Saab History

Photo Credit: Saab History

The Central Pennsylvania Saab Club is at it again with their annual and very successful “Saabs @ Carlisle” event which will be taking place again in Carlisle, Pennsylvania this weekend (May 16th until May 18th, 2008). The majority of people will be there on Saturday, May 17th, 2008.

If you can make it to this event in the North Eastern region of the United States, get your registration in today!

Begins: Friday, May 16, 2008 at 7:00 am ET
Ends: Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 3:00 pm ET
Where: Carlisle Fair Grounds - Carlisle, PA 17013 US
“Pre-Registration has closed at this time, so if you are bringing a SAAB, register it at Gate 3, using SAABs at Carlisle as your club affiliation. Gate registration is $25 this year (I think). You’ll also need to pick up a badge from us for $6 per person, which gets you lunch on Saturday (and Sunday,too). The Saturday night cookout is $20 per person.”

SAABs @ Carlisle is a SAAB enthusiast event, held in conjuction with the Carlisle Import/Kit Replicar Nationals. It is a “car-show within a much bigger car show”. Attendees have complete access to all of the events and activities happening all week-end long, including access to the vendor and parts swap-meet areas. In 2007, we drew in 211 SAABs and the event set a new attendance record with over 1,500 cars.

Organized by the Central Penn SAAB Club, with help from our friends in WASAAB, NYSOC, NESA, SAABlink.net, and VSCNA clubs, SAABs @ Carlisle has quickly become the largest regional SAAB enthusiasts’ gathering annually, with attendees from as many as 14 states, and as far away as California and Florida. For the last 6 consecutive years, SAABs @ Carlisle has won the hotly contested Club Participation Award, and 2008 looks to be an even bigger challenge, thanks to the folks who drive Sweden’s second best cars; Volvo’s. The Volvo Club of America has us in their sights and want to take the trophy this year. The featured marque this year is British Vehicles, so it will be a real test to see if we can hold on to the Club Participation Trophy for one more year. Get those SAABs ready to roll into Carlisle, Pennsylvania for another epic battle of owner loyalty between SAABs and everything else on wheels.

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Photo Credit: Robin Morley

Robin Morley, a Saab enthusiast has been responsible for organizing Swedish Car Day in the United Kingdom this past Saturday at the Haynes International Motor Museum in Sparkford.

It is very nice to see more Swedish Car Days, given that the North East of the United States now has two strong, we can use more of these events being spread out to other towns, cities, and countries all over the world.

Lastly, it was also nice to see a pair of Saab 9-3 Turbo-X’s present, representing both the Sport Sedan and SportCombi variations.

For more information on Swedish Car Day U.K, please visit their website directly. http://www.swedishday.co.uk/ and for more photographs, please visit her Flickr page

A thank you to Robin for providing the photographs and writeup below, enjoy:

Dear Driver

As you know I organized a Swedish Day here in the West Country at Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford.

The day was a fantastic success with everybody commenting on what a great day they had had.

The gates to the museum opened at just before 9am and we got down to getting the party tents erected. A few of the early arrivals helped and with-in the hour we were ready. By 10am a good dozen Saabs had turned up and we started to park them round the car park area that we had been reserved by Haynes.

By about 11.30 we had a very nice gathering of Saabs then the first Volvo turned up with a cheer from the Saab owners. After all it was a Swedish Day. The Volvo was a very smart gold C70.

During the day we had a total of 41 different cars turn up. A couple of Saabs did turn up as visitors to the museum so were invited to park with us. It was great to talk to so many enthusiasts.

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Photo Credits: Saab History & Christopher Campbell

On Saturday, April 26th, 2008 the fifth annual Springtime in Sweden took place in Amherst, New Hampshire from 10am until 3pm.

This event is in memory of Kyle (SPGUY) and his Brother Tim Crisman who lost their lives on the afternoon of November 3rd, 2002 in an automobile accident on their way home from visiting their Grandmother.

The idea of the annual Springtime in Sweden event was created, due to Kyle and Tim’s dream to some day, have a large Saab gathering at their home. This dream continues to reflect their wishes each and every year and this year, a record 70 plus Saabs turned out on a picture perfect day filled with sunshine to show their support.

