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1950-1966 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Indeed why SAAB?
I had a SAAB ad up in my locker 10 in HS ten years ago that said "Sometimes being different is the price of being better". You bet.
No other car manufacturer has marched to the beat of its own drummer so much, and as successfully than SAAB. Citroen may come close but they lost in the 70s when SAAB charged ahead with the brilliant 99. The early stroker models were unusual and certainly SAAB was reacting to the social and climate situations in their own countries. I love them, but they are curiosities, whereas fthe SAAB philosophy came to fruition for me with the 99.
A SOHC four cylinder engine. Ahead of its time. But hey, lets mount it backward! Oh yeah, we will put the ignition on the floor and a reverse lock out so you need to know the language of starting and getting out of it. Like a secret code. Roomy inside for its size. Then they added the Hatchback models. Huge amount of cargo room for its size. SO we have a practical sized auto, then we will turbocharge it making it faster than some Porches from the era. Why the hell not?
Then the 900 came along, making the 99 bigger and more powerful. They also added one of the most space efficient auto designs ever, that Americans reject, the 4 door hatchback. (I have one of these body styles, a 2002 Ford Focus ZX5.) The 900 added additional technical improvement like APC system, Twin Cams, and a convertible. (Oh my!)
The 9000 started SAABs descent into less "odd" styling. However, the 9000 Aero was an amazing car. Large car interior volume, over 50 cu feet of interior space with the rear seats folded down, 220 hp 0-60 times around 7 seconds (as fast as the current Corvette), and heated seats. Unbeatable. That space, pace, and grace is evident in the 9-5 Aero wagon.
The new 9-3 looks bland as hell to me. However, SAAB has some engine technology in the works that will keep them on the edge. One has variable compression, and the other more brilliant is the Direct Injection with variable spark. I can't wait for that to arrive. If the 9X arrives it brings back some unusual styling.
Anyway, this is one of my favorite car companies. I can't wait to own my first 99 or 900. I think 99s are my favorite, they stopped selling them when I was about 5, but I smile any time I see a SAAB on the road, someone chose it over a Toyota and that is a good thing.
posted by 67.95.146...
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