design your own shirt from using their shirts and our designs (recommended).

A tip for new players: several designs are multi-colored. You can select and change any of the colors in the design to make look as you wish. If you make them all the one color (as in the TS design above) then it’ll be a lot cheaper. If you have multiple colors (like the turbo gauge below) then it’ll be more expensive.

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A German scientist has done a study into teste temperatures and found that guys who sit on heated seats for a prolonged period have higher testicular temperatures than guys who don’t. No surprises there, I guess, but they had to do the tests to make sure.

Does this make you squirm?

Testicle-testing German researchers fitted sensors to the scrotums of 30 healthy men who then sat on a heated car seat for 90 minutes.

I can just see the doctor now, walking towards the volunteer with a set of alligator clips saying “This won’t hurt a bit!”

Yikes!

Anyway, the scrotometer found that the average temperature of the heated sacs was 37.3 degrees C. The regular temperature of the human body is 37C and ideally, the testes should be a few degrees lower than that to produce the best swimmers.

Scrote temps for volunteers that weren’t on heated seats averaged 36.7C. It’s only 0.6 of a degree difference, but a little means a lot when you’re a microscopic athlete training for the biggest moment in your short little life.

The moral of the story:

If you’re a young, childless Saab owner with aspirations towards fatherhood, you better tough out those cold winters and keep the thermostatic switch in the off position. If you’ve already done your national duty (maybe you’ve already had the swings removed but left the rest of the playground intact) then you can approch winter with a smile.

Thankyou linesmen. Thankyou ballboys!

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(personally speaking, I’m 0 from 1, with a miscarraige only to my name from my first marraige. My wife’s done her child-rearing, with me marrying into an instant family comprising 3 kids, so I’ll have no further opportunity to test the theory)

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What: Washington Times Car Show
Where: Spring Hill Recreation Center - McLean, Virginia
When: Sunday, August 31

The following release just landed from SaabUSA.

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Detroit – Hot on the heels of the well-attended Saab Owners Convention in Devens near Boston last weekend, the award-winning 2008 Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept is scheduled to be on display at the Washington Times Car Show this Sunday, August 31. The event will take place in the Spring Hill Recreation Center near McLean, Virginia just west of Washington, D.C.

Organized by veteran automotive journalist Vern Parker of the Washington Times, the event traditionally offers an impressive array of classics as well as a peek into the car future. Following the tire marks of the Cadillac Sixteen Concept a few years ago, the Saab 9-X will be among the vehicles playing that forward looking role at this year’s show. For more details, see www.washingtontimes.com/multimedia/2008/01/vern_parker_at_the_washington.html.

Already labeled “Best Concept” by AutoWeek Magazine upon its world debut at the Geneva auto show last March, the Saab 9-X BioHybrid was voted “Specialty Concept Car of the Year” by a jury of 25 professional North American automotive journalists. The award ceremony took place last June at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan.

“The Saab 9-X BioHybrid blends organic form with ecologically sound propulsion for both aesthetic and environmental appeal”, said jury panel member Arv Voss of Auto Impressions. Added Bob Kroupa of the Automotive Writers Group: “Saab takes center stage with a new design approach for a compact vehicle. With the BioHybrid turbo engine included, we have a winner”.

“We are honored by this important recognition from an expert North American media organization,” said Saab Automobile USA marketing director Roger McCormack accepting the award. “Following in the footsteps of the highly inspirational Aero X, and the 9-4X BioPower crossover concept which also debuted earlier this year, the 9-X BioHybrid demonstrates that Saab is truly on the move.”

The 9-X BioHybrid is a vivid vision of what a future compact car from Saab could look like. It is designed to reflect the priorities of youthful customers who seek progressive looks, responsible performance and high-tech communications, all in a sporty, fun-to-drive package.

Exploring design themes from Saab’s award-winning Aero X and earlier 9X concepts, the 9-X BioHybrid also demonstrates the potential for ultra-efficient power from a 200 hp (147 kW), 1.4-liter BioPower turbo engine backed by GM’s next-generation hybrid system. Projected combined cycle CO2 emissions of just 105 g/km on E85 fuel are testimony to the promise of this package.

The interior showcases an entirely new expression of Saab’s driver-focused cockpit design, together with innovative, seamless connectivity for personal nomadic devices and a rear cargo deck with a ‘low friction’ loading system.

“This car is all about efficiency in design and performance,” says Anthony Lo, director of Advanced Design at General Motors Europe, who led the 9-X BioHybrid design team in co-operation with the Saab Brand Center in Sweden.

