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.

Obsession in Print

March 19, 2019 Eleven

Loving Saabs is just the tip of the iceberg for me when it comes to an obsession, I find my passion for cars is all encompassing, yes the collecting, renovating, sourcing and driving of them is the primary desire, but being ever inspired by other folk’s car obsessions and projects is just as endearing. Recently us petrolheads have been given a series of exceptional printed car ‘porn’ to feed the passion that I just couldn’t resist sharing, not specifically Saab, but if you love cars as much as I do, they really are ‘must have’s.

A recent road trip to the wonderful Caffeine & Machine gathering space led to the discovery of the utterly beautiful Private Motor Club magazine which we avidly flicked through over a succulent handmade burger and ice cold beer. Bentley to Bugatti, classic Japanese street racers to the wonderful new Alpine and now on its sixth issue, Private Motor Club is an exceptionally elegant piece of print that warrants its very own bookcase space in any petrolhead’s library.

Secondly, The Road Rat, with a self confessed petrolhead philosophy, ‘A Thing for Cars’ which doesn’t disappoint. Immaculately curated spreads, beautiful photography, minimal fuss and even a stunning commissioned portrait of Lewis Hamilton on the first issue - it is a truly indulgent collection of stories dedicated to the love of cars.

Far from being dead, print has taken up the gauntlet of creating beautifully tactile inspiration that enhances my obsession - what will the next project be, the next change, the next road trip… We jumped in the Saab and headed off on a 100 mile journey to Calke Abby in Derbyshire, the perfect backdrop for an opportune photo of a timeless car.

Private Motor Club | The Road Rat

Förfina

March 15, 2019 Eleven

Despite the ever distressing stories of Saabs being scrapped or used as donor cars for others, there also seem to be an ever growing number of folks who are more and more invested in keeping the Saab legend alive and fight fit. Not only that, but the ones that are passionate enough to keep them on the road are investing both time and money in them too.

I recently came across a new zine aptly named Förfina, literally meaning ‘refine’ in Swedish. It's dedicated to our global Saabs and the lives they touch, stories of intercontinental journeys, reimagined classic and gatherings in every corner of the world. The author, David, is asking Saab folks to contribute articles to build traction for Issue 2, and if all goes well with plenty of interest, he’ll be offering a lovely old school printed version too, and let’s face it, what’s better than a coffee and a quality zine in your hands at the weekend?

I for one will be offering the occasional post for him to share at his discretion, and hope other Saabists will do the same, contact him here.

Förfina | For Saab owners and enthusiasts around the world

The Morning After

February 22, 2019 Eleven

The 9-5 has been under the knife for the past few days, the obligatory rust cut out on the rear wheel arch bases, welded and made beautiful again and some surface dents removed from the bonnet.

The front Aero bib had been broken and fixed poorly in the past, which has also been removed, plastic welded and resprayed again too.

And of course the icing on the cake - the rare Saab boot lip spoiler has now been renovated, resprayed and attached. Cosmetically it makes a world of difference to the look and style of the car, it adds a purposeful touch to the rear, discreet but a bit edgy, it really adds the finishing touch to the Saabs exterior.

The folks I use, Leicester Autobody, really are fantastic, they care about perfection and although the Saab was possibly the 'cheapest' car in the workshop, it felt every bit as pampered as the Porsches, Ferrari and wonderfully rare, early Subaru also their for a touch of cosmetic surgery.

The morning after collecting it, I returned to a car park and seeing the Saab felt proud to own such a stunning car, the details have made a huge difference to the overall style and in my eyes, is no a pretty much perfect 9-5.