How about a counterpoint to that Challenger 4×4? This is about as polar-opposite as it gets, a safe, low and modestly-powered Saab sedan. I shot it last spring, so I have doubts as to whether it’s still available, but you can always buy it vicariously. And thus avoid the “minor issues easily and cheaply fixed”.
Here’s the particulars. It’s not exactly the most exciting version of a 900, what with four doors, no turbo and an automatic. But then you just know it was owned by a conscientious soul (we have a surfeit of those here) who probably biked to work every day, hence the relatively low miles for such an old car.
The interior’s condition tends to support my assumption of the…ah…stereotyped owner, but much better one of them than the alternative. It looks quite immaculate.
That goes even more for the back seat. This owner did not raise kids in this car. And the next owner (and the planet) thanks her for that.
Looks like that back door might have been hit, very gently by a Prius, no doubt. And neither party got the slightest bit mad.
Ok, so here’s your chance for a really fine example of a Eugene-mobile. Too unchallenging?
For the first time, in that last side-on shot, I’m actually seeing a little Peugeot in the rear half. Interesting.
This is the version that held absolutely zero appeal back when I was a 14year old Saab fan, for me it was either 3door Turbo or nothing. I see the appeal a bit more now as I suppose it to be an alternative to a Volvo 240 sedan.
Price? If it runs and the “minor issues” amount to no more than a few bulbs and maybe a frayed belt, then $500 sounds fair based on interior condition. The left front door panel being in place in Eugene is worth at least a hundred by itself.
Not just a 900 but a 900S. Do I recall from my mental Saab Files that the S got you the 4 valve/cylinder engine? That’s the way I remember it from around 1985.
But a silver automatic 4 door? What little teeny bit of Saab-Love left within me does not stretch quite that far.
JP,
From 1981 to 1985, the S trim was the mid-level 900 in the model hierarchy. It got you power front windows and a manual sunroof, as well as alloy wheels, but no electric rear windows or mechanical upgrades.
S models did not get the 16-valve 4-cylinder until 1986. Turbo versions got that setup in 1985.
The lines are a lot like my ’87 Jetta, plus it’s an automatic (yay!!). Always liked these things. The interior looks in very good condition and those seats front and back look very comfy and supportive.
“minor issues cheaply and easily fixed”: classic seller line. From the look of the rear end shot, the issue of the broken trunk latch was already cheaply and easily fixed with a bungee cord.
That back seat looks familiar to me. I spent time in the back seat of my parents’ Saab in my teen years. It was an 1985 900 hatchback non-turbo manual, green with tan interior. I learned to drive in that car, as well as my parents’ 78 VW Westphalia 4-speed. We lived in Vermont, which culturally is basically the eastern version of coastal Oregon, without the auto-preserving climate.
Paul wrote “This owner did not raise kids in this car. And the next owner (and the planet) thanks her for that.” I assume you were poking fun at the presumed people-are-the-enemy-of-planet-earth attitude of the Birkenstock-clad, granola eater who might be interested in buying this car. You’re not stereotyping are you?!
People who raise kids •well• are certainly friends of mankind (or the planet for those who believe it’s possible to befriend an inanimate or insentient thing).
While I think cloth upholstery is not the best for family cars, a little diligence keeps stains at bay.
Paul, that is one funny commentary on the ilk of some people. We have that type living near us in The Village of Nyack, NY where on the outskirts of the village one can find a boutique supermarket with all the healthy choices and prices to match. SAAB have become rarer now, Volvo 240 Waco s indicate one’s love for the simple caring life – until your neighbors find out that you took a two-week vacation to Aruba.
I’d love a 4 door 900 but that delicate 3 speed automatic is a definite turn-off. I have fond memories of my Malachite Green with Puma cloth 93 900s hatch…cool little car.
Most of these have turned to brown dust around here, unfortunately.
Wow I didn’t realize how roomy those were on the inside. That interior actually looks inviting to me.
From my memories of our 85 900, I recall it had decent leg room but was pretty narrow inside. Ours had the same cloth upholstery, which was nice. The seats were comfortable, not too soft or firm.
Me thinks the seats are way forward on their tracks. I love that armrest thingy on the door. What is it? An inch wide at its widest?
Wow, my Midwestern roots really kick in here. The only reason you could sell an overpriced car like this in 1983 was because the wheels were falling off the Caprice and everything else at your Chevy dealer in 1983.
Malaise era indeed.
Saab’s were definitely a bit of an acquired taste at the time, and apparently you didn’t acquire it.
That said, this Saab (1983) was sold in a time when few cars were 4-wheel drive, and since the Saab had 60% of the weight over the front wheels, it handled very well in the snow. Most Saab purchasers wouldn’t have evaluated a Caprice as a comparison as it was a rear-wheel drive, solid axle design, probably the worst set up in snow.
Further, Saabs had snob appeal. They were what we now call “near luxury.” So the Celebrity and Citation would not have competed well either. The S-10 Blazer might have been the only Chevy that would have been a comparison.