With its ‘turbine’ wheels placed at all four corners, minimal bodywork overhangs and an extended roof line, the proportions of the three-door Saab 9-X BioHybrid bring a dynamic, new dimension to conventional compact ‘hatchback’ looks.

The smooth ‘fuselage’ bodywork, now without any visible handles or door mirrors, the bold ‘wraparound’ window graphic and deep front grille are all themes inspired by the Aero X coupe concept shown at Geneva two years ago.

The car’s distinctive ‘shooting brake’ silhouette and rear functionality are developed from the 9X multi-role concept shown at Frankfurt in 2001. “You could say we designed this car from back to front,“ says Lo. “The shape of the 9X is right for a car of this size, and the longer roof line helps the aerodynamics as well as providing more rear headroom and interior space.”

Echoing Saab’s roots in aircraft design, the 9-X BioHybrid also explores the potential for using active aerodynamics to reduce drag – and fuel consumption – at cruising speeds. Above 70 kph ( 43 mph), the upper and lower bodywork is reshaped as the roof spoiler automatically extends to further lengthen the roof line and an underbody diffuser is deployed from the bottom of the rear bumper.

The four-seater cabin introduces an entirely new execution of Saab’s driver-focused cockpit design. The central, floor-mounted console, with its angled controls and displays, is now eliminated. Instead, the driver-focused layout incorporates a main instrument panel that sweeps out from the top of the door moulding, arching across the driver. The embedded 3-D graphics appear to be ‘frozen’ in ice, continuing a Scandinavian design theme first seen in the Aero X.

Reflecting the needs of youthful customers, who expect easy access to multi-media both inside and outside the car, Saab has co-operated with Sony Ericsson in providing seamless in-car connectivity for a range of nomadic devices. The result is a wireless interface for streaming data, entertainment and satellite navigation functions for display and use. The interface also allows the simultaneous use of multiple devices when passengers are in the car.

At the rear, the cargo deck features an electrically-powered slide-out floor, which is activated when the bottom half of the split tailgate drops down. The floor, and the back of the folding rear seats, is covered by ‘high friction’ rubber carpeting, which ‘grips’ items and holds them securely in place. For easy loading and unloading, aluminum bars automatically rise up and down as the tailgate is opened and closed.

The treatment of light is an important part of Scandinavian design and this is evident in the use of variable, white ambient lighting inside the cabin. The level of suffused illumination can be changed in intensity from bright, cold to warm and soft. It’s a personalized feature that could even be programmed, for example, to reflect the pattern of the changing seasons

“This car shows how our concept work can be carried forward into a compact format,” adds Anthony Lo. “It has a number of features which we will be developing further, such as the new driver-focused design theme, the importance of clean, uncluttered surfaces and the easy, seamless connectivity inside the car.”

Saab sightings have been minimal for the last few days as we’ve been house-bound a little, and we’re now located in more of a rural area a few hours out of Vancouver. Nonetheless, we did spot another convertible, another C900 and our first Saab 9000 a few days ago. Those three take the total for the trip up to 16 Saabs seen so far.

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Autonet Canada have a wishy-washy review of the Saab 9-3. you’ll understand that description when you read it.

The biggest thing I got from it was the need for an interior revamp. It really is an awesome car and whilst the interior’s OK, it could be excellent.

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Pete De Lorenzo has a fantastic piece going this week in the Rants section at Auto Extremist. It’s on Bill Mitchell, GM’s former design guru from the 1960s.

The piece is actually lifted and edited from his book, but it serves well as a lead up to GM’s 100 years celebrations coming next month.

If you’d like to get a feel for what it was like growing up, quite literally, in GM’s backyard in the days of big fast cars with big styling cues, then this is the piece you should read. It was written by a grown man, but with the wide-eyed kid that he used to be sitting right there in the room.

Now, apply that same appreciation and enthusiasm to a Saab point of view, and you have the reasons for this site and the hope for the future.

A great read and highly recommended.

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This is a curious thing: GM have named the Saab 92 in a list of their Top 10 production cars.

I appreciate the consideration and inclusion, but let’s be honest here…….

The 92 was made at a time where GM had never even heard of Saab, much less owned them, and if GM wanted to pick a Saab (any Saab) to include in the list, then why not the Saabiest Saab of them all, the C900 Turbo?

What’s more, their other list - Top 10 concept cars - doesn’t include a Saab, not even the Aero-X, which was a Concept Car of the Year winner, is one of the most amazing concepts of all time, and is a car that actually was made under GM’s watch.

Ah, families. Can’t live with ‘em. Can’t shoot ‘em.

