Photo Credit: Saab History

The Saab Sighting of the week this week was captured this past weekend in New Hampshire during a parade.

As the parade began, I was delightfully surprised a new generation Saab 900 SE, leading the pack (naturally fitting for Saab).

The Saab Convertible seems to be a given for parades in my opinion, top down, first in line, nice to see so many others think the same way!

Photo Credit: Barret Jackson

At 4:00pm yesterday in Scottsdale, Arizona, the 1995 Saab NG 900 Pikes Peak Car sold for $8470.00 at the Barret Jackson Auction house.

I mentioned this vehicle back on December 19th, and I hope it’s the last Saab USA Heritage Collection car to be sold.

I hope that this car makes its way to its rightful owners, either the Saab Automobile museum in Sweden or the Rocky Mountain Saab Club who are hosting the 2009 Saab Owners Convention nearby Pikes Peak Colorado.

At this time, I have no idea who purchase the car, but I hope to find out soon.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

The new generation Saab 900 Convertible debuted in 1995 as a continuation of the model lineup from the NG 900 that debuted a year earlier.

The NG900 Convertible is more than 70% more structurally ridid than the previous 900 convertible and was also styled by Einar Hariede and built in Uusikaupunki, Finland.

The fisrt year for the production of the convertible took place in 1995, a year after the last 900 convertible, and the production for the ng 900 convertible ended in 1998.

This model for Saab came equipped with the following specifications:

Exterior: Semi Unitary Construction, cloth hydraulic top, same exterior design as NG900 coupe.

Interior: Entirely New Interior Dash, cabin, seats came in cloth and leather with center-mounted ignition.

Chassis: Macpherson struts, split lower wishbone suspension and stabilizer bars. Rear semi-rigid axle with inner and outer stabilizer bars, coil springs and gas shock absorbers with ABS brakes.

Engine: Transversely mounted 16-valve 4-cylinder engine, with cast iron block and aluminum head, also a transversely mounted six-cylinder engine.

2.0i – 133hp
2.0 Turbo – 185hp
2.3i – 150hp
2.5i V6 variants – 170hp

Transmission:

5-Speed
4-Speed Automatic

Dimensions:

Wheelbase 102.”
Front Track 56.9″
Rear Track 56.8″
Turning circle diameter
Length 182.6″
Width 67.4″
Height 56.5″
Performance Max Speed 132mph
Acceleration 0-60 mph

Global Production:

Model Year – Units

1995 MY – ?
1996 MY – ?
1997 MY – ?
1998 MY – ?

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

The new generation Saab 900 debuted in July of 1993 in Trollhattan and arrived in 1994 and marked a clear departure of the classic 900 era that lasted 15 years.

This new 900 also referred to as NG900 or in some circles “GM” 900, was the first model to be entirely developed by General Motors.

However, the NG 900 was designed by Saab designer, Einar Hareide of Norway and evolved from their first prototype, the EV-2.

The 900 came in both 3-door coupe as well as 5-door models and was built in Trollhattan, Sweden.

This model for Saab came equipped with the following specifications:

Exterior: Unitary Construction, 3 & 5-door hatchback weithing in at 3,110bs.

1997 MY Talladega Edition

Interior: Entirely New Interior Dash, cabin, seats came in cloth and leather.

Chassis: Macpherson struts, split lower wishbone suspension and stabilizer bars. Rear semi-rigid axle with inner and outer stabilizer bars, coil springs and gas shock absorbers with ABS brakes.

1996 MY Electronic Brake Distribution Added

Engine: Transversely mounted 16-valve 4-cylinder engine, with cast iron block and aluminum head, also a transversely mounted six-cylinder engine.

2.0i – 133hp
2.0 Turbo – 185hp
2.3i – 150hp
2.5i V6 variants – 170hp

Transmission:

5-Speed
4-Speed Automatic

Dimensions:

Wheelbase 260cm / 102.4″
Front Track 144.6cm / 56.9″
Rear Track 144.3cm / 56.8″
Turning Circle 10.5m / 34.5′
Length 463.7cm / 182.6″
Width 171cm / 67.4″
Height 143.6cm / 56.5″
Max Speed 124 mph / 199.06 kph

Global Production:

Model Year – Units

1994 MY – ?
1995 MY – ?
1996 MY – ?
1997 MY – ?
1998 MY – ?

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile AB

There has been a lot of news about Saab’s continued high ranking in terms of safety, and with the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere upon us, I thought it was due time to discuss an under discussed topic, the Saab “Moose Test”.

