Last night, the Ebay auction ended on a pretty special first generation Saab 95 Aero, i’d set a sensible reserve taking in to account the high level of new and unusual performance parts, and also the amount of time and effort that had gone in to saving another Saab for a long future.

It didn’t meet the reserve, it was exceptionally close, but i’d already set it to the lowest acceptable price, I always question why others don’t see value in older cars, especially one’s that have had so much work lavished on them, they actually offer far better value the a lot of new cars, take devaluation and running costs in to the equation, together with build quality, longevity and reliability and I’m honest surprised people don’t see the benefit.

Alas, I have a sad option facing me, I can essentially break all of the hard work up, remove all of the performance parts for a future project or to sell them and still sell the basic car and that way, the car becomes more valuable in parts as it is as a whole.

Question is, can I bring myself to do that knowing what an exceptional, all rounded reliable and unique car it is? Cash vs Integrity, hard one.

I've had this idea brewing for a while now, a personal obsession to rescue older Saabs, sort them out, add something unique and keep them on the roads for years to come. It always surprises me that folks are willing to spend thousands of pounds on terrible, middle of the road cars that are neither reliable or beautiful, it just so happens Saabs are both and offer exceptionally fantastic value too.

My obsession with Aero models specifically has led to me hunting out ones that are a little different, it might be they have some rare Hirsch Performance parts, or an unusual colour, or maybe just the wonderful heated and vented leather seats, but always something that makes them stand out from the crowd. Once I've had the amazing folks at Malcolm Miles ensure the mechanics are back on point, I set about adding more unique touches, subtle details that make all the difference, from handcrafted satin black and anodised mesh grilles to rare Hirsch spoilers or Nappa leather steering wheels.

Stance and sound are always important, so exhausts are changed to stainless steel Jetex sports ones and maybe paired with a commissioned APH Performance downpipe to really maximise the flow. Bilstein suspension together with MapTun, Eibach or Abbott Racing lowering springs and strut braces ensure drive is given a modern touch and all finished off with a decent set of alloys, usually Saab originals, but sometimes others that really give a unique touch to the overall style. Power wise, I aim for reliable but smile inducing, between Stage 3 and 4 with ecu upgrades by the very talented NoobTune, this is generally reinforced with upgraded intercoolers and filters to keep things beautifully smooth.

I genuinely do this to keep Saabs on the road, and much to my wife's upset, I usually lose money on each an every one, but if it works, other Saab folks will benefit from a unique desire to drive something a bit different, after all, why spend £5k on a boring car when you can drive a truly exceptional Saab - reliable, timeless and above all, individual?

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