Built in Trollhättan, Sweden in the Winter of 1997 and sold by Ballards of Finchley for £30,225, the Saab was kept by its original owner for the next 11 years and covered just 64,000 miles. It was then purchased by its second and only other owner in 2008, who went on to keep the car for the next 13 years, however, it only covered another 43,000 miles and currently shows 107,000. Since 2019, the 9000 Aero was rarely used and became a little unloved until I heard about it late 2021.

Although it was running, it required plenty of attention; belts loose and noisy, head gasket leaking, ABS sensor fault, the suspension had seen better days, gearbox mounts had deteriorated and although the 9000 was solid at the front, the rear half required some cleaning and welding.

The driver’s door had been replaced and fitted badly, but the original one was provided with the car and although it has a dent to repair, it’s been put back on and fits beautifully again, the passenger side wing had rusted and has now also been replaced by another genuine part, but other than that, the bodywork is remarkably free from rust.

After a number of months spent at Malcolm Miles, the 9000 finally went for its MOT and passed with flying colours, a real tribute to the team for dedicating so much time and expertise bringing another Saab Aero back to life for me.

Aesthetically, the only renovation and modifications to be done so far, are fitting new Saab shocks and lowered Abbott Racing springs, having the iconic Super Aeros refurbished in a darker metallic grey and adding a full set of new Michelin Primacy tyres. After a few weeks of driving and snagging, it’ll be heading off for some paintwork and detailing and then finally, the interior will most likely be treated to a recolour.

Being a 25 year old car, it’s far from perfect and nor should it ever be, I love to see and feel each Saab’s journey, hear it’s story and honour them for what they are. Cars aren’t built like this any longer, and although they’ll never be worth tens of thousands of pounds, I still see the beauty in saving them for many years to come. There’s a lost art in building cars this well, ones that were built to last, to stand the test of time and make their owners proud, this Aero has the ability to do that now, possibly for many thousands of miles, it’s journey continues…