I’ve owned the new black Aero convertible for nearly 2 months now, but until last week, I hadn’t sat in it, let alone driven it.

Arriving on a trailer directly from it’s old owners in Padstow, Cornwall it was obvious it hadn’t been driven for a while, although recently serviced, the brakes were slightly seized, the battery lazy making it hard to start and lots of (i’ve been patiently waiting to be driven again) smoke.

After the usual full service, oil and filter change, brittle hoses replaced, strut brace, Bilstien B8 and Eibach spring set up, Jetex exhaust, DO88 Intercooler, Nordic Induction kit, and NoobTune remap all there was left to do is pop on the gorgeous set of 18” Turbo X alloys which really do suit the original generation 9-3, it feels even more timeless.

An inaugural drive home exceeded expectations, I forgot just how relaxing Saab autos are, exceptionally smooth and well mannered until you push your right foot down, then, the Aero jumps in to action, the Turbo instantly spools through green and orange and straight in to the red and make regular speeds a mere memory.

The next morning brought with it a very strange occurrence, hard to start, stuttering acceleration quickly turning to complete stalling, nothing but a dead Saab, the folks at Malcolm Miles came to the rescue with a Tech II, DI Pack and infinite knowledge of these cars, but after a few head scratching minutes with none of the regular causes at fault, a small sensor with a bad connection was discovered and pushed back together, problem solved, Saab alive, again.

Since then and a few hundred miles later, it’s feeling right at home, dirt and all, with the new mesh grille I’m absolutely loving the Black Edition look, the wheels just work seamlessly and the old 93 feels just so right.

Next, a new handmade downpipe by Alan at APH and we’re on to the cosmetics, lots to do, but first the seats need a damn good clean and feed, then the small dents, then….

Imagination, creativity and craftsmanship have long been associated with Saab, but in recent years, these skills have had to be lovingly upheld by the owners and diehards instead, the ones that can make things happen themselves.

When any car becomes a 'modern classic' it takes people like that to keep them alive and on our roads, parts might become rarer and difficult to find, but it also empowers us to be a little more creative in finding alternative solutions.

Obviously, the foundations are usually in place for us to be inspired by, folks like MapTun and Hirsch, Nordic Tuning and Abbott Racing have all given us desirable enhancements for our Saabs in the past but all too often these are no longer available.

This is where a bit of Saab craft comes in. I recently started to discuss a bespoke mesh grille with a lovely guy and a fellow Saabist. Turns out he's been reimagining Saab grilles for a while now, he sources perfect original plastic and chrome frames and then proceeds to adapt them, adding chrome mesh similar to Abbott Racing and Hirsch ones of the past.

I wanted to go a little further and create a satin black frame with a louver style anodised black mesh for my 9-5 Aero instead. After a few weeks, my bespoke grille has arrived and what a difference it's made, the Aero front feels updated yet timeless, it enhances the 'black edition' look and gives a subtly aggressive stance to a 17 year old Saab.

Whilst we have folks like this around, our Saabs have very bright and exciting futures, imagination leads to unique and interesting Saabs for us all to enjoy and admire, and allows to share them with future generations.

Need a bespoke grille handmade in the UK? Contact the craftsman here.