New Generation Saabists

January 7, 2021 Eleven

I've promised myself a little more time dedicated to maintaining the High Mile Club this year, so with renewed energy I've been gathering a few new recruits. As our Saabs get older, the original criteria of 100,000 miles became achievable by pretty much every owner, continually proving just how beautifully crafted these cars are. Some barely show signs of wear at that milage, so the game has been raised slightly to 125,000 Miles / 200,000 Km.

One new entry was this fantastic 900i 16v from Finland, its owner, Saku has grown up around Saabs and although only 18 years old has already owned 8 Saabs and 1 Volvo, he says "There’s just that something about Saab. My family has had a lot of them, even my grandfather had a Saab 900".

It’s always fantastic to see new generations with the same passion for Saab as we have, also great to see what and how they give their Saabs a bit of individuality, after all, it's another Saab kept on the road.

The 900 Classic Icon

December 23, 2020 Eleven

The Hirsch 9-5 Aero went in the Malcolm Miles yesterday to be put back together, and I’d had my eye on a beautifully straight classic 900i convertible the had been at the garage for the past few months and they very kindly gave it to me as the loan car for the day.

Purchased from ACE Saab in Kensington back in 1990 and registered by its first owner in Piccadilly, Mayfair and its only had 3 further owners during its 30 year life.

Having owned a number of these in the past, it was easy to see how straight this one is, the underneath is totally rust free, an absolutely solid floor pan and sills, this is extremely rare, but apparently this convertible was taken to live in Portugal around 1997 and stayed there in the sun for nearly 20 years which could explain its solidness.

Although it’s far from perfect and has its usual foibles, its easy to see that it could be a gorgeous classic, having covered only 104,000 miles it drives smoothly; smoke free and pulls beautifully for a non Turbo model. It’ll be having plenty of tic shortly, full service, an new exhaust, new discs and pads, fresh cluster bulbs and a damn good clean.

With rare Winter blue skies above, I popped the roof down for an hour and enjoyed a truly fantastic country drive, the tan leather has aged beautifully, the mohair hood has been replaced and it has an exceptionally rare Tonneau cover to keep the hood safely tucked away, it was a real pleasure.

It has some surface body rust that’ll easily fixed, and the interior needs some love to get back to immaculate, but all I could think it that this will make someone a very useable and unusually solid classic Saab 900 convertible. It’ll be far sale in the new year, and can’t help thinking it’ll make excellent value at circa £5000, maybe the perfect project for someone looking for a bit of classic driving in the Summer.

If anyone’s interested, mail me and I’ll pass on the details of the seller.

Sunday Scramble Saab Carlsson

January 6, 2020 Eleven

The Sunday Scramble at Bicester Heritage has fast become a mecca for both national and international classic car enthusiasts and petrolheads. It has quickly gained momentum and yesterday's inaugural gathering saw literally thousands of exceptional vehicles heading for the ex RAF airfield to share their passion.

Wandering around the vast hangers, workshops and open spaces, full of every conceivable marque, I came across an exceptionally rare sight - a genuinely original Saab 900 Carlsson, and it was getting plenty of attention.

"These things are so much fun, they go like rockets" "I once knew someone who knew someone who owned one of these, best car they ever had" and numerous other overheard conversations, but what was obvious is the lasting positive perception of these amazing Saabs.

Solid black with super rare full Carlsson bodykit including front and rear bumpers and the larger rear spoiler, immaculate red Carlsson pinstripe detailing and the original Carlsson leather steering wheel. What made this one all the more attractive is it was obviously loved and used properly, no garage queen, just enjoyed as it should be.

Would have loved to see some Carlsson Super Aero alloys on there, but other than that, perfection.

A Saab Life

February 13, 2019 Eleven

If there’s one single thing I love about Saabs above all else, it’s how they bring people together, locally, nationally and globally, people are interested in talking about them, asking questions and sharing Saab stories. Whether you drive a modern 9-3 or a rare Sonett, a quirky 95 V4 or an iconic 900, they seem to inspire friendliness and conversation - a shared love.

Many marques have a similar following, but what separates Saab is the inclusivity and affordability to be a part of a lifestyle, young and old, families and teenagers are all able to share the Saab vibe. What usually starts as a connection to Saab through generations, becomes a life long affinity that’s sometimes hard to explain or reason with.

I recently happened across an Instagramer who clearly shares this feeling, she not only drives an exceptionally beautiful Ambassador Blue 900 classic, but also explorers every corner of Europe in it. She’s taken road trips to Sweden, Italy and Austria and in her words “My little Saab really made me connect with so many new people”. Having covered hundreds of miles, she returns safely to her home in the German Alps.

She also loves nature photography and videography and her page is a beautifully curated collection of everything that encapsulates her life passions, and her trusty classic Saab is very much centre stage "The best decision ever I made on my own against every other opinion was to buy this car".

As our Saabs get older and rarer, it's exceptionally heartwarming to see people like Janina not only take care of them for the future, but enjoy every moment and every journey, just as Saab imagined.

Janina Elisa | Instagram

Ice White

December 17, 2018 Eleven

For years I’ve collected photos of Saabs, mainly for inspiration and future projects yet to be realised, but some are just too good to not be shared, like this exceptional white 900 T convertible from Poland.

It started life a basic looking ng 900, but went through a massive facelift at some point in its life - Viggen bodykit including front and rear bumpers and side skirts, later 9-3 grille and central reflector blanking plate. It’s also been beautifully stanced and sitting on an immaculate set of 18” Volvo T5 R alloys.

Wish I knew more about this 900 convertible, but from a visual point of view, this is one gorgeous, ice white Saab for us all to enjoy. Photographed by the talented Grzegorz Baranowski and features an equally talented Polish blonde.