Anything but ordinary

July 14, 2026 Eleven

Sixteen years ago, Saab presented their all new 9-5 to the world, they'd become an independent company again, and as the brochure stated 'this move signals the start of a new era for us – we are all set to take our role as the unique premium brand even further.'

Although, behind the scenes, there were many issues, Saab managed to release a car that inspired hope and praise, it was a car that seemed to promote Saab's unique design perspective, quiet innovation and Swedish clarity. What made it all the more exciting, was that Saab had taken the decision to manufacture the new 9-5 in Trollhättan, their true home - 'We have regrouped all of our resources in the place where we originally started, Trollhättan, Sweden. By devoting ourselves fully to our unique heritage, the individualistic character of our brand will truly stand out in the future.'

I was lucky enough to be offered an extended road test of the 9-5 by my local Saab dealership; Bond Street Saab, an Arctic White Aero, manual with panoramic roof, harman/kardon audio and the wonderful Jet Black sports leather, perforated interior, at the time, it felt totally new, like no other car on the road, and a wonderful view in to the future of Saab as an independent manufacturer, but sadly, after just a few years of stop start manufacturing, this wonderful future came to an end for not only the new 9-5, but Saab entirely.

Over the years, I've always kept to the older generation 9-5 together with a number of 9-3 and also many more classic Saabs, this hasn't been a conscious decision, but more focused on my own knowledge of the older Saabs and my ability to maintain and modify them as I wanted. I've been lucky enough to have a great friend; Jason Miles, who's also an absolute legend with Saab mechanics and has helped me work on and improve well over 30 Saabs to date, but the new generation 9-5 is an unknown entity to us both.

This weekend however, that’s all changed, as I've purchased a 2011 9-5 Aero. Finished in Jet Black Metallic over Jet Black leather perforated sports seats, it has the manual gearbox, 10 spoke Edge Silver 19" optional allots, Xenon headlights and harman/kardon surround sound system with 11 speakers, Saab Bluetooth hands-free system and Pilot head-Up display. It also has a full service history and seems to be in reasonable health, although I'll reserve judgement until Jason has given it a good service and health check.

It's crying out for an oil change as now overdue, and it has numerous rattles from the suspension and chassis which will need investigating, there are some signs of early corrosion in the lower rear arch and door seams that need urgently sorting, but my initial feelings are very much the same as they were 16 years ago, and that just reminds me of how inspirational this 'new' Saab actually was back in 2010.

I like to return to the original brochures and read Saab's vision, and these pages still resonate with me today, I love their unwavering connection to the Scandinavian landscapes and nature, their belief in better - Anything but ordinary.

Saab 9000 Ecosport

June 30, 2026 Eleven

Last week, I finally got to travel to Trollhättan to visit the Saab Car Museum and the Box - it lived up to every one of my expectations.

Considering my love of Saab, this has been a long awaited trip, it's been on my wish list for many years, but the limited time period of the Box, made me take action and visit. This will be one of many posts related to the collection, as I found so many of the Saabs shown inspirational , and being a 9000, this particular car just ticks all the boxes so to speak.

'The Saab Ecosport is a high-performance car that has been evolved to reflect Saab’s regard for the environment. The Saab Ecosport illustrates the vast development potential on the Saab concept.'

'This concept car was showcased at the Geneva Motor Show in 1992 and demonstrated a range of innovations primarily in the powertrain and environmental areas. With the new Trionic engine management system, Saab set the standards in terms of performance, exhaust emissions and fuel consumption. Additionally, it could run on alternative fuels such as methanol and ethanol. A heat storage unit connected to the cooling system stored heat for the next cold start and reduced exhaust emissions. The Sensonic automatic clutch, in combination with 17” Super Aero wheels and low-profile, low-rolling-resistance tyres, added to the driving pleasure.'

The more you study this very special 9000, the more innovation you notice, the sunroof for instance features solar cells that would power the interior ventilation, technology that eventually appeared in the early Audio RS6, and later, the Fisker Karma. It had a thermo accumulator to improve cold Winter starts, heat absorbing windows, UV headlights and a low emission, high performance engine, capable of running on various fuels. Of course, the visibly wonderful Super Aero alloys had me completely fixated, with their larger 17" diameter and more purposeful form to cater for the large, 4 piston calipers and uprated front vented discs.

Not content with just the museum's explanation of this amazing Saab, I did a little more research and discovered that Saab Héritage in Paris can recreate an almost perfect replica of the Ecosport model, with some beautifully considered details, and of course, the all important 17" Super Aero wheels, 35 000,00 €.

Apologies if you see a few too many posts related to the museum, but I found it exceptionally exciting, also managing to talk to some of the volunteers who shared wonderful memories or their time working at Saab was an absolute privilege, thanks to all the wonderful people in Trollhättan who've made this collection possible for all of us to enjoy.

Far from the Madding Crowds

August 11, 2025 Eleven

Saturday 9th August 2025, The old Saab factory in Trollhättan hosted a huge sale of Saab assets, including thousands of rare parts, merchandise, concept designs, blueprints, interiors and general paraphernalia from the factory’s hallowed grounds.

I sadly couldn't work out the logistics to attend in person, but together with my friend and fellow Saabist; Ward, we luckily had a man on the ground with instructions to search and buy.

Although he arrived an hour early, it was immediately obvious that many, many people had the same idea. Sadly as it turned out, it wasn't in the calm and friendly Saab spirit we'd all hoped it would have been, and we didn't manage to get any of the items we'd have liked, and especially sad that none of the colour frogs were available.

Before the event, I'd noticed in the NEVS pictures, that there appeared to be a few interesting items I'd have loved to know more about; the odd wheels for instance, were these test wheels for new models? Interior samples, again, were these concept pieces?

I imagine it was an exciting day, but also a rather sad one too, Saab's precious assets sold off in a madding crowd. I hoped that certain, important items like concept samples, rare blueprints and merchandise, find their way to the museum so that we can all enjoy them in the future.

The wonderful creators of Marcus & Manuela's Saab Channel were at the final Saab sale, and kindly did an amazing tour of the factory. I hope they don't mind me adding a link to it here, but it gives a genuinely immersive experience.