Saabs had comfortable seats, great steering, good visibility and responsive handling. Non-turbo engines were fairly slow to rev and certain parts were fragile, although the overall package was fairly robust.
Caprices, for all of their strengths, were sort of the opposite. Bench seats, semi-numb power steering, torque-y engine, average in the sense of being cop cars, cabs and everything in between, and an a traditional design with what was considered at the time to be an older layout (i.e. rear wheel drive live axle). The swedish car that might have been cross-shopped would have been a Volvo, not a Saab.
Matt, it’s nice of you to try to defend the Saab and put it in context, but when someone makes a comment like that, it’s probably not worth the effort. Some folks just have a very narrow view of the automotive world.
Too funny!
Oh, I get it. I was around for yuppies and logged a quarter million or so miles on ’73 – ’77 GM A bodies and the fundamentally similar ’77 – ’96 B bodies.
My broad (narrow?) point was that it sucked to buy cars in 1983. I can say nice things about this Saab, the styling is cool in a reincarnated 1960 Valiant sort of way, and the interior looks very well put together for the era, and even if very pampered, I still give it props for the way it has held up for 34 years.
Strictly anecdotal, but I’ve shared on this site before that around 1983 I was stopped in a snowstorm on a steep hill in rush hour traffic in a 1976 A body with a limited slip and quality all-season radials. The car next to me was a Saab 900. My A body climbed the hill like a champ while the Saab seemed immobilized. The ’78 Caprice that served three generations of our family for 15 years lacked the limited slip and seemed a bit light in the rear by comparison, and wasn’t nearly as good in snow.
One front driver served me well in snow, a ’95 Chrysler LH, but by comparison, our Volvo derived FWD 2005 Ford Freestyle has always been pretty awful in snow – too much weight out back. FWD alone is a long way from a guarantee in terms of winter performance.
I have to admit, I’m not about snob appeal, and spending a lot on a Saab for that privilege is lost on me. I’m at a point in life where we can choose from a wide range of vehicles, and my practical bend has looked at Ford Fusions. I’d rather have the AWD 3.7 NA V-6 Lincoln drivetrain, but the price premium for a Lincoln combined with a certain disdain for paying a premium for branding leaves me very mixed about buying a Lincoln, so imagine my internal thought process for pricey European brands.
It is interesting how branding and common commodity status impact automotive perception and achievable transaction prices. Mercedes has made a lot of money selling Americans taxis for many years.
As you said, you incident in the snow was “strictly anecdotal”, and hence essentially meaningless. Let’s just say that the Saab, coming from Sweden and having a healthy percentage of its weight over the front wheels, had a well-deserved rep for being exceptionally capable in snow, with the right tires (and driver).
Let me modify your last statement slightly:
It is interesting how branding and common commodity status impact automotive perception and achievable transaction prices. Cadillac made GM a lot of money selling Americans tarted up Chevys for many decades.
BTW, the fact that Mercedes were so commonly used as taxis says a lot more about their longevity and economy than it does about perception. Taxi drivers are business people, and make their purchasing decisions as to which car will make them the most money, period. Perception will not make them money.
1) Cool picture, I’ve never noticed that similarity in styling!
2) Driving skill makes a big difference to snow driving, especially if the car is a stick shift. A hill start in snow would require a 2nd gear start, with a quick shift to third if too much wheel spin is encountered.
3) On a related note, I believe Saab pioneered the “snow” setting on automatic transmissions years later, enabling second and even third gear starts when detecting wheel spin.
4) This is facetious, but also true: The Valiant is really good looking in a 1955 Buick Special meets a 1955 Mercedes 300sl way;-)
5) Saabs weren’t that expensive, at least in my experience. My 1988 900 was $14,400. I just looked up the base msrp for a 1988 Caprice, and it says $13,000. Given that the base Saab had stainless steel wheel covers, power locks, a removable, 4 speaker clarion stereo, power antenna, automatic heated seats, air conditioning and michelin tires, all standard, it was a compelling package. Years later (1999 and 2001), I leased Saab turbos for easily $100 less per month than the european competition like BMW and Audi, and not much more than a toyota or vw.
And the Mercedes…
Further, Saabs were aspirational. The Saab turbo was a very sporty, fast and fun to drive car for the time, and lesser Saabs shared the same body and many components, so even if your Saab wasn’t fast, it was still considered upscale.
By the time 1983 came around, the Corvette had ceased to shine a halo on the rest of the Chevrolet model line up as there were no performance engines offered in any other Chevrolet’s to my knowledge.
As many will know, James Bond even drove a Saab Turbo in the rebooted book series. That’s high praise, I’d say.
