I’ve got a big backlog of my own Outtakes I must start getting to, like this fine Saab 900 Turbo. These gave become scarce on the streets in the past few years; seems like only yesterday they were so common. Time does not stand still, especially for a fast-moving 900 Turbo, once quite the missile. And it’s got the obligatory rear window shades too. Someone is reliving the nineties in good form.
We’ve got a number of 900 posts here; my CC on the 900 Turbo is here. This picture was taken in the winter, prior to my xB losing its lower bumpers and getting jacked up.
Saab certainly made the most of this basic body, which started out life as the 99 way back in 1968. It looks like its been heated up and stretched on both ends, like a big licorice stick.
It’s a car that I wish I had owned at some point.
CC 1993 Saab Turbo – Not Lagging In Appeal
I drove a friends’ ’89 SPG, a few times, with that ten extra horsepower, up to 185. The car was fast, and smooth to red-line. A really good car.
The exhaust sound of these Saab 900 and 99 turbo are very special.
It’s a car I miss seeing, along with the other Saabs. Saab lost its way, or rather had its way imposed, under General Motors. That was just another example of the homogenization of the automotive landscape.
Sadly the Saab designs will probably never see the light of day again. They are now owned by a Chinese electric car firm which seems to have gone moribund. I subscribe to their news releases and have heard nothing for a long time. By now they would probably prefer to tool up for yet another imitation Toyota, anyway.
My son had a black 900 convertible. Nice fast car. Disconnect the boost line and your right foot is the boost gauge. Very, very fun! Anyone that wants a hardcover boot for the convertible top let me know on this post.
Hi Tim…. i do have a couple of these Saab c900 convertibles…. could use a hardcover boot!
Hi Ko…I too have a couple of these parade boot covers…what color do you need?
Hi tim! I could use the really dark Grey (close to charcoal ) and burgundy red colors . Saab on!
Ko
Hi Tim,
I know this is an old thread but any chance you’ve still got a set of old boot covers with which you’d be wiling to part? Just purchased a near mint condition ‘93 vert (to match my ‘93 900 CE) and it’s the one thing that’s missing!
Thanks,
Jeff
I had a 1988 900 base, 5-speed new for 5.5 years and 100,000 miles and loved it. By the time I traded it for a 1993 5-speed Corolla, I was a bit tired of the slowness, rattles (the big hole in the chassis necessitated by the large hatchback contributed to the car developing a bit of a looser structure over time) and somewhat significant mechanical expense. I immediately missed it despite the corolla’s superior performance. Within about five years, I became very interested in BMWs, especially 2002s, Bavaria’s, first and second generation 5 series and CS and CSI coupes. Compared to those cars, Saab’s no longer felt sporty to me. Later I had a couple of turbo Saab’s that were quite sporty (1999 9-3 and 2001 9-5 wagon), but they were flawed by twitchy handling in high speed sweeping corners (the 9-3) and the automatic transmission (the 9-5). Looking back, if I could find and old working example of any of the cars I’ve owned, I think a base 900 like my 1988 would be the top of the list!
Obviously, 1970s BMWs are worth multiples of a 1980s Saab, but there was something magic in the strange and successful compromises of the Saab 99 turned 900 chassis.
One of many cars I wish I’d bought when good ones were plentiful. In Scotland, basic 99s and 900s were popular with the type of older person who really coddles their car.
At 12 years old they were still in good shape and virtually free. I couldn’t afford the fuel and insurance on a turbo – in fact if memory serves I was put off a fuddy duddy grey 900 because even the NA version got surprisingly poor MPG.
Sweet Saab. Better know your way around its idiosyncratic designs, though, or it’s going to cost a small fortune to keep on the road. I had a real nice turbo 9-3 in arrest-me-red that still miss. But it was just too expensive to keep up, and I imagine that parts are getting more and more difficult to find. Hope this one keeps ticking for a long time – looks to be in great shape.
As Paul mentioned, the 900 had it’s roots in the Saab 98, dating to 1968.
