Photo Credits: Exclusive Motors

Saab History welcomes Exclusive Motors in Los Angeles as a premium sponsor. The owner of the company, Jeremy Morrissey is a proud supporter of Saab History, and is no stranger to Saab’s history.

Morrissey started out as a Saab mechanic at a dealer no longer in business where he was a quick study. In a short amount of time, he transitioned into a sales rep working at what was at the time, the top selling Saab dealership in the United States, Ramsey Saab, as shown in the 1985 Saab Scania of America dealership development video (4:48). At this dealership, he became one of the top selling sales reps in the country, working there from approximately 1988 until 1995 under the leadership of the owner, Ray Van Duren. His experience was unique as Van Duren was quite an influential dealer at this time where he pushed for variations of Saab products that sold such as the Monte Carlo yellow convertible, platana grey convertible, power seats in the 9000 in 1989 while ensuring that the SPG would continue production in 1990 and 1991 model years. After speaking with Jeremy, he seems to have an emotional attachment to the experience with Ray.

Following this launch of his career for nearly a decade at Ramsey Saab, he continued to explore other Saab dealerships to apply his unique marketing skill in New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Spending a significant amount of time in the North East, he decided to move out to the good weather in sunny California, to become the general Manager of Saab of Santa Monica from 2001 until 2008. Here, he turned this dealer into the #2 volume dealer in the country and #1 in the Western region.

As the economy hit the automotive landscape hard in 2008, he decided to finally open Exclusive Motors, his own independent facility. He reflects on the time he has had working with Saab since the early eighties and says that “he has made some of the best friends he has ever had” and believes that “the close knit nature of the Saab dealerships allowed for good relationships amongst employees and customers to be there through thick and thin”

Taking on the ideas of how the dealership network can be influential, Morrissey contributed to a number of advertisement campaigns over the years.

In addition, he has contributed to product additions much like his former boss did, ensuring that the then new 9-5 came equipped with leather door panels opposed to the cloth it was introduced with. It was at the 1997 Jubilee in Sweden where he spoke with the then President of Saab Automobile AB, Bob Hendry, which ensured that this product change became a reality. Other product initiatives also included the design package in the ‘02 9-3 SE convertible.

When he looks back at all of the great times he has had with Saab here in the United States, 1992 was his best year overall. That being said, it was a former colleague of his that put him in touch with Saab History and eventually took ownership of a vehicle that meant a great deal to him, that was the 1992 Saab 900 Turbo project. Spending a significant amount of time and resources to personally restore this vehicle, I was very happy to learn that it would be going to a good home in a place where it would be cared for. Since the sale, I have learned that it has been further restored utilizing original parts that he has been saving for 18 years such as a new windshield, leather seats, etc. Today, Morrissey proudly displays this vehicle in the showroom at Exclusive Motors.

Today, he continues his pursuit in carrying the Saab torch by restoring nearly 15 classic Saab models to their original appearance, with original parts he has been storing away for nearly 20 years. These vehicles include very low 1987 900 Turbo rose quartz, 1991 9000 Turbo 5-Door, 1991 Beryl Green SPG, 1992 900 Turbo 3-door, 1992 9000 CD Griffin Edition, 1993-1997 Aero & Anniversary Edition, 1993 900 CE, 1993 900 Emola Red convertible, 1994 900 Eucalyptus convertible and 1994 900 CE Convertible.

A historian in his own right from his experience and passion from working with Saab, Morrissey is thrilled to see Saab owned by an exclusive and unique brand.

Photo Credit: Swedish Motor Cars

Swedish Motor Cars, longtime supporter and advertiser on Saab History, are selling a rare 1986 Saab 900 Convertible in silver.

This model year was the first year of the convertible and only 400 of these were ever made. The price is right.

Swedish Motor Cars continue to sell some rare Saabs like the 1993 Saab 900 commemorative edition that just sold to a Saab History frequenter in Toronto back in November.

Please contact them for more details and tell them Ryan at Saab History sent you:

(Serious Inquiries Only)

Swedish Motor Cars
551 North Washington Street
Falls Church Virginia 22046-3536

phone 703.237.0988
fax 703.891.0152

http://www.swedishmotorcars.com

swedishmotorcars@aol.com

Photo Credit: James

James from Canada, a big Saab Enthusiast, first contacted me about my 1992 Saab 900 just after the sale was completed, fortunately he was able to secure this sale for the last year of the Saab 900 with site sponsor, Swedish Motor Cars.

