Quick tribute to a great marque
Regardless of what happens to Saab, that perennially embattled Swedish automaker, we will always have the indelible memory of its cool, quirky, and altogether desirable cars. Just the other day we were floored as we walked by a street-parked 9000 Aero (sadly not pictured here). Black-on-black and clad with the signature 16″ Ronal ‘Super Aero’ gunmetal wheels, it looked every inch the business and instantly made us want one, reports of torque steer be damned.
Saab still has it. And with any luck, it will continue to make such memorable cars in this brave new automotive world that it faces. Godspeed.
Motoring Con Brio 
These were legitimately cool cars.
My dad had an early 9000 Aero in the mid-90s, and I loved the thing. Individually sculpted seats in the back, enormous trunk/hatch, never saw another one on the road in SW Florida where we lived.
Test drove a 9-3 Viggen and we drove a 996TT to the dealership, so it’s not like I was unfamiliar with fast cars. What a HOOT. Torque steer everywhere, just a really entertaining driving experience.
Then I had an ’02 9-5 Aero new. Again very cool, but less unique and more commonified compared to the 9000. With less than 2000 miles, a woman in midtown Atlanta decided to rear-end me at 35mph while I was standing still at a red light. Crumple zones worked, rear doors were stuck shut. My friend and I in the front were totally unhurt, but the woman in the car in front of us (whose car we were pushed in to) claimed whiplash. The best part was that my saxophone in the trunk was somehow unhurt.
Saabs will always be special cars to me, and well-preserved ones will make me stop for a second look.
thensk said this on January 26, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Basically they went downhill after the UrSaab. I love that thing. They really owned Aero.
Automobiliac said this on January 26, 2012 at 6:26 pm
ouch! that’s harsh. i agree the ursaab was a high-water mark, but that’s a bit like saying mercedes hasn’t done anything meaningful since the original 300SL.
motoringconbrio said this on January 27, 2012 at 10:51 am
I grew up with an ’80s 900 and a ’96 900S both totally bizarre in the best kind of way.
Austin Brown said this on January 27, 2012 at 11:05 am
thanks to austin for making this wallpaper:
(click for hi-res)
motoringconbrio said this on January 27, 2012 at 11:11 am
My first car was a 74 99ems, in orange. Then owned half-a-dozen og900s. Best one: 91 900s coupe. Worst: 86 900 8v. I bought a ng900set and it was one of the worst cars ever made. Swore off Saabs, though i’d be tempted by a gently used Kombi.
Peter said this on January 30, 2012 at 5:22 pm
i had a feeling we’d be hearing from you, peter.
good to know that this blog has a de facto resident saab expert in its midst 😉
motoringconbrio said this on January 30, 2012 at 5:30 pm