The Saab 99/900 really stood out during the malaise and early post-malaise era–relatively quick, roomy for their size, their space efficiency due to FWD, which made the car appealing to the Vermont/Colorado ski crowd, together with the (unavailable elsewhere), heated seats. In the late 70s, Saab added a turbo. It had lag, but compared to your typical 1980 car, it was quick it you planned and were in a position to use full throttle.
Saab added a digit and some length, and a richer interior, making the 99 a 900. To the 900, later, they added a 5-speed (both 900 Turbo owner I knew needed new trannies–a pal from college, who abused the car in the mid-80s, and our secretary, whose car had 100k in the late 80s), which helped. In the mid-80s, the added 8 more valves.
Saab really needed a new Saab, but didn’t have the money to play. In 1976-83, the car was a clear winner. Even as it’s sales rose, it’s stature decline. By the 1990, the cabriolet was the saving grace, it was old.
The 9-3 that replaced it didn’t stand out as much. Mother GM had good lease promotions, I leased a 2002 9-3, nice car, but I’ve had several other far more memorable cars, including a real GM car, a Cobalt SS Supercharged.
Now that the “older” classics of my childhood have become very expensive, such as Datsun 240Zs and BMW 2002s and of course 911s, newer cars are starting to rise in price. IMO, two reasons: the aforementioned are pulling them up, and demographics–many 50-somethings never had the chance to buy a small bumper 2002 or 240Z in nice condition back in the day, but they could (and some did) get 3-series, Rabbit/Golf GTIs, Celica/Supra, RX7–and Saab. But I’m not seeing the love for Saab….sorry.
There was the Saab 90 too, which was a bit of a weird one.
To be fair, what saved Saab was the 9000. There was no way they were going into the 1990s without it. Even then, it was a co-developed platform, shared with Alfa Romeo and Fiat.
The way Top Gear tells the story, Saab were never happy with GM’s orders and budget constraints, and defiantly did what they wanted, producing Saabs that were far better cars than GM would have imagined. It’s little wonder GM offloaded them after years of unprofitability.
At its heart, the real source of its guts, the Famous Four, sixteen valve, TRIUMPH DOLOMITE SPRINT, Best of British.
Sorry James,no. The Dolly engine shares no parts with the SAAB 16 valve engine. SAAB redesigned the Ricardo engine for 1972, enlarging it to the 2.0 B series. The ‘B” series did share the dummy shaft and gear driven water pump idea with the Ricado engine but that’s about it. The Dolly used an unusual SOHC 16 valve design. SAAB did cast a very few DOHC 16 valve heads used for rallies in 1977. They are very rare. SAAB didn’t even have one in their museum until John Buffum sold them Jean-Paul Perusse’s 16V Group 4 car.
In 1981, SAAB redesigned the “B” engine .They removed the dummy shaft, relocated the distributor to drive off the cam and added a conventional belt-driven water pump. The “H” engine received a 16 Valve DOHC head in 1985,debuting on the car Paul describes. 900 SPG for hte US market, 900 Aero elsewhere. The 16V eventually obsoletes the 8V head on all SAAB models, Turbo and NA.
The “H” engine worked so well ( or SAAB was so broke) that the design continued through the end of OG9-5 production. There were a couple of small redesigns for the NG900 and the OG9-5 but the basics were there.
As far as I know, it’s still in production in China as All the OG9-5 dies weer sold to a company there. It’s a bit odd to see a contemporary external design but whem it hood ( bonnet) is opened, all I see is 1999 SABB 9-5.
I had an ’83 Turbo. First 50,000 miles were fantastic. Should have dumped it then. Plagued by inadequate transmission output shaft casting. Failed 3x and I didn’t shift it hard. Each failure required a complete transmission rebuild as the pinion moved out axially. The 3rd failure is when I scrapped it. The heater control valve looked like something NASA rejected as too complicated. That thing failed almost yearly and it cost over $100 in 1980s money and required standing on your head to access it under the dash.
I look back at my decision to purchase it as a poor misguided pursuit of status and 1980s hubris.