The photo above shows a new generation Saab 900 (1994-1998) involved in the Saab Moose test, and as we know from the IIHS comparison crash tests at the A-pillar, the most critical area of the car in this scenario, the 9-3 (1999-2002) got better, but the 9-3 Sport Sedan really held its own (2003-Present), so it is my curiosity if Saab has actually continued this testing since that time.

Secondly, besides wondering if Saab continues to proactively conduct this crash test on their test track, have they also conducted it with other models as well such as the 9000, 9-5 and better yet, when did they actually begin this crash test, was it on the NG900 or was it done before then?

Residing in the state as illustrated in the video below, I find that there are a lot of similarities between both this state as well as Sweden, most notably the per capita moose population!

I have sent an e-mail over to Saab Automobile AB in Sweden in an attempt to answer these questions about the Saab Moose Test.

Photo Credit: Mark Ward

I first covered Mark Ward of Missouri’s 1995 Saab NG900 Electric project titled “Saabrina“, back in December of 2006 when the project really got underway.

Over the past few years, I have illustrated the incredible progress he has made such as the drivetrain in September of 2007, the battery install in December of 2007 to the recent actual driving footage of the car this past February.

My most recent coverage included a nice interview with him here that covers all sorts of commonly asked questions.

Here is his final installation to the Electric Vehicle Community regarding this absolutely devastating blow to development. I should indicate that, he beat Saab Automobile to task by actually making an electric vehicle that runs and has proved it this past spring.

I am very sympathetic and my heart is with him as he indicates on his final blog entry.

Very Sad News to report much after the fact.

At 3:00 A.M. on the morning of April 17th 2008 a fire of unknown origin broke out in my garage. The Saab, all of my machinery and all of my work for 3 years was destroyed.

Fortunately my wife and I got out of the house unhurt and the “heroes” of St. Charles County and St. Charles City fire departments ganged up on the fire and put it out before it spread from the garage into the house. The damage destroyed the electric service which came through the garage and we had some smoke damage. The result was spending 3 months in a condo until my house was fixed and we were able to move back in July 28th. They did a fine job on the house and in some ways it is better than ever.

I want to take the opportunity to thank my Insurer State Auto of Ohio. What a fantastic company that took care of my needs and acted quickly to assist me. I would also like to thank Chris Powers of Nixon and company Insurance adjusters for taking a personal interest in helping me through a rough time.

In addition to my shop and the car, I also lost my intrepid Ford Ranger. It was parked behind the Saab and I didn’t have time to get either of them out. I was able to back my wife’s Chevy Malibu out of the garage before it sustained any damage and trip to the car wash took care of it pretty well.

While State Auto did everything they could to fix things for me, the opposite has been true with Progressive Insurance who insured the Saab. The adjuster was very sympathetic when I first called him about the claim. It was later on when I found that in spite of knowing the Saab was electric they were going to try to pay me for it’s value as a gas vehicle which is next to nothing in the car market. They asked for receipts to show my cost of major items, etc, but in the end it made no difference at all to them. The adjuster now calls himself a “theft investigator” and isn’t a bit nice. He recently called to read me a letter he had already sent by certified mail I believe just to antagonize me. I suppose they believe that by wanting to be fairly compensated I am trying to steal from them or something.

So after getting a professional adjuster to appraise my car which came in at $28,500-$40,000, Progressive has now come back with a $2500 estimate from their so-called “professional” adjuster. They sent someone out to the salvage yard to take photos of the remains fo the car and apparently based their appraisal on that alone. It is apparent from their appraisal that they know nothing about converted EVs or the costs involved in doing so. They have given me 15 days to accept their “generous offer”.

So it turns out that “actual cash value” is whatever Progressive decides your car is worth. I have turned the matter over to an attorney at this time.