The vehicle that was acquired was a limited edition 141 out of 325 1993 Saab 900 Commemorative edition 3-door hatchback.

Since acquiring the vehicle last week, he has enjoyed the drive back up North. He owns other Saab 900 models, but this one really holds a special place in his heart.

As he prepares the vehicle for winter storage, I have made the suggestion that he get it registered on the Saab Commemorative Edition registry so that it can be identified with the other 325 owners in North America.

It’s nice to see a Saab Owner acquire a beautiful yet rare Saab from an enthusiastic independent Saab shop today. A special congratulations to both for creating a sale that ensures that the new owner is able to keep this historical piece alive for years to come.

There has been quite an interesting dialogue in the comments field recently about the future of Saab Cars North America.

This dialogue involves the concept of including select independent Saab facilities to do warranty work where there are no Saab dealerships within a range of 100 miles in all directions in the United States. This program actually has been done in the past with a facility in Orange, Connecticut that went up when a local dealership closed, creating an opportunity of which Saab Cars USA at the time accepted and was quite successful.

With the precedent already set for this kind of arrangement, the question now is, how many of these independents due to many factors such as the quality of their facility, the quality of their work, their ability to work on modern Saabs and of course their geographic location would be able to be chosen if such a program came into existence? I am sure that all of the owners of any independent Saab facility would be interested in this idea, but obviously the final choice would not just fall on them.

I encourage you to add your comments into this dialogue below to continue this thread. I’ve taken the previous comments and included them here, so we don’t have to start from scratch on the topic once again. I would like to hear from not only independents and customers, but dealerships as well, to talk about the pluses and/or minuses of this idea.

Photo Credit: Swedish Motor Cars

Swedish Motor Cars in Washington, D.C., a proud sponsor of Saab History is selling a rare 1994 900 CE convertible with just 97,793 miles on the odometer!

It is certainly a clean car, especially it is only one of 500 ever produced and officially the last year of the classic 900 convertible and comes with all of the bells and whistles!

Click here for more information on this car to inquiry about it if you are in the market.

Photo Credit: Mile Hi Body Shop. Inc.

Saab History welcomes Mile Hi Body Shop in Denver, Colorado as sponsor and advertiser. It is Mile Hi Body Shop that is one of the sponsors of what’s shaping up to be one of the most incredible Saab Owners Conventions in history, the 2009 SOC “Summit Of The Nines” which just opened registration.

Please welcome Mile Hi Body Shop in Denver as a proud supporter of the Saab Automobile since 1969!

Our loyal customers know that we respect the SAAB automobile as much as they do. That’s why we’ve specialized exclusively in SAAB maintenance and repair since 1969. Mile Hi is a complete, full service, independent SAAB garage. “We don’t guess . . . we TEST”. And we don’t fail to notice the obvious, either. We use our decades of experience and state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment to locate a problem before we make repairs. We’re committed to save our customers time and money.

Our History
From a pie bakery to automotive . . . What a change! In 1956, Kenneth Danner, not desiring the California lifestyle, moved to Denver. Working as a route deliveryman for a pie bakery, he learned the food industry and eventually formed Thompson Pie Co. Baking delicious pies and cakes, in a short time Ken had established a large clientele catering primarily to downtown Denver’s restaurants and cafes. In the early 60’s, Ken took the opportunity to slow down and enjoy life when his major competitor, Puritan Pie Co., offered to buy Thompson Pie Company.

Florian Schmidt was a devoted pie customer and good friends with Ken. Florian worked on cars in his garage and always desired to open an auto body shop. After selling his pie company, Ken and Florian formed a business called Schmidt’s Body Shop.

In 1963, Ken met Dick Catron, the owner of a regional SAAB parts and sales business. Dick opened a retail dealership and commissioned Ken to repair autos that were damaged during transport. In 1969, Ken dissolved his partnership with Florian and started Mile Hi Body Shop.

Gerald Danner (Jerry), was always around the body shop business growing up and had developed a general knowledge of body work and mechanical problems. In the early 1970’s, Jerry took over Mile Hi. By 1977, Mile Hi Body Shop had built a reputation as a one-stop-shop for SAAB body work and repairs. In 1980, Ken Danner turned over the shop to his son Jerry. A couple of years later, the shop had grown and relocated to accommodate a wrecking yard of SAAB cars for used parts.

