Yesterday I watched sadly as the iconic 9000 Aero was driven away by its new guardian, and yes, this one made me exceptionally sad to see it go. I’m constantly on the search for Saabs that are a little bit unusual, ones that maybe have a unique specification, a limited edition or even just an exceptional colour, and this 9000 was most defiantly one of those.

The 9000 Aero had always been a dream for me, I’ve wanted to own one for some 20+ years and have to say, it did not disappoint in any way shape or form, it was quite simply, a legend of a car. The biggest pleasure for me is bringing these Saabs back to life, giving them the dedication they deserve and fixing issues that other’s might have just neglected, hidden or deemed unnecessary to do. Once those have been ticked off, I can start to dream, thinking about what I’d love to do the make it really special again.

This specific 9000 had already been beautifully maintained and received plenty of performance updates throughout its journey, but I had a personal vision of how the 9000 Aero interior should be especially; I changed the faded walnut dash and central pocket cover, found original audio head units and rare cup holder, changed the gear knob and replaced all of the blown bulbs bring the interior back to how I remember seeing it in the 1996 brochure. Alongside a full mechanical shake down, we’ve also fitted a full set of Abbott Motorsport discs and pads and a new Michelin tyres.

It’s been a short but sweet Saab story with the 9000, but I’ve had it, loved it and passed it on to a fantastic new owner who I know will truly cherish it as much as I have. I do often wonder why I continue to search out these Saabs but they still excite me, they make me dream of what can be achieved and how I can make them as good as my vision, they also help to keep me on the right side of sane which is often not an easy task. Above all though, it’s when I read words like this that I realise why I still and will continue to love Saabs and our odd little global community :

"Big thank you to Paul a.k.a Saab vs. Scepticism for selling me this gorgeous 9000 Aero. I could tell he was genuinely sad to see it go but he knows it will be cherished. What a top guy, properly enthusiastic about keeping the brand alive and clearly a true car guy! As part of the deal I asked him to stick a bit of juice in it (enough to get me home) and rather than just putting a £10 splash he went and brimmed it with 99RON, as well as getting it cleaned for me. Legend, thank you”.