The moral of the story is to check out who you buy insurance from, get it in writing what ACV actually means or find a company that issues “declared” value. ASK for the policy information up front. Don’t sign up with anyone until you read it all and ask a lot of questions. I have yet to collect a dime from them and it might take a long time if I ever do. It is real obvious they want the problem to go away. It is not.

I have no plans currently to start another car. A lot of things would have to transpire to replace machinery that I once had. And of course the beautiful elegant Saab. It would be hard to find another donor car of such impecable quality and harder yet to restart my ambition.

This was a picture of the last time I have seen the car. It was before sunrise and is hard to see. I have no idea where the car is at this time. Interestingly the battery pack was still intact after the fire even though some debris had dropped down on top of it. The car was not plugged in and nothing was going on at the time of the fire. We didn’t get to go a lot of miles together, but those we shared were great. The things I learned from the project are priceless!

Thanks to all that have given their support and encouragement throughout the project.
Check back into this website soon. It is my plan to post all the correspondence I am getting from Progressive for the EV community to see. Please pass along the information about the demise of Saabrina and the difficulties I am having with Progressive to everyone else interested in electric vehicles.

Mark Ward

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

The Saab EV-2 Prototype was an internally released concept car that built to set the design direction for the new generation Saab 900 (NG900), which went on to be produced from 1994 until 1998.

This internal “secret” prototype was originally designed by Saab’s chief designer at the time, Björn Envall.

At this time, there has been no other information on this vehicle other than the photo above and its purpose.

Source: The Saab 900 : A Swedish Story, published in 1993, written by Anders Tunberg.

As a follow-up to the previous writeup on the past and present Saab designers and their achievements, it was necessary to include a chronological up-to-date listing of Saab projects both production and concepts.

This listing includes each Saab project, year introduced along with each designer and/or engineer that contributed to the given project.

This list is a work-in-progress, so any additions and/or modifications that you see necessary below, please add your comments to ensure correctness and accuracy.

Photo Credits: Saab Automobile

Design Contributions by Model

SAAB Scandia 90 (1946-1958)

Bror Bjurströmer

SAAB 91 (1947-1966)

A.J. Andersson

SAAB 92001 (Prototype) (1946/1947)

Sixten Sason

Gunnar Ljungström

SAAB 92 (1948-1956)

Sixten Sason

Gunnar Ljungström

SAAB 93 (1956-1959)

Sixten Sason

SAAB 94 (1956)

Sixten Sason

SAAB 95 (1959-1978)

Sixten Sason

SAAB 96 (1960-1980)

Sixten Sason

SAAB-SCANIA 97 (SonettII/V4 1966-1969) (SonettIII 1970-1974)

Björn Karlström

Sergio Coggiola

Gunnar A. Sjögren

SAAB-SCANIA 98 (Prototype, Cancelled) (1974)

Björn Envall

SAAB-SCANIA 99 (1969-1984)

Sixten Sason

Björn Envall

Saab 90 (1984-1987)

Björn Envall

SAAB-SCANIA 900 (1979-1993/94)

Björn Envall

SAAB-SCANIA EV-1 (1985)

Björn Envall

Saab 900 (NG) (1994-1998)

Björn Envall

Einar Hareide

SAAB-SCANIA 9000 (1985-1998)

Björn Envall

Giorgetto Giugiaro

Saab 9-1 (Speculative Design)

Saab 9-3 (1999-2002)

Einar Hareide

Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan (2003- )

Einar Hareide

Saab 9-3 Hybrid BioPower Convertible (2006 – )

Kjell ac Bergström

Saab 9-5 (1999- )

Einar Hareide (1999-2001)

Tony Catignani (1999-2001)

Magnus Jonsson (1999-2001)

Simon Padian (2002- )

Tomas Ostlund (2006 – )

Saab 9-5 BioPower E85 (2005 – )

Kjell ac Bergström

Saab 9-5 BioPower E100 (2007 – )

Kjell ac Bergström

Saab 9-X (2001)

Michael Mauer

Anthony Lo

Ola Granlund

Simon Padian

Saab 9-X BioHybrid (2008)

Anthony Lo

Andrew Dyson

Bryan Nesbitt

Saab 9-2X (2005-2006)