Customer satisfaction, hard work and the love of SAABs is what motivates Mile Hi Body Shop. As cars get more sophisticated and technology is on the rise, we continually stay in touch with the latest challenges and problems. The foundation established by Kenneth Danner of exceptional customer satisfaction is still our first and foremost goal.

Mile Hi Body Shop, Inc.
519 Lipan Street
Denver, CO 80204-4906

Phone: 800.757.7222

Web: http://www.milehibodyshop.com

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Please welcome Saab independent, Swedish Motor Cars of Falls Church, Virginia, as a sponsor with Saab History. Saab Enthusiast owned and operated, Swedish Motor Cars prides themselves on their Saab sales, service and restoration projects and are the most accessible Saab independent in the Washington, D.C. metro region!

Have you ever gone to a dealership and been able to have all of your cars needs met at the same facility? Maintenance, Mechanical, Electrical, Collision, Paint, Detailing and Accessories?

Dedicated to the proposition that all automobile service and repair should be high quality, fast, personal, and reasonably priced, Swedish Motor Cars, Inc. is an independent shop offering over 35 years of top notch automotive expertise. We have a fully staffed service department with quality skilled technicians, service scan tools which are being updated to handle most makes and models and a database competitive with the franchise dealers for repair diagnosis. Our on-site body shop is staffed with premiere collision repair specialists whose skills range from subtle and simple repairs to the most difficult collision repair. Our technicians are certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence or by manufacturer factory training programs.

We will work directly with you to describe your automobile’s needs and explain your options for service and repair. We offer our customers options to get better deals and better prices than can be found at a dealership. All our work is guaranteed. Call us for an appointment, or come in to see the owner Richard Rudenko, or Service Manager Nevin Cuff at our Falls Church, Virginia location.

Swedish Motor Cars
551 North Washington Street
Falls Church Virginia 22046-3536

phone 703.237.0988
fax 703.891.0152

http://www.swedishmotorcars.com

swedishmotorcars@aol.com

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Photo Credits: Saab History

Over the past holiday season, I got the chance to visit two of my site sponsors, and one of them was Atomic Auto in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Getting this chance to meet the team led by Travis Decker, was quite nice and pleasant. Their shop was without question, extremely convenient and it never ceases to amaze me just how much product knowledge is retained in the independent Saab shops today.

During my visit, I got the chance to meet the rest of the crew, Lou, Barry and Eamon who got to show me a little about what their normal days are like and what kind of work they do. What really impressed me during my stay was how clean their shop was, in addition to just happening to see a frequent customer stop by to ask about getting his headlight working. The impressive part about this experience was seeing Travis meet the customer’s unscheduled visit and request within minutes allowing the customer to get back on the road again. Where does that kind of customer service exist today?

As I departed, Travis was able to get me some historical literature that he was saving, one of those pieces included an original Saab 900 engineering features booklet in “mint” condition!

A great shop, great people and great customer service!

Atomic Auto
726 SE 6th
Portland, Oregon 97214
503 969-3134

http://www.atomicauto.biz/

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Saab History welcomes Saab Colorado, Inc. an independent Saab repair shop from the Denver, Colorado region of the United States as a site sponsor.

In 2000, I visited the owner of Saab Colorado, Inc., formerly known as Donald J. Koziol Saab repair, while I was visiting my Brother who lived there. I have to say that experience at Donald J. Koziol’s was memorable to say the least. I am more than happy that they have expressed their interest in supporting Saab history.

As part of this unique sponsorship arrangement, Saab of Colorado is also supporting Saab History’s video coverage of the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

The 2008 NAIAS looks to be quite the event, especially given that we have heard it is the location for the world premiere of the new yet to be seen Saab Crossover vehicle, touted as the Saab 9-4x.

Here is a summary about the service that Saab Colorado, Inc., provides to their customers:

The Service:

We offer full mechanical service and top quality repair. All work carries the same warranty as the manufacturer: 1-year parts, 1-year labor, unlimited mileage (with the exception of standard-wear items).

