SOTW: Saab 90
Put down the Kerouac - it's the Saab 90...
There are few however that suggest you are a sensitive beatnik architect, who spends his time writing poetry, while listening to Charlie Parker, and smoking a Gauloise. The Saab 90 is one of them.
Even for Saabs the 90 is a bit obscure, having what is effectively the front half of a 99 and the rear of a 900 saloon. It was the missing link between the two, being smaller than the 900, but with more room than the earlier 99.
To be honest it’s going to be an acquired taste but if you are after something rare, a little different and undeniably cool, this is it. It was only available in 2.0-litre form, with the Saab H unit, but this only managed to push out a wheezy 100bhp.
This was fed by a carburettor, no fancy fuel injection here, and was sold between 1984 and 1987. In the end 25,378 Saab 90s were sold, and only in Europe. A five-speed gearbox was fitted as standard and it benefited from other flashy features such as headlamp wash/wipe, dual-circuit servo-assisted brakes and heated driver’s seat.
Of the 25K that were sold the seller of this example reckons there are less than 39 on the car’s UK register. When you take into consideration the car’s state, including the original Philips radio cassette, and 56,000 miles from new, £999 seems like a bit of a bargain.
And it has to have one of the coolest dashboards ever – clearly inspired by the instrument panel of a nuclear submarine with wood trim. The MOT is to 10.08.2009 and tax is until the end of January 2009, and there is the original manual, two keys, service book, pre-delivery checksheet & wiring diagram.
Any listed problems are just cosmetic and the owner says the car runs very well. The Saab 90 – more fun than bongos and dark glasses.
'There's a Saab glass sunroof & the original Philips radio cassette player. The heater is fantastic & there are headlamp washers. Although there is only a little service history the car seems to have been looked after fairly well. I bought it after recently selling my classic Alfa - but have decided it's not for me. The MOT is to 10.08.2009 & tax is until end of January 2009. £999.'
last time i checked this was Pistonheads, a site with the motto "speed matters"
as such surely the SOTW should be some sort of performance vehicle
£999 sounds a bit steep though unless it's minter than mint.
A mate of mine had one in the same shade of Rose Quartz metallic that he bought off his granddad. He lowered it and put ARBs on and it was a right laugh although it would have been quicker around mini roundabouts if one could work the slow, non-assisted steering a bit faster. The arm twirling to get round was hilarious.
, a 2-door too (only the UK got notchback Aeros). Do closely inspect the structural bits in the wheelwells where the driveshafts pass through for rot, though. A lot of superfically sound examples I've seen were (more than) a bit crusty - with sound mechanicals at this price that makes the difference between a bargain and a write-off.I don't know why I'm attracted to it as it doesn't have any of the features I would look for in a Saab ie a turbo, but for it's purity it's a cracker. Needs to go into a museum and be driven once a month. Never heard of the Saab 90 'til now.
Anybody want to buy shed of the week Monza from last year? I'm running out of room
100hp- strange how times have changed in so few years..
Is that not code for - there is something wrong with this so I would like to get rid??
I like it so much though that I'm prepared to put the blinkers on and decide that if this replaced an Alfa then I'm not surprised it's not for him!
Still love it though. Always have done - they were rare back in the day, never mind now. As the son of a man who was sad to see his 99 EMS go and considered the 80's 900 too modern for his liking (!), these have always been the ideal compromise.
900T-R's suggestion's have got me thinking . . .
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