Michael Mauer

Anthony Lo

Ola Granlund

Per Jansson

Bengt Persson

Kjell-Ake Eriksson

Saab 9-3X (2002)

Michael Mauer

Anthony Lo

Simon Padian

Saab 9-3 SportHatch (2003)

Michael Mauer

Anthony Lo

Simon Padian

Saab 9-4X BioPower Concept (2008)

Anthony Lo

Andrew Dyson

Bryan Nesbitt

Kaj Zackrisson (Skier)

Saab 9-6X (Cancelled)

Saab 9-7X (2005-2009)

Per Janssan

Aero-X(2006)

Anthony Lo

Alex Daniel

Erik Rokke

Simon Padian

Photo Credit: International Motorsports Hall Of Fame

The remaining 1997 Saab 900 Turbo Talladega with designation #1 has been recently identified and is safely residing at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

This vehicle along with 7 others, participated in the “900 Talladega Challenge” event at Talladega Super Speedway in Talladega, Alabama back in October 1996 for 8 days.

Two out of the remaining seven also reside at the Saab Museum in Trollhattan, Sweden as well as the Saab USA Heritage Collection in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The question now is where are the other five vehicles that consist of naturally aspirated, turbo’d and V6′s? The numbers listed are 1-8, with #1 being here, #8 being in the United States and the others are unknown.

900 #1 donated by Ollie Axelson V.P. Saab Automobile, Trolhatten Sweden

If you are interested in seeing the 1997 Saab 900 Talladega #1 in real life, please visit the following address where you can even purchase museum tickets online. This museum that opened in April of 1983 offers more than 120 racing vehicles and memorabilia dating back to 1902, spans three buildings and enclosed courtyard, so plan your time accordingly!

International Motorsports Hall Of Fame
3198 Speedway Boulevard
Talladega, AL 35161
256-362-5002

http://www.motorsportshalloffame.com/

Image Credit: Saab History

As a follow-up to the posting I made back in November of 2006 on the logo history, it is about time that I compliment this information with the following on the correct capitalization and nomenclature of the models of the Saab Automobile brand. I hope this sheds some more light in our dialog about Saabs, SAABs and all of the great products that have been developed over the years.

I have provided a fairly well written piece already done on Wikipedia that I would like to articulate if I may regarding the correct capitalization and model nomenclature as a guide.

It is my hope that as a result of this posting, others will be able to better articulate their writing and speaking when referring to all of Saab’s products from 1947 until present. I also think that this posting will help to end search criteria that is typically entered in Google as follows: (SAAB 93 XWD, SAAB 92 ABS, Saab 94 Ski Rack, 2001 SAAB 95, 1999 93, etc.) If this search criteria was taken literally, as it should as google can only do just that, we would have had Cross Wheel Drive available in the late 1950′s, ABS in the late forties, and two long production runs for the SAAB Ninety Five and Ninety Three. Let’s hope that this clarifies this naming and model nomenclature once and for all.

1947-1969 (Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget)

The Company: When referring to the company in both written and oral communication where the products were produced between 1947 and 1969, it is proper to use SAAB in all capital letters to refer to these vehicles.

The Models: When referring to vehicles model nomenclature in both written and oral communication that were produced during this time, they are written and pronounced as 92 (Pronounced: Ninety Two), 92 (Pronounced: Ninety Three), 94 (Pronounced: Ninety Four), 95 (Pronounced: Ninety Five), 96 (Pronounced: Ninety Six), 97 (Pronounced: Ninety Seven)

1970-2000 (Saab-Scania)

* Note: Although the merger took place in 1990, the original products continued. (excluding NG900, 9-3 & 9-5)

The Company: When referring to the company in both written and oral communication where the products were produced between 1970 and 1990, it is proper & acceptable to refer to them as Saabs in lower case letters or Saab-Scania vehicles, also in lower case letters.

The Models: When referring to vehicles model nomenclature in both written and oral communication that were produced during this time, they are written and produced as 97 (Pronounced: Ninety Seven), 98 (Pronounced: Ninety Eight), 99 (Pronounced: Ninety Nine), 90 (Pronounced: Ninety), 900 (Pronounced: Nine Hundred), 9000 (Pronounced: Nine Thousand), 9-5 (Pronounced: Nine Five), NG900 (Pronounced: New Generation 900), 9-3 (Pronounced: Nine Three).