The name “Springtime in Sweden” denotes a vehicle, specifically a limited-edition 1988 Saab 900 Turbo Convertible that Kyle dreamt about owning some day. This vehicle, now celebrating it’s 20th Anniversary this year (1988-2008), is now in the Crisman family due to a number of supportive and kind individuals from the Saab community who worked together so that this dream would be realized. This Springtime in Sweden or “SiS” Saab is now celebrated amongst the other Saabs at this annual event. The Crisman Family indicates that there is also a second Saab SiS in the works, so in due time, we shall see two.

The proceeds of this event go to the Kyle and Tim Crisman Memorial Scholarship Fund. This scholarship, which has awarded seven scholarships over the years, four for the automobile & business areas and three for culinary arts will be awarding two more this May.

In addition to this event, the Crisman Family also have organized a 5K Race/Walk event that takes place this August 9th, 2008 at 10am at Souhegan High School, also in Amherst, New Hampshire.

To date, the Kyle and Tim Crisman Memorial Scholarship Fund has awarded more than $30,000 to Souhegan High School students and other organizations in and around their region.

At the end of the day, all of the Saab owners and enthusiasts gathered around for an award ceremony thanks to a number of sponsors, but also, more importantly, a thank you from all of the members of the Crisman family for attending this memorable event.

Today, the annual Springtime in Sweden event is now referred to as the kickoff for all Saab events in the North East.

A thank you to the Crisman Family for hosting this annual event. I look forward to returning to Springtime in Sweden in 2009!

For more information on this event and to participate and/or donate, please visit their website directly at http://www.crismanmemorial.org

Photo Credit: The Crisman Family

The Springtime in Sweden event, now in it’s fourth year will take place this Saturday and Saab History will be in attendance.

The Fifth Annual Springtime in Sweden event is taking place on April 26th, 2007 in Amherst, New Hampshire.

For more information on this event and to participate and/or donate, please visit their website directly at http://www.crismanmemorial.org

   

Fifth Annual Springtime In Sweden Saab Gathering
In Memory of Kyle and Tim Crisman
Saturday, April 26, 2008
10am to 3pm

About The Event
The event is in memory of Kyle (SPGUY) and Tim Crisman.
On the afternoon of November 3, 2002, Kyle and Tim were on their way home from a visit with their Grandmother, when they lost their lives in an automobile accident.

Kyle had a passion for Saabs and Tim was very close behind. They would spend countless hours out in the driveway working on them - Kyle on his prize 1988 SPG and Tim on his Dad’s 9000 Aero, which he hoped to someday own. One of Kyle and Tim’s dreams was to have a Saab gathering at our house. You see, we have just about three acres of field. “Perfect for a Saab gathering. Don’t you think?” That is what they would always say. So, we would like to fulfill one of their dreams. What better way to celebrate Kyle and Tim’s lives, than to have a Saab celebration in their yard.

The other dream of Kyle’s was to own a 1988 SIS convertible. As you may know, SIS stands for “Springtime in Sweden”. Well, we now own an SIS thanks to so many wonderful people in the Saab world that Kyle used to chat with. The car is being restored as we speak and will someday soon be in our possession. This is all due to so many caring people that knew Kyle and Tim. So please come and join us for the very first and hopefully many more “Springtime in Sweden” Saab gatherings.

The Proceeds
All the proceeds will go to The Kyle and Tim Crisman Memorial Scholarship Fund. To date, the scholarship has awarded seven scholarships - four for the automotive/business and three in the culinary arts. Two additional scholarships will be awarded in May. There are numerous other awards that are given out during the year. Thanks to all those who have contributed.

Who Should Attend:
Saab owners/enthusiasts, car lovers of all kinds and those interested in donating to a worthy cause. Bring your own parts for swap or sale. Who knows what you might find!

Date:
Saturday April 26, 2008

Time:
10am to 3pm

Donation: It’s $15 to get in which includes passengers in the car

Information: http://www.crismanmemorial.org

Location: (Click here for directions)
2 Jennifer Lane
Amherst, NH

The Fifth Annual Springtime in Sweden event is taking place on April 26th, 2007 in Amherst, New Hampshire.

For more information on this event and to participate and/or donate, please visit their website directly at http://www.crismanmemorial.org

Fourth Annual Springtime In Sweden Saab Gathering
In Memory of Kyle and Tim Crisman
Saturday, April 26, 2008
10am to 3pm

About The Event
The event is in memory of Kyle (SPGUY) and Tim Crisman.
On the afternoon of November 3, 2002, Kyle and Tim were on their way home from a visit with their Grandmother, when they lost their lives in an automobile accident.

