Here’s how the Saab 900 and 9-3 were the beginning of the end for Saab 

I grew up a GM kid in the late 80s- early 90s. Diehard Chevy guy. My first car was a 1982 4-door 900. I wrecked it and pulled a 1984 900S hatchback out of the junkyard. I loved those cars and never forgave GM for what they did to SAAB.

It's interesting how ASC (American Sunroof Corporation) shows up frequently in these videos. May a standalone video about them is in order.

My 900NG is now 21 years old and has driven almost 500k km. Driven it to almost everywere in europe. Super reliable. And still considerably fast. Worst part is the rust, had to buy a donor for the body, but its worth it. To million and more kms!

Saab is missed. The 2011 9-5 and 9-4x were so promising. And they still look good a decade later.

I had a buddy in college in the late 80's that drove a Saab turbo. I don't remember the exact model but it was a two door and it was pretty damn fast for back then. I remember I always like that car.

Watching this one hurts because I really love (present tense) SAAB I still own a 2003 9-3 vector 6 spd

I will “never” sell our Saab Aero! Best car we’ve ever owned and thanks to Orion in Sweden still making parts, it’s easy to maintain.

Was never tempted by a Saab but always found them interesting. Of course, their truck division, Scania, is still going strong under VW ownership.

I had a 98 saab 900 turbo convertible. I really loved that car. Very comfortable. Had enough speed for me and looked great.

SAAB was one my favorite European automakers. In the mid 80's, my father was stationed in Germany (West) and needed a second car. One of the vehicles he looked at was a new SAAB 900! After learning it can from Sweden and by a manufacturer of the aircraft for Swedish Air Force, it got my interest. Wish all those changes in 90's didn't happen.

I had 2 separate neighbors that owned Saab’s over the years. The one i still keep up with switched to Infiniti after her 4th 9-3 was totaled in 2012.

As the owner of a 02 9-3. Its a fantastically well built car. Everything is solid, and still great to the touch.

I remember a neighbor having a Saab in the '70's, and though it was a bit odd looking it was quite roomy and comfortable when I got a ride in it. Over the years I've known a few people who mostly liked theirs, at least until they had to get them fixed. Where I used to live there was a repair shop that specialized in them known as "Saab Story", which always gave me a chuckle. How many brands has GM destroyed? It seems to be the kiss of death when they buy even a partial interest in any other company.

I loved my Saab 900. I’ll never forgive GM for ruining yet another brand!

I owned a 1986 Saab 900 Turbo and it was a blast to drive. My memory of it wraps around one situation I got myself into where the car saved my ass. I came over the top of hill with a steep drop and in front of me was a car waiting to turn left with oncoming traffic in the other lane. I had no where to bail out so I jammed in the clutch and stood on the brake pedal. I had never before experienced anti-lock brakes as they were very new. I came to a terrorizing stop just a few feet behind the car that I would have otherwise plowed into with any other car. I broke my wife's heart when I traded it on a 1987 Buick T-Type Regal. She loved the Saab.

The Saab 900 series was my most favorite of all the Saabs they made!

I’ve owned 4 Saabs. A 900, 2 900s models and a 9-3. All manuals. Fun cars to drive.

I’ve been wanting a SAAB for years, and the longer I wait, the older they get.

my dad had a 86 turbo coupe and a 88 4 door 900 i loved those cars

Solid, safe cars that didn't rust. Great stability on snow, ferocious fan heaters, and affordable spare parts. Those cars that remain are treasured.

The Saab 99/900 are some of my favorite cars of all time. I loved them in the 80's to this day.

My first Saab was a 1979 EMS with Aztec wheels and a beautiful metallic green with green interior, followed by a 900 Turbo (both hatchbacks), then a 9-3 sedan, then a 9-3 V6 Sport Combi Wagon, and since 2008 a 2004 9-5 Linear wagon

I have owned 2 Saab 9-3 , currently have an 2010 convertible. Best cars I've ever had and if made by GM , I gotta say they did well with my cars . Most reliable cars I've had and one owned 15....sooo sad I won't be able to get another one.

The SAAB 900 was my favorite car to drive bar none. I owned 3 of them and did all my own repair work on them including clutches, water pumps and injectors. I'd still be driving them if it weren't for rust problems and trying to find body parts. It was a standout for handling and braking and the engine could last forever if you maintained it properly.

Had an 86 900 turbo 3 dr. It was awesome. Great in the snow. Lots of room - even got a jet ski inside and was able to close the hatchback. First repair besides regular maintenance was a water pump at 210,000 miles. Adequately fast if you watch out for the torque steer when the turbo came