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Some Saab graffiti, spotted by imation188 and posted on Flickr:

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According to Business Week magazine, Saab’s own 9-7x SUV is the second most leased vehicle in the US market. Of course, this isn’t by straight lease numbers, it’s by lease penetration. There were only 2,321 units of the 9-7x moved in the 12 months to 31 July 2008. That’s not a high number. BMW write more lease business than that in a month. It’s the 82.2% lease penetration that puts the 9-7x at #2 on the list. Only the BMW 7-series is higher.

That lease penetration figure represents the percentage of vehicle sales that involved lease contracts. So of those 2,321 9-7x’s sold, 1,908 of them were leased. And I can tell you with a high degree of certainty that a large proportion of those leases were to GM employees. It’s their inexpensive way of moving up to a better SUV.

Seven of the top 10 leased vehicles in the US in 2008 were German and the most represented Teuton was BMW, with three vehicles. Mercedes and Audi both had two.

The Business Week article gives a great overview of how leasing works. It’s a really good primer for those who are unfamiliar with the process. It’ll give you a better understanding as to why leasing incentives for GM are out the window, making way for bigger cash purchase incentives and low interest loans.

Right now, in the US market, the cash incentives are in addition to GM Employee Pricing. This means a Saab 9-3 2.0T Sport Sedan’s selling for around $25K instead of the MSRP of around $29K. This isn’t applicable to lease purchasing.

The customer cash on that 9-3 is $2,000. Customer cash of a whopping $8,000 is available on the Saab 9-7x, an indication of just how far they’re willing to go to get people buying this vehicle instead of the traditional lease.

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Greg Abbott used the Saab Owners Conference last weekend to put together one of the more comprehensive photo collections featuring custom plates. These cars were all in attendance at the convention and I think it was a pretty good idea of Gregs to capture all the tags at once.

Actually, maybe a custom tags posting is in order that can act as a repository for everyone’s tags?

Whilst I get that in order, here’s a few from Greg’s collection and you can peruse the full gallery here.

Thanks Greg!!

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Jon accompanied Steve Shannon for part of his time looking around the Saabs on display, and provides a superb account of the show in general.

Photos are clickable, as always. Thanks Jon!!!

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This years SOC was greeted by picture perfect weather, we could not have asked for better conditions. Although some serious spf was required otherwise Terry’s Sensonic car wouldn’t be the only thing bright red.

I must say that this was the shortest trip we’ve ever made to travel to the National Convention. Jeff Proposki and I set out Thursday around midday, and our families were going to drive out on Friday. Well an hour and fifteen minutes later we made it to Devens for the shortest recorded trip of 66 miles. It was almost anticlimactic when we pulled into the parking lot after such a short journey. I guess we’ll pay the price next year when we drive to Copper Mountain in Colorado.

We arrived to be greeted by the turbo cars of the GM heritage collection, as well as the 9x Bio-hybrid that was flown in especially from Sweden. The 9x was being guarded by a Turbo-X Sport Combi, a black ’08 9-5, and a Lynx yellow convertible. The cars from the heritage collection were all turbocharged examples of SAAB’s history. Starting with the beautiful ’78 99 turbo, and the ’85 SPG that GM restored specifically for the unveiling of the Turbo-X last November in Boston. Along with a 400 mile Viggen there was also the Long run 9000, the Talladega challenge NG 900, and a NG 900 that was raced by Simo Lampinen up Pikes Peak in the late 90’s.

We spent Thursday cleaning cars and catching up with old friends as well as indulging in some libations. Jeff and I were waiting to see what Jon Williams had done to his newest SPG, since he had stripped the car down in February to do his first grounds up rebuild on a C900.

We would have to wait a while since he just got the car fired and out the door from his house in New York around 2:00 pm Thursday afternoon. So we decided to see what other cars were around the grounds. We bumped into our good friend from the other side of the globe, Steve Bunton world SAAB traveler extraordinaire, as well as the Coyle’s who were nice enough to put him up while he stayed in Beantown.

Being in New England there are always plenty of vintage cars that come out for the weekend. Plenty of Bullnoses, Longnoses, and Sonnets. As well as a group of immaculate 99’s turbos, including Mike Hedges original condition car from Vermont.

After grabbing a pint and a bite at the local Irish pub with Jeff, Abigail and Peter, and Steve it was back to the parking lot for a few hours of tire kicking and catching up. There we were greeted by Jon’s new White Airflow SPG, and what a stunner this car is. Basically a new 2008 C900 SPG, with so many intricate details that we could do a piece just on the build of his car. A few hours of chatting and it was off to bed.

