A few years ago, SAAB created a series of ads based on the theme Saab vs. When I first saw them, they somehow reflected how I felt about SAAB; stylish, elegant, individual and timeless, they also became the inspiration for naming the blog Saab vs. Scepticism.
To this day i’m always happy to flip through and see them all again, from the exquisite Puritans to the beautifully simple Vivaldi and Nakedness.
If shoes maketh the man, alloys maketh the car.
I’ve somehow gone through 65 + cars in the past 30 years, at least 15 of those have been Saabs, I’m truly a self confessed petrolhead much to the continued despair of my wife, family and friends.
It hasn’t mattered what marque or value, from a very cool Lancia Delta Integrale to an iconic, air cooled Porsche 911 and everything in-between, there are 2 items that have to be right on each and every car - exhausts and wheels.
I’ve long admired Saab for their iconic wheel designs, from the early Super Inca and Super Aeros to the 3 Spoke Double Y and wonderful Turbines, all are absolutely timeless and perfectly harmonious. Wheels can truly make or break the entire look of the car, choose the wrong style or size and it can be a complete mess. Before I choose alloys for a car, I will have a play in Photoshop, trying different wheels and sizes to make sure the idea I had in my head works. I love keeping Saab cars and wheels together, but have often thought they look just too small, 16” or 17” when they should be 18” or 19”, and wheels from different models switched up and put on a different model, classic 900 Super Aeros and a 9-3, Aero X alloys on a 9000 maybe.
One company in Shanghai STR Forged had the same idea, they custom forge Saab designed alloys to new and exciting sizes, they look at offset and stud patterns to ensure fit and they craft some exceptional pieces of art for classic and modern Saabs alike, a real petrolhead dream come true, no limit to you imagination. Have a set of the most beautiful Viggen alloys upscaled to 19” maybe. As far as I can tell, sizes range from 17” - 22” and bespoke widths from 7” - 12”, how about a set of staggered classic Viking Double Y’s.
I don’t know if they export to the UK or not yet, but when I find out, I’ll be sure to share the Saab love, in the meantime, go drool over some of the sexist Saabs I’ve seen.
The great thing about having a break from something, is that you return refreshed, inspired and ready to discover new things and new talents, take Helling Photography based in Sweden for example, since mid 2017 they've been capturing some seriously special Saabs to share and inspire other Saab folks.
As our Saabs get that little bit older, it becomes necessary to be creative, stray from the well beaten path and adapt, individualise and above all, have fun with them. It's people like this that are helping keep Saabs alive and down right desirable.
Helling manages to capture these unique Saabs perfectly, a bit more stance, carefully chosen non-standard alloys and subtle bespoke touches like on this absolutely stunning Laser Red 9-3 Aero Sportcombi - pure heaven.
A couple of years ago I came across a site in the Czech Republic dedicated to Saabs called Saab Stance, if features some exceptional cars, but what makes it all the more special is the quality of photography - truly inspiring.
I recently checked up on the latest posts and happily found it’s still alive and well. The owner, Lukáš has an immaculate 9-3 Aero convertible, same colour as my old one, but is finished to perfection with a set of the iconic six spoke Hirsch alloys, all I can say is ‘respect’, for the car, the photography and the dedication to honouring Saabs.
I felt that this Saab really deserved an entire post of its own, after all it can easily be described as the undisputed Godfather of Turbos. Launched in the hedonistic 1970’s, the 99 Turbo was literally one of the first cars to combine safety and exhilarating turbo performance, it singlehandedly put Saab on a legendary pedestal, which still holds strong today.
This one, in the only acceptable Turbo colour - black, was quite rightly getting a lot of attention at SaabFestUK, a perfect example, unmolested and seemingly unchanged since the day it drove out of the Saab showroom, paintwork immaculate, all accessories intact including some super cool spotlights and an interior that screamed ‘jump in and drive me’.
I felt myself gravitating to this car over and over again, it’s owner should be hugely proud and also feel just a little bit privileged to be the guardian of such a legendary car.
Since 2011, Saab vs. Scepticism amassed over 300 Saab stories, 2500 photos and 600,000 visitors from 116 countries.
I've always been in awe of the positivity and interest folks have had in our shared dedication to the brand, and although I'm currently reestablishing the new blog right here, I wanted to keep access to the old one.
