The one pictured (a 1980 SAAB 900 turbo 8v inca) I consider to be the quintessential SAAB, black, sleek and conmpletely at odds with what might be regarded as 'Industry Standard' of the time. It was so good that it was featured in the James Bond book 'Licence Renewed', he did go on to crash it into as ditch but it was enough of a p.r boost that SAAB actually built a mock up of the 'Q' car for special appearences and such. My own love affair with this extraordinary car manufacturer has seen me own more examples of their engineering than I would care to admit. I have become a true 'SAAB Saddo' so it was inevitable that my first car would be one. A biege SAAB 99 l 4dr was given to me by my mother for my twentieth birthday and for a year I drove around in it with a big smile on my face. Over the years I've had a multitude of cars from these nordic warriors and all of them have given me the same inane grin whilst driving.
- 1973 SAAB 99l
- 1978 SAAB 99 turbo 3dr
- 1984 Ford Escort mk4 (financially challenged)
- 1988 SAAB 9000i 5dr
- 1985 SAAB 900 turbo 5dr
- 1985 SAAB 900 turbo 16v 's'
- 1990 Lancia Thema turbo (fancied a change, later wished I'd hadn't)
- 1991 SAAB 9000 cdxs
- 1995 Rover 414 (financially challenged again)
- 1988 SAAB 900 turbo 2dr (owned for a month and sold it for double what i'd paid for it)
- 1983 B.M.W 325i (when the Rover threw it's cambelt)
- 1983 SAAB 900 GLs 5dr
- 1988 VW Golf 1.8 L (financially challenged yet again)
- 1984 SAAB 900 4DR
- 1988 SAAB 9000i 'se'
- 1984 SAAB 900i 3dr (when the 9000 was written off by a 'speeding' motorcyclist)
- 1994 SAAB 900 (gm) i
- 1991 SAAB 900 turbo 5dr (raven) in black
- 1984 SAAB 900 2dr (my father's old car after he died)
- 1995 SAAB 9000 cse lpt
- 1997 SAAB 9-5 4dr
- 1990 SAAB 900 turbo 16v 's' convertable
- 1995 SAAB 9000 cse 'anniversary' lpt
- 1991 SAAB 900 i 16v
- 1996 SAAB 9000 turbo 'griffin'
So who is responsible for this? Well I believe a multitude of factors have all combined to form the demise of this really great car company and I have to admit a cirtain level of responsibility myself. You see I have never really been interested in the modern products that SAAB dished out, mostly because of the 'Industry Standard' way they were designed and produced but if a car company is going to survive then I, and people like me are going to have to support their new models, and I for one didn't. Whether that is my fault or the fault of General Motors for pushing SAAB into the 'mainstream' in respect of their designing and their manufacturing techniques is a matter of conjecture that I don't feel qualified to answer here. Bottom line was I didn't like what the products were becoming, so I didn't bust a gut to buy one. Trouble is there are an awful lot of people like me around, the facebook SAAB 900 fan page has over 3000 members and they like me didn't seem to be supporting SAAB in the here and now either.
Truth is nothing lasts for ever, the SAAB 900 is without doubt my favourite car on the face of planet earth and that was 20 years ago now that production ended. So do with that being the case, do I truely love SAABs, I guess not. I have always felt a kind of emotional connection with the cars that they have produced in the past but that was then, the new 9-5 held a cirtain level of promise but would it have dissapointed as much as the original 9-5 did. Guess we'll never know, I suppose all that needs to be said now is Thankyou to all those people who worked so hard to make the motor industry a more interesting place. Thankyou to all those who built all the cars that I and countless others have enjoyed for the best part of 40 years. The 96, 99, 900 & 9000 were great and I've had countless hours loving them but if SAABs hour has come then so be it.
but to all those at SAAB i'd like to say a hearty,
Goodnight & Thankyou.
