・Current owner for 22 years

・Viggen body kit and interior

・Extensive body restoration

・300bhp upgrade with suspension, steering and brake mods

Back in the early Nineties, SAAB was in trouble. It had an ageing product range, and while its fans were fiercely loyal, bringing new people into the brand was extremely difficult and there was not enough money in the bank to develop new cars.

Enter General Motors. Having failed on multiple occasions to bring its own luxury brand, Cadillac, into Europe, it purchased the Swedish firm on the back of a failed bid to acquire Jaguar. 

Job Number One for SAAB under GM was to replace the aged 900, which was rapidly developed in less than three years. The “New Generation'' (NG) SAAB 900 SE was based on the platform of the Vauxhall Cavalier/Opel Vectra to keep costs down, but used a number of traditional SAAB styling cues including thick trapezoidal C-pillars and a floor-mounted ignition switch to keep traditionalists engaged. It also kept up its long-standing tradition of turbocharging.

The engine, gearbox, suspension, electrics and electronics were all developed by SAAB for the new vehicle and were unique to the car.

This example has been with its owner since he bought it in 1999, initially as a standard 900 SE Turbo to use as his daily driver. But in over two decades of ownership, he has progressively upgraded and improved the car, with subtle modifications that have turned it into a bit of a beast.

The existing owner has owned the SAAB for 22 years and absolutely adores it, but has finally decided he’s taken it as far as he can and is looking for a new project. 

He bought the car from Oakley Garages, a SAAB main dealer in Bedfordshire, in 1999 as its second owner, and originally used it as his daily driver, a standard 900 SE that he used for commuting. Then he got a job in London, which meant he no longer needed a car during the week and the SAAB evolved into ‘something for the weekend’. That’s when the period of improvements started.

He has had all sorts done to it – an ECU remap, upgraded turbo, suspension, brakes and steering, much of which was carried out by highly regarded SAAB performance specialists Abbott Racing. He also acquired a 9-3 Viggen body kit and interior to further add to the car’s performance credentials. It’s a proper rocket, but we’ll come to that shortly. 

In 2017, the 900 was taken off the road and an extensive body restoration carried out at great expense (arguably more than the car’s value at the time), meaning it shouldn’t present any structural problems for its next keeper.

Over two decades is a long time to own a car and the vendor has kept every receipt for it right down to its original bill of sale, which shows he bought it as an approved used car from Oakley SAAB for £13,900 in 1999.

From then on, there’s every service bill, receipt, document and a stack of paperwork form well-known SAAB experts such as Abbott Racing, RGS and Norse SAAB recording everything he has had done to the car, and there is a lot!

Also included are a receipt for over £4,000 in welding and body repairs in 2017, plus a photographic record of the car’s body repairs. 

In total, the bills add up to over £40,000 and show that the 9-3 has been meticulously cherished, maintained and looked after during its life. The folder of paperwork is over an inch thick!

With its six-spoke alloys, lowered suspension and Viggen body kit and badges, the 900 looks absolutely fabulous. It’s mean and menacing, macho, but not over the top. Just a very well-presented and striking performance car built up to its owner’s own tastes – and we have to say, he’s had it done beautifully. 

The Le Mans Blue bodywork looks superb and really suits it, while the underside repairs (documented in the photos) were carried out to a highly professional standard.

It’s not perfect. There’s a tiny rust bubble on the nearside rear arch and a peppering of small stone chips over the front on the bonnet and bumper, but overall it’s a beautifully presented car that sits just right. It may be a 900 SE, but it’s no ordinary 900 SE…

The 900 was fitted with the interior from an altar 9-3 Viggen in 2014 and the black leather with blue inserts really suits it. The seats are in good order, though the driver’s side seat cushion has some signs of wear. 

The carpets are in good order and are protected by tailored floor mats, while it also has the blue and black door cards from the Viggen to match the rest of the interior.

Ahead of the driver, the dash all works as it should including the all-important boost gauge, while the air con still blows icy cold. The only thing that doesn’t work is the cassette player, but given that nobody really uses these any more the vendor makes use of a widget instead that streams Bluetooth music from his smartphone. In 1999, when he bought the car, smartphones didn’t even exist…

Where to start? According to a report from Road Dynamics, the SAAB develops 297.5bhp. putting nearly 300bhp through the front wheels isn’t that straightforward, so in order to keep it in check the SAAB has also seen a number of modifications to its running gear. A hydraulic clutch, limited slip diff fatter alloys and stiffened suspension and bushes help keep torque steer in check, while it also has an AP Racing brake conversion, all carried out by Abbott Racing.

A performance exhaust system, sports cat and induction kit amplify the performance on offer, giving the SAAB an amazing soundtrack made up of a whooshing induction noise and a heady growl. It’s seductive and entertaining stuff. 

It also comes with some spare tyres – four legal track tyres (though the owner has only ever used these on the road for extra grip on dry days and hasn’t thrashed it on track days) and a pair of winter fronts, for added traction in cold conditions. 

We were lucky enough to give the SAAB a short test drive and can confirm that it performed well on test, with good oil pressure and incredible acceleration. It’s a fabulous and exciting car to drive and a very special build.

SAAB enthusiasts tend to love their cars and there’s no way that you can deny this car has been properly cherished by a long term owner who has loved it, continually improving it to make it the absolute best it can be. 

It’s a one-off. A unique, exciting and enthralling example of an up-and-coming 1990s classic and it is guaranteed to give you a silly grin every time you drive it. The extensive pile of invoices gives reassurance that it has been improved professionally and properly, too.

You shouldn’t look upon this as just a SAAB 900, but as a bespoke performance car with blistering performance and handling to match. It’s brilliant. 

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