2001 – Present (Saab Automobile / General Motors)

The Company: When referring to the company in both written and oral communication where the products were produced between 2001 and the Present, it is proper & acceptable to refer to them as Saab in lower case letters and/or Saab Automobile / GM vehicles.

The Models: When referring to vehicles model nomenclature in both written and oral communication that were produced during this time, they are written and produced as 9-X (Pronounced: Nine X), 9-2x (Pronounced: Nine Two X), 9-3x (Pronounced: Nine Three X), 9-3 (Pronounced: Nine Three), 9-4x (Pronounced: Nine Four X), 9-5 (Pronounced: Nine Five), 9-7x (Pronounced: Nine Seven X)

I leave you with a brief summary from Saab Automobile’s entry from Wikipedia.

Saab / SAAB Correct Capitalization and Model Nomenclature:

While Saab is in fact an acronym, and, as with many other manufacturers, the word “SAAB” appears in all-capitals within the corporate emblem and in on-vehicle badging, the current correct capitalization of Saab when in print is “Saab,” and not “SAAB.”[citation needed] Other manufacturers such as Volvo, Toyota, Lexus, Acura, and Chevrolet employ the use of all-capitalized vehicle badging, but they are still considered proper names and capitalized as such when written. Likewise, Saab is treated as a proper name and not an acronym, despite its origins..”[citation needed]

Furthermore, all current Saab vehicles are badged with a large 9 and a smaller 3, 5, or 7x following the 9, such as “9³”. However, the digits are considered separate, and are spoken as, for example, “nine three,” and written as “9-3.” Nearly every Saab model ever produced has begun with the number 9 (Saab 600 being an exception), and Saab’s two models became 9-3 and 9-5 in the late 1990s, which was likely a marketing attempt at positioning the vehicles as direct competitors to the BMW 3-series and 5-series, respectively.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_Automobile

Photo Credit: Saab History

This Tuesday, marks the first installment for the 2008 season continuing the Saab Sighting series.

This week, I spotted a beautiful green NG Saab 900 4-door coupe in the Dupont Circle area neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Of course I dropped a nice note underneath the windshield wiper in hopes that the owner would be inspired enough to visit the site and see their car prominently displayed. Here’s hoping, enjoy!

Photo Credit: Saab History

Today is Tuesday and that means another installment of the Saab Sighting of the Week. This past weekend during a bike ride to Alexandria, Virginia, I managed to spot a beautiful new generation Saab 900 convertible prominently displayed at a Marina that runs alongside the Potomac River just south of National Airport. The photo opportunity was just too good to pass up.

If you have any photographs of Saab sightings that you would like to share, please contact me directly and I will gladly post them.

Photo Credit: Saab History

I have not done a Saab sighting of the week in quite some time, until today. Today, I happened to spot a beautiful cirrus white, NG900 passing by the Embassy of Argentina.

I hope to find some more good sightings in the future, but it’s all about timing as you can imagine and by the looks of this photo, I just managed to take the photo while the Saab started to take flight.

Photo Credit: Mark Ward

Mark Ward of St. Charles, Missouri is now getting very close to getting his project “Saabrina”, the electric Saab NG900 driveable.

He has just received his battery charger now, so he’s almost there. Please take a look at his website to see his amazing progress.

It is quite incredible how much this project has advanced in the last few years, I look forward to seeing this electric Saab NG900 roll down the road, and function almost entirely like a normal Saab NG900, but without the internal combustion engine.

Photo Credit: GM Heritage Collection

1994 Saab NG900 Cross-Cut Saab USA Heritage Collection. At this time, Saab History has no additional information on this car other than that it is part of the Saab USA Heritage Collection at this time.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile USA

1997 SAAB 900 SE “TALLADEGA CHALLENGE”

Ten years after the successful “Long Run” with a trio of 9000 Turbos, Saab went for an encore at the famous NASCAR Talladega Motor Speedway in Alabama. Doubling the effort with a fleet of six cars, this time around, the Saab of choice was the “New Generation” 900 in a three-door configuration.

