It took me a little while to believe this; a 2010 Saab 9-3 SportCombi 1.8t Turbo Edition with just four hundred and forty three miles, that’s one tank of fuel used since it left Sweden.

Finished in showroom condition, Nocturne Blue Metallic with 5 spoke ALU59 wheels and appointed leather in black, this is as close as you'll ever come to walking in to a Saab showroom and collecting your brand new SportCombi fourteen years ago.

Its owner; J, contacted me recently to share its story, truth be told, it has yet to start a real story, as this Saab has been silently waiting in a heated warehouse for the past twelve years. But this isn't J's first Saab, back in 1971 he owned a two stroke 96, followed by having the unique privilege of driving the very first Saab 99 Turbo to arrive in the UK, that lead him to own and drive two further non-turbo 99's throughout the years.

Then, in 2012, J purchased this beautifully understated 9-3 SportCombi from Saab Swansea with just 37 miles in readiness for his retirement car. It's twelve years on and he still hasn't found the time to retire, and the Saab has only ever been taken for a few drives, including trips for 3 MOT's since being purchased.

In J's words "I bought the car for use in my retirement, but find myself still working. I now have too many cars and would prefer to see this sold to a Saab enthusiast rather than being used as the taxi for the grandchildren".

I've been exceptionally tempted by this one myself, but feel it needs to be cherished and enjoyed left completely standard, and I for one, know I'd struggle to leave it alone. If anyone fancies turning back time by fourteen years, and buying themselves a brand new, Nocturne Blue Metallic Saab 9-3, this is quite possibly a unique opportunity to do exactly that. J doesn't have a specific figure in mind, but anyone interested can message here and I'll pass on your details.

I’ve always had a huge love of the Saab 9-5 SportCombi, and my fascination for ones modified by Hirsch is well documented, but to me, there is one fabled edition that far surpasses any other; the 9-5 TQT.

From my many research missions, I’ve only ever really found a handful of information about this special edition Saab, and it seems to precede Hirsch altogether, almost the forefather of our esteemed Hirsch Saabs shall we say.

TQT stands for Titanium Quality & Technology and was crafted by a Swiss tuning company; Titan AG in Zurich. There appear to be only 7 of these spectacular Saabs ever created, but the specification is a thing of beauty, with upgraded Turbo, intercooler and induction pipes, modified exhaust, Brembo brakes, sport suspension and, according to legend ‘a very aggressive’ Sportec remap offering 340ps and 560Nm.

Visually, the TQT came with 18” cross spoke ACE wheels in a satin titanium finish a blacked out front grille and modified front and rear bumper, whilst the inside remained relatively untouched, the headliner and seats did receive a generous helping of dark grey Alcantara.

I took the TQT as a basis for the inspiration behind the Café Racer SportCombi I saved back in 2020, it remains one of my favourite builds, despite causing endless hurdles along the way.