Come this time of year, it’s hard to deny the appeal of a four-seat cabriolet. Where it’s easy to be po-faced and dismissive about two-seat sports car made into heavier, wobblier drop tops, it’s hard to care about the serious stuff when enjoying the sunshine four-up - hopefully with plenty of power and a stirring soundtrack, too.
For a long time the Swedish manufacturers plied a nice trade making big cabrios; both the Volvo C70 and Saab 9-3 made for handsome, fast convertibles that the whole family could enjoy. The handling superiority of a 3 Series mattered a whole lot less when stylish top-down cruising was priority number one.
So popular (and seemingly useful) were both Saab and Volvo that plenty remain for sale to this day, a decade or more since either were sold here. There are dozens with chunky mileages, too, neither really saved for high days and holidays; after all, who better to build convertibles that suit the winter months than the Swedish? On PH right now there are 29 9-3 Convertibles for sale with more than 80,000 miles, and plenty well into six figures. Cold mornings in a convertible are a lot more bearable with great heated seats and headlights, after all…
All of which makes this Saab pretty exceptional. Though a low mileage would be expected as one of the later cars (registered in 2011), to have covered just 15,000 miles in more than a decade is a remarkable feat. There isn’t another 9-3 Convertible for sale with anything less than 30k recorded. This one is no ordinary 9-3, either, but a range-topping Aero V6, which means 280hp and 152mph potential. Once the wheelspin has subsided, of course. Which could be a while if the Churchill tyres fitted here are on the front.
Rubber aside, the Aero looks a lovely old thing, a proper time capsule convertible with a ginormous auto gearbox lever, a screen that seems 20 years old rather than 10 and - get this - a CD player. Plus the popular Saab quirks, too, including the Night Panel, ignition between the seats and the shrinking speedo font. If the 9-3 Convertible is what you’re into - and it would seem that plenty are - then there can’t be any around better than this one.
Predictably, however, you’ll pay for the privilege. This one is for sale at £18,990, which makes it not only the most expensive 9-3 Convertible on PH, but also the third most expensive Saab overall. For those interested, the £20k 9-5 Aero is here and the 2,800-mile (!) 9-3 here. This Aero is probably only for the most dedicated of Saab fans, then, but what a lovely way to enjoy the summer months (for many more years) it ought to be.
SPECIFICATION | SAAB 9-3 AERO V6 CONVERTIBLE
Engine: 2,792cc, turbo V6
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 280@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 273@2,000rpm
MPG: 25.7
CO2: 242g/km
Recorded mileage: 14,900
Year registered: 2011
Price new: £34,217
Yours for: £18,990
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