When the checkered flag fell on Oct. 24, 1996, a silver Saab 900 SE 2.0 Turbo had covered more than 25,000 miles (40,000 km) at an average speed of more than 140 mph (226.45 km/h), including time spent fueling and servicing the car.

In setting these international records, the Saab 900 had to beat the previous world record that was set with the 9000 Turbo at Talladega in 1986.

Saab’s innovative, water-cooled Garrett turbochargers and Trionic engine management system helped these engines and components endure strains that engineers never imagined. Exhaust temperatures of more than 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and turbocharger’s turbines spinning at almost 200,000 rpm for hours on end proved the durability and reliability of these powerful engines.

After completing a distance equivalent to more than one lap around the earth at full throttle, the Saab 900 Turbo and its V-6, along with its non-turbo brethren, set 40 international speed records.

Following the tradition established a decade earlier with the “Long Run” 9000 Turbo, a record-setting Saab 900 SE from the 1996 Talladega Challenge was retained for the Saab Heritage Collection in the United States.

This event was titled the “Talladega Challenge” and was the 10-year anniversary of the first time Saab came to Talladega Speedway back in October of 1986 with a series of standard production 9000s known as the “Long Run”.

Here is the detailed video that captures this event. Enjoy.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile USA

1995 SAAB 900 SE “PIKES PEAK”

After a rich career that lasted a quarter-century, it was clear that the brand-defining Saab 99-900 series deserved a worthy successor. The Swedish company had started design and engineering development during the mid-1980s, but found itself in financial trouble as a weakening dollar quickly deteriorated its business in the all-important U.S. market.

By the end of 1989, General Motors Corp. emerged as the white knight for Saab, initially taking a 50-percent interest in the car company. Beyond financial support, GM Europe was also instrumental in providing technical components and systems that led to the completion and launch of the “New Generation” (NG) 900. It debuted in the summer of 1993, initially only in a five-door hatchback configuration.

Its familiar name and design profile notwithstanding, the NG 900 was indeed new from stem to stern. The front-drive powertrain was now transversely mounted, saving space while offering a first in Saab history: a 2.5L V-6 engine, in addition to the tried-and-true, four-cylinder turbo. A unique aircraft-inspired innovation was the “Black Panel,” allowing the driver to shut down all instrument lighting except the speedometer and emergency lights.

To prove that all of these changes didn’t diminish the core qualities that dyed-in-the-wool enthusiasts held so dear, Saab accepted a very tall challenge indeed: to race up the steep gravel roads of Pikes Peak, Colo. faster than any car in its class.

By the time the dust settled, the 1995 three-door, 2.0L Turbo Saab 900 SE made its point. The New Generation was here to stay.

REF: Pikes Peak “Race To The Clouds” 1997

UPDATE: SOLD AT AUCTION IN JANUARY OF 2009

The New design of the Saab 900 convertible or “cabriolet” in Europe, was introduced in 1995 following the new generation model 900 sedan that was introduced a year earlier.

One can deduce from watching both of these videos, the Saab 900 model that ran from 1994 until 1998 was safer in front-end crashes that encountered animals, but not as safe when it came to high speed offset crashes with vehicles or non-movable objects . Take a look at this ABC news clip below and see for yourself.

This is the second of three compiled videos that the IIHS has recently supplied Saab History from their testing facility in Northern, Virginia.

In this video, you will see some significant advances while watching the comparison videos of the 1995 900, 1999 9-3 and 2003 9-3 Sport Sedan.

The video that you are about to see below consists of the following four segments.

* 2003 Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan High Speed Offset Crash Test
* 1999 Saab 9-3 Hatchback High Speed Offset Crash Test
* 1995 Saab 900 Hatchback High Speed Offset Crash Test
* 1995 Saab 900 Hatchback Crash Test split-screen comparison with 2003 Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan.

Enjoy the video and post your comments below.

For more information on the IIHS, please visit http://www.iihs.org/

Mark Ward of Missouri, the proud owner of a 1995 Saab 900 began an ongoing project to convert his Saab into a complete electric car that he refers to as “SAABRINA”.

It looks like he has been making some good progress with this electric Saab project over the past year.

For more information on his project, please visit his blog at http://saabrina.blogspot.com/