Lots of smiles from this. We had an identical color silver 1981 Saab Turbo four door automatic with light blue fabric interior. In fact I loved the Saab interior fabric, much more agreeable for me than any leather interior that we have had subsequently. An enjoyable car, but the design was hampered by chronic rapid wear of the inner small sized front brake pads, being usually worn out by 6000 miles. Fortunately this became a simple, rapid 15 minute per side replacement service that I performed with each oil change.I could do pad replacements in my sleep, I think, because of how frequently I did them over the years. I still have the type specific tool needed for the pad replacement in my tool box. Turbo’s also tended to crack cylinder heads, ask me how I know. Turbo lag was acceptable with the Automatic. With routine service and especially routine ATF fluid changes our automatic never gave us trouble. Overall, a very serviceable design which gave us many years of delightful miles, miles of smiles, especially as a safe kid hauler when my children were young, then growing. Fond memories, for sure!
This Saab’s registration expired in 2014 so either they have been ilegally driving for 3 years or the car has been sitting for three years and if it has been sitting that means a bunch more work is probably needed. The discolored body panels are also interesting. My Aunt has a 1988 version of this car and it really is gutless, but also charming. Personally I rather have a 900 Hatchback with the peppier engine.
Damn, that’s a nice ride! Is it hard to swap these to manuals or a beefier auto? I don’t know much about classic 900s (even though I love ’em)
Mya,
The classic 900 Series was notorious for having the weak Borg-Warner 3-speed automatics that would usually wear out at or before 100k miles. Unfortunately, no beefier auto was available.
5-speed manual swaps are a popular (and highly advised) upgrade on these cars if you’re going to keep one for the long-term.
Incredible the destiny of Saab is the same of Plymouth after daimlerchrysler misconceiving
I owned a 9-3 that I loved very much, but I got rid of it at the right time – just before Saab went kaput. I love these old ones, and would be tempted to have one, but parts have to be getting pretty tough. I also owned a ’93 non-turbo 9000, and it was the slowest car I’ve ever driven.
As with many of these Oregonian specials, you’d just have to nurse it along until upkeep becomes prohibitively expensive. Perhaps that’s why the owner is passing it along now.
The only time I can think where the words cheap and easy paired together isn’t an immediate sign to run like hell would be a recipe. So cheap and easy you didn’t do it yourself? Sure…
I have always loved Saab’s. Not so much the last ten yrs of Saab’s life, but the 70″ s and 80’s to me Saab’s of all kinds were magnificent I thought. Still do. I said once that of all car mabufacturers to go bust AMC was one I wish didnt… But I have to say Saab is on that list too. Those are the only two I really miss.
Same here. The 70s & 80s Saabs had their problems, but they certainly were endearing and different.. I’m also with you on wishing AMC would’ve hung on, though I’d add MG and Triumph to the list as well. Maybe in some alternate universe CC someone is raving about their wonderful new 2017 Gremlin Hybrid or MGR. Sigh.
Not to worry – I pass an ‘MG’ dealer on my way to work – they have lots of boxy hatchbacks with nice alloy wheels lined up out front. 9495 with zero deposit and zero percent over 36 months!
Funny you mention triumph… I have one of those.
I love the “minor issues cheaply and easily fixed” part on the sign.
My friends and I regularly see some variation of this on cars offered for sale at the various Carlisle events.
Our response is – if these issues are so easy and cheap to fix, why didn’t simply you do this before you brought the car here?
My favorite: Air conditioning not working – just needs a recharge.
Yeah. Right.
To be fair, since I’ve had kids and life got extremely hectic for other reasons too, I’ve sold a motorbike, a house, and will shortly be selling two cars which genuinely have minor issues, easily and cheaply fixed 😉
I would definitely buy this car. It suits my personality. A little weird for the times.
But still there.
I like it, even if not everyone is going to, even if it is a 99 with a nose and tail job, and was looking old by 1983. Yes, probably under powered, especially with the auto but you also know that it will (likely) run for almost ever, if it gets the maintenance and you can get the parts.
In terms of style, that interior is absolutely fine for me, and I like the idea of ergonomics having been considered.
To me, well ahead of any Volvo 240.
Saw one yesterday similar colour it overtook me going up a hill behind a bus so I got a good look, CC effect strikes again.
I was looking at the pics again, and it reminded me that the back doors had manual windows, even if the fronts were power. I don’t think the classic 900 ever got power windows in the back doors.
What other cars in the US market had that oddball feature?
Dodge Neon for one, there were a few others.
I can’t remember the timing of when they were added, but the 1984 Turbo definitely had 4 power windows…
Those down-sized mid to late ’70s Malibu’s rear windows were permanently fixed.
Even on the 4drs., the rear windows went nowhere!
SO stupid!
I grew up SAAB. 2-strokes, and German Ford V-4 powered 96s, & 95 wagons. Way easy to work on, but seldom needed much.
All totaled including parts cars, combined we probably had close to 60 over the years. One brother still owns 11.
I never had 99s or 900s, but the rest of my family did.
3-doors had 50 cubic feet of storage capacity. Wow!
As a 40-year body man doing rust repair, I can attest these are the strongest built bodies I’ve ever encountered.
The fortified A pillars connects directly to the rockers.
The egg shaped 96s were almost as strong and could take severe beatings.
They didn’t win the Baja 500 and just about every other off road race for no reason. Front wheel drive was a major factor.
Anyone getting pasted by a RWD car simpley has the wrong tires.