Friday dawned beautifully, and we were off on our day early. Trying to get the car wash functioning properly for all those who wanted to use it, before the mad dash at 10:00 am to the SAAB parts tent. This year was a little tamer when the doors opened, and everything seemed much more calm and organized. Wheels, did you say you wanted wheels? There were plenty of sets of Fondmetals and a smattering of other OE wheels but not in sets. If you needed oil, dexcool, or stainless polish you were in luck.

From the parts tent we were off to see all the cars that had come in overnight. Along the way we bumped into PR director at SAAB Jan-Villem Vester, and had a chance to chat about what beautiful cars had turned out for the convention.

The poker run went off in the afternoon as well as a few tech sessions, but because of the weather quite a few people were hitting the pool. The afternoon was relaxed and we had a chance to look at the cars that SAAB brought up close.

Friday’s dinner banquet was a great gathering as everyone ate well, and the hotel did a great job with the food. Simultaneously NESA was holding a BBQ for those soles who weren’t interested in the more formal affair and speaker, all in the name of fundraising for the Chrisman fund. After dinner Sten Wennlo former SAAB global president gave a lovely talk on what it was like at SAAB in his day. After the dinner was over it was back to the car park for more tire kicking and libations.

Saturday dawned with another sunny day, and the chance to do some final detailing before peoples choice. Off we went to the show field with coffee in one hand and final detailer in the other. The guys from NESA were on hand to organize the field as people pulled into the show area.

While the cars were being judged I had a chance to speak with Steve Shannon on the state of SAAB’s newest models and what was to come. Steve had just had the chance to drive the 9-4x a few weeks before and he raved about how it drove and handled. And if you have seen the car in photos from the auto shows Steve said about 97% of the concept car was going to make it into production, and better yet it will be on the ground in dealerships in about 12 months. Even better news about time frames is the fact that the all new 9-5 will only be a couple of months behind the 9-4x’s arrival in you local dealer. Steve will be off to Sweden in the next few weeks to drive the new 9-5. Hopefully someone in Sweden will get some shots of those cars driving around the countryside.

Then Jan-Villem took Steve around to show him some of the beautiful and rare models that were on hand at the show. Starting with a beautiful Griffin edition 9000 that was a Concours contestant with all of the original items and accessories that came with the car. Next we looked at Mike Connelly’s 1984 Prototype SPG show car. One of six cars that SAAB brought into the US to showcase what the SPG would look like. Finally a very beautiful 93 Bullnose in powder blue, Steve seemed very intrigued by all the cars at the show especially the rarer ones on hand.

After lunch and peoples choice judging it was time to line up the cars for the group photo. Once again lining up for the picture seemed to go off mostly without a hitch, and we were able to get the photo done again in record time. Especially if you were around for the Ohio conventions line up.

The rest of the afternoon was spent looking at cars and enjoying company of fellow SAAB lovers. While waiting for dinner we had the chance to look over the GM Heritage cars, and decide on which one we would most like to take home.

The banquet always seems to come faster that you want it to, but that is unfortunately the nature of the beast. Steve Shannon was the speaker on Saturday night and he spoke about the new 9-5 and the 9-4x and how they would wow the SAAB community. Talking about the models available, he spoke very highly of the 9-3x 2.0T that is coming to market this fall. If you want the perfect balance of performance and economy Steve gives this combo the big thumbs up. So as we went into the night with awards and kudos as well as the promise of another great convention in the high altitudes of Colorado we adjourned for one last night of late night tire kicking, and spud launching.

As we made our way to the lot John Moss was showing off his new toy. A gas fired heater system for your car. Interestingly it uses gas from the car and then lights it off in the combustion chamber to make heat. Not exactly what I would want in my car, but better than what Frank Stromquist of SQR wanted to do with John’s toy. Frank insisted that in about an hour he could turn the heater into a little jet engine. Needless to say John passed on Franks offer.

Meanwhile Carl and Kenny were in the process of firing up their 4-barreled DI fired spud cannon. I must say the sound of the consecutive barrels firing off was quite an experience. Carl keeps outdoing himself every year with more innovative ways of lobbing spuds. So as the night passed on, I ended up going to bed around 3:30 am.

Sunday morning was a quick little flurry of the SAAB corporate roundtable, and the charity auction. Followed by packing up and heading out on the long journey home for most people.

Kudos’ go out to the Chairman Linnea Krajewski and the gang from SCNA, as well as the efforts of the newest members/officers of NESA, which in the winter months was finally resurrected by a group of young enthusiastic SAAB owners who were willing to take over the reigns of the New England club that has been sitting idle since the convention in 2005. I look forward to next year’s convention in Colorado, as well as hopefully good news over the next 6-8 months on new SAAB products and where we are heading as a brand.

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