The Quality:

All work includes in-depth analysis, diagnoses, and repair of your SAAB®. We cater to the serious owner who wants to keep their SAAB® in top working condition.

The Pricing:

Our pricing is competitive with the industry and area. We do charge factory list prices for parts and do not charge more than SAAB® suggests as list pricing.

Our labor rates reflect true times for the repair work, not smoke and mirror times by posting a cheap labor rate and then expecting our customers to believe in bogus repair times. Some of our competition in the mile hi city has a reputation for this type of archaic pricing. I personally feel it is an insult to the intelligence of anyone to do this. This was an old practice done years ago that gave and still does give the industry a bad reputation. Labor guide times are posted in numerous books and standards have been set. If a job is a three hour job, you should be charged that at your posted rate, not be told it is a six hour job. We have a base charge of one half hour labor for diagnostics. If more diagnostic time is needed we will notify you of additional charges beforehand and give you our results to that point. Some repair times include diagnostic times which we incorporate in the repair jobs needed if we perform them.

In most cases all parts installed are oem ( original equipment from the manufacturer) This ensures that only top quality parts that you are billed for are what you are receiving. It is not a uncommon practice for many shops to use subquality parts and still bill you for the oem to increase their profit margines.

Summary:

Driving and maintaining your SAAB® should be a pleasure, so we treat your SAAB® as if it is our own. Adding you to our family of customers brings rewards and relationships that we both share. Our goal is to provide you with the best customer service possible. If you are happy then we feel we have done our job the way it should be done. Please email us if you have any questions. We will be happy to assist you.

- DJK

SAAB COLORADO, INC.
5555 W. 11TH. AVE. #E
LAKEWOOD CO 80214

Tel: 303 – 238 – SAAB (7222) / Toll Free: 1 – 888 – 606 – SAAB

Web: http://www.saabman.com

Photo Credit: Saab History

The 1992 Saab 900 Turbo that I just rescued in Washington, D.C. had a safe travel up North to New England with special thanks to Bill Jacobson at Sports Car Service in Wilmington, Delaware, conveniently located off of Interstate 95.

This rust-free mid-atlantic Saab was a private sale that really needed some immediate replacement and repair in the tire & wheel department. The two front wheels were bald, not to mention varying tire speed ratings and three out of the four wheels were identified as bent.

Thanks to Mr. Jacobson’s Viking Wheel Service also conveniently located on the premises at Sports Car Service, I was able to not only get three replacement tires for the trip up North that matched the 4th tire, but I was also able to get these unique directional wheels straightened all at the same time. The result of Viking Wheel Service’s work, yielded a significantly safer and comfortable driving experience in comparison to the first two hours of the drive and that’s the least of what they do.

This Saab enthusiast operated Viking Wheel service not only straightens any and all Saab wheels, but they also completely restore them back to original OEM standards and look brand new. It is also important to mention that unlike many wheel restoring companies that use a process that virtually eliminates the lips of the wheel, Viking Wheel Service uses a special CNC lathe that has the accuracy of 200ths of an inch, resulting in the least amount of material removed in order to ensure a showroom condition.

Here is the list of amazing amount of services they provide:

Wheel straightening, Stripping, Certified Welding, CNC Face Machining, Refinishing, Powder Coating, Polishing, Chrome Plating, Custom Finishes, Wheel Widening, Custom Work, Wheel Locator Service.

I highly recommend taking full advantage of this Saab enthusiast owned and operated Viking Wheel Service at Sports Car Service. Conveniently located right off Interstate 95 for locals on the East coast region of the United States just 2-hours North of Washington, D.C. , and 4 hours South of New York city, Sports Car Service offers a multitude of wheel services at a reasonable price without the burden of state tax given their geographic location in Delaware. With the international exchange rate advantageous to those outside of the United States, you can take note that they also ship Internationally.

This is the place where I will be sending my wheels before next summer. If you need to get your wheels redone once and for all, I suggest you tour their website, then give them a call now that we’re in the winter season so that they are ready to enjoy by the summer.

The 2008 Saab Owners Convention is also just around the corner, so get those beat-up old Saab wheels into Viking Wheel Service, you’ll be glad you did!

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Viking Wheel Service
3901 N. Market St.
Wilmington, DE 19802

Phone: 302.764.4041

E-mail: vikingwheel@verizon.net

Web: http://www.vikingwheel.com/