Kyle had a passion for Saabs and Tim was very close behind. They would spend countless hours out in the driveway working on them - Kyle on his prize 1988 SPG and Tim on his Dad’s 9000 Aero, which he hoped to someday own. One of Kyle and Tim’s dreams was to have a Saab gathering at our house. You see, we have just about three acres of field. “Perfect for a Saab gathering. Don’t you think?” That is what they would always say. So, we would like to fulfill one of their dreams. What better way to celebrate Kyle and Tim’s lives, than to have a Saab celebration in their yard.

The other dream of Kyle’s was to own a 1988 SIS convertible. As you may know, SIS stands for “Springtime in Sweden”. Well, we now own an SIS thanks to so many wonderful people in the Saab world that Kyle used to chat with. The car is being restored as we speak and will someday soon be in our possession. This is all due to so many caring people that knew Kyle and Tim. So please come and join us for the very first and hopefully many more “Springtime in Sweden” Saab gatherings.

The Proceeds
All the proceeds will go to The Kyle and Tim Crisman Memorial Scholarship Fund. To date, the scholarship has awarded seven scholarships - four for the automotive/business and three in the culinary arts. Two additional scholarships will be awarded in May. There are numerous other awards that are given out during the year. Thanks to all those who have contributed.

Who Should Attend:
Saab owners/enthusiasts, car lovers of all kinds and those interested in donating to a worthy cause. Bring your own parts for swap or sale. Who knows what you might find!

Date:
Saturday April 26, 2008

Time:
10am to 3pm

Donation: It’s $15 to get in which includes passengers in the car

Information: http://www.crismanmemorial.org

Location: (Click here for directions)
2 Jennifer Lane
Amherst, NH

Robin in the United Kingdom as advertised in the recent issue of Saab Driver, will be hosting a stateside equivalent of Swedish Car Day, called “Swedish Day”.

Swedish Day features all marques including Saab, Volvo as well as Koenigsegg!

Here are the particulars on the show below:

What:

The show is for everyone with an interest in everything Swedish especially the cars.

This is going to be a relaxed family show where you come along and park up for the day.

Chat to old friends and meet new ones.

Admire each others cars and exchange stories and ideas.

All cars can enter the shiny car competition if they want.

There will also be entertainment for the children

Where:

Please follow the local signs to “Yeovil Town Football Club”

The Sat Nav information is:- Huish Park, Yeovil, BA22 8YF

When: Saturday, April 27th, 2008

http://www.swedishday.co.uk

Photo Credit: Mary Egan

The 1992 Saab Owners Convention took place in Columbus, Ohio during Aug 7th-9th.

The Photograph above was kindly donated by Bill Jacobson of Sports Car Service in Delaware that I have recently visited and written about, as well as the official convention booklet that you can download below that was kindly donated this weekend at Swedish Car Day 8 by the Stottler Family.

I am still looking for any video footage taken during this event, so if you have any or know of someone who has any, please contact me.

This convention is also listed on the Saab Convention Archive here on Saab History.

WELCOME SAAB OWNERS…

…to the 1992 National Convention. On behalf of the SAAB Club of Central Ohio, I am happy you made the trip to Columbus, the largest city in the world named for the explorer and where the 500th anniversary of his voyage is being celebrated community-wide.

It was two years ago this weekend, while attending the National Convention in Sturbridge that I decided to host this yera’s event. Since that date, much time and energy has gone into making the convention a success. Hats off to all the volunteers, sponsors, advertisers and others who have made this convention a reality.

Please look through this program to familiarize yourself with all the activities being offered. We have a very full, tight schedule all weekend and we hope to keep things running along. If you ever have questions or need information, please see the people wearing the red ribbons on their name tag. You can also stop in the registration room which will also be our information and message center.

Again, I want to welcome you to the 1992 National SAAB Owners Convention and I hope you enjoy yourself!

Sincerely,

Dan Orzano
Convention Chairman

Here is the official convention booklet available for download below.

Photo Credits: Saab History

The 8th annual Swedish Car Day took place this past Sunday, October 21st, 2007. Well over 200 Saabs made it to Swedish Car Day over the course of the day this year from all over the North East region of the United States, although there was one enthusiast spotted with plates from Wisconsin!

The hosts of Swedish Car Day was Charles River Saab, who are the oldest Saab dealer in the United States and it was at this event where they celebrated their 50th anniversary (1957-2007) at this wonderful event.

The weather in the Boston area was also the best that I have seen in years and the enthusiasm followed suit. The Saab Owners and enthusiasts who made the journey certainly enjoyed the day getting to mingle with old friends, making new friends and buying Saab t-shirts & other items in celebration of one of the most beautiful settings for a car event in New England during the fall season.

The Saab Automobile USA Heritage Collection made another appearance which were carefully chosen and located throughout the event. These heritage collection Saabs included a nice surprise addition to the fleet this year, a beautiful bullnose Saab 95 as depicted above as photo number 11. Other Saabs from the heritage collection included the 1956 Sonett I, the 1967 Sonett II, 1970 Sonett III, 1966 SAAB 96 Monte Carlo 850, Skip Barber Pro-Series Saab & the 20th Anniversary Saab Convertible.

Dick Balsley and his staff responsible for the Saab USA Heritage Collection, whom some of you may have met at the recent 2007 Saab Owners Convention in Troy, Michigan, were also present and were spotted meandering through the beautiful collection of cars owned by fellow Saab owners and enthusiasts.

In the morning, Steve Shannon, President of Saab Automobile USA was on hand to take questions and meet with Saab owners and enthusiasts which was a nice treat for all who attended. I understand that due to the number of people anticipating his appearance, Steve Shannon received quite a series of questions!

Throughout the event due to the super weather, I managed to take a number of high quality photographs this year for those that were unable to make it. I hope these photos provide you a good idea of how well attended Swedish Car Day was and what kind of experience and impression it left on those who were able to to attend.

From the time I arrived at Swedish Car Day until I had to depart back home, I encountered many friendly faces, those familiar to me as well as many new acquaintances. These encounters were hard to put into words, and I think it was safe to say that everyone left Swedish Car Day with a smile.

Photo Credits: Jon DelRosario

Saab History travels North from Washington, D.C. to Swedish Car Day 2007 to enjoy a traditional New England setting of Saabs surrounded by breathtaking autumn foliage.

While I will be making the rounds in the morning, I plan on taking higher quality photographs than we have experienced previously due to a new investment in the Saab History project, a new digital camera. If you want anything specifically covered, please contact me directly on this site and I will make sure that it included in the photography taken.

For those that will be making the journey to Swedish Car Day, I look forward to seeing you there as the weather looks terrific. . From the Enthusiasts cars, the Saab USA Heritage Collection, to the President of Saab Automobile, USA, Steve Shannon, available in the morning for questions, this event will be one of the memory books.and the anticipated turnout is expected to be far larger than ever before!

When: Sunday, October 21st, 2007 (9-2pm) ARRIVE EARLY AND SHOW YOUR SAAB!

Where:

Larz Anderson Auto Museum
15 Newton Street
Brookline, MA 02445

View Larger Map

Swedish Car Day 8 is coming up again this year so mark your calendars, it will be this weekend, on October 21st, 2007 again at the Larz Anderson Museum of Transportation in Brookline, Massachusetts.

This is also a special year for the host of the event, Charles River Saab as they are not only the oldest Saab dealership in the United States, but this is also their 50th anniversary since they began in 1957.

This event will also mark the first official event since the New England Saab Association’s reorganization and recent website launch.

The Saab USA Heritage Collection will also be present once again this year in a similiar capacity, the number of cars are unknown at this time, but this addition will be another great part of a super weekend.

Please take a look at the official Sweidsh Car Day website to see what the previous years looked like in their photo archive.

Swedish Car Day appears to be having a lot going on this year with their anniversary celebrations, so it should be quite the time. Mark your calendars for another fantastic occasion in a beautiful fall setting in New England!

Early Birds in the Boston area on Saturday, have been extended an open-invite to a reception at Charles River Saab from 6-8pm as part of a celebration of their 50 years as Saab dealership.

Start making your plans today for this very special annual Saab event!

The 2001 Saab Owners Convention took place at Vero Beach, Florida between July 12th and 15th.

If you have any other material that should be included in the 2001 Saab Owners Convention posting here, please contact Saab History for that material to be added.

I am currently looking for the official “group photograph“, and any video footage to include in this posting. A thank you to Rich Chuma for providing the official brochure below.

This convention is also listed on the Saab Convention Archive here on Saab History.

SAAB CARS USA, INC.
For Immediate Release

SAAB CONVERTIBLES. SUN AND FUN TO HIGHLIGHT ANNUAL OWNERS’ CONVENTION IN VERO BEACH. JULY 12-15

Norcross, GA - Each year, hundreds of Saab enth