We found this Flickr feed via TrollhattanSaab and like what we see. It's an orange Saab 95 V5, lowered aggressively - tasteful and more aggressive the a standard specimen of the type. More after the jump.
We've found a fantastic resource on the Saab Sonett I (a.k.a. 94 and Super Sport) in the latest (Feb 2009) issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic that arrived in our mailbox just yesterday.
This four page article (pp. 60-63) includes a ton of information (technical and otherwise) we hadn't heard before, along with several new-to-us photos as well. Did you know the original development transmission was the 93's 3-speed, but mounted backwards meant they'd have to reverse the engine's rotation (more easily done on a two-stroke)? That setup wouldn't make it to the very small production run, but it's just one more thing we learned from the Hemmings piece.
If you're headed out to the newsstand, check it out. Easy to spot, the Feb issue has a yellow Triumph TR6 roadster on the cover.
We're not sure it'll save the company, but it may impress a few old congresspeople of the spirit at GM. The General has amassed a list (with more to come) of classics from their corporate collection to be auctioned at the Barrett-Jackson Auction January 13-19. The list, posted by a user known as 'travisnd' over on HRFbody.com broke the news in their forums. The only Saab on the list is a 1995 Saab 900 Turbo Pikes Peak racecar and that'll go across the block in January with the rest of the vintage and rare GM iron. The list is subject to change so we'll keep you posted on any further Swedish additions. We've also added a gallery of GM Heritage Collection photos of the car in question. More after the jumps.
You may remember the pristine Saab 95 'Panel' we reported on back in September as then-up-for-auction in RM Auctions' Automobiles of London Event. We've followed up on the story and learned the car sold for £11.000. That's a lot of coin for a 95, but the rarity of the panel side is considerable and the fully-restored condition didn't hurt either. Check out the whole pre-sale press-release and more photos of the 95 after the jump.
If you're a regular at the local newsstand due to your car magazine habit... i.e. just like us... you may want to pick up the new December 2008 issue of Hemmings Sports & Exofic Car Magazine (Green MGC Roadster on the cover). This month, the eclectic vintage-focused magazine goes heavy on Saab content. A one-page bio piece on original Saab designer Sixten Sason can be found on page 60, while a six-page 900 Turbo SPG buyers guide complete with photography of the pristine red example from the GM Heritage collection is on pp. 82-87.
The Australian Saabophiles at TrollhattanSaab may have stumbled across a rare Saab indeed. An odd looking roadster has popped up in a trading publication in Australia and is described as a 1960 Saab Supersport with an aluminum and fiberglass body. The car is said to be by Australian Harold Lightburn, a designer who petitioned Saab back in the day that this should be one of their new models. The particular car itself is likely to be built on a then-imported 95 or 96 chassis. More over at TS after the jump.
We recently mentioned the then-upcoming ninth annual Swedish Car Day at the Museum of Transportation in Massachusetts. While we weren't able to attend, we've found coverage over at SaabHistory and TrollhattanSaab, as well as a Picasa album by show organizers.
John Matras over at the Philadelphia Examiner is a regular find in our daily Saab news search. Today Matras reports on visiting the Saab Bilmuseum in Trollhattan. If you've never gone and are considering a visit, check out this feature where he shares a hint at what you will find.
One of the reasons we enjoy reading the website SaabHistory.com is for little-known Saab stories such as that of the Saab Facett prototype. Though mistaken as an official Saab prototype back in the day,this coupe is was the creation of then Saab designer Sigvard Sorensen who bought one of the original Sonett Super Sports and then proceeded to build his own take. More details of the story and a photo in high(er)-res can be found over at SaabHistory.
Amongst the planned lots of the upcoming 'Automobiles of London' auction from RM Auctions and Sotheby's, we found one car that peaked our Saab interest. This rare 95 van with no rear side windows or back seat has been well restored to look exactly as it had when it was originally put to work as a delivery truck for UK dealer Saab of Slough. Granted, it didn't always look this good. Panels had been pulled and the little panel side had deteriorated impressively behind the dealer's shop, but it's since been restored rather impressively given its rareness - said to be one of three panel van versions of the 95 imported into the UK.
It seems monthly, Octane Magazine gives us another reason to love the UK print magazine about classic cars. This feature's been run before in their print version, but the British mag has just run a piece highlighting the most significant rally cars ever and paired the text with some great-looking studio photography. Amongst the Lancia Stratos, Audi Quattro, Subaru Impreza and more, you'll note the inclusion of the Saab 96 Turbo. More after the jump.
SaabHistory has revealed that ElkParts is expecting a shipment very soon of the a new 1:43 scale model of the first-generation Sonett Supersport (a.k.a. 94). There were only six of these cars built back in the day according to SH, but Saab has commissioned the new model to harken back to the low-slung Swedish speedster. The SH piece doesn't say whether this is a metal-bodied production piece like you might see from Minichamps or a more limited production resin model - also popular in this particular scale. Either way, we'll be sure to put this on our Christmas list if there are any still around come holiday season.
Pardon our lateness in posting this as the guys at SaabHistory published a piece on the original SPG Prototype or 900 Turbo 16 Aero design study right about the time we were launching this site.
The car in the black and white photo (bigger version after the click) was originally shown at the 1984 Belgium Auto Show and a US-spec version was shown at the recent Saab Owner's Convention outside of Boston in August (a pic of this car is also found at the SH link).
The Saab historians over at SaabHistory.com have published a retrospective on the 1994 Saab 900 Coupe design study. A brainchild of Saab Automobile AB’s Special Vehicles Operations and England's TWR Group, this yellow 900 was essentially the proto Viggen. More after the jump.
We found an interesting article on the histor of the turbocharger today over on the Philaddelphia Examiner website by John Matras. The article touches on everything from boosted Dodge Omnis to the Audi Quattro, but Saab and Per Gilbrand are the major focus.
And if you want to see some video of Per out of the Saab Archives, check out this short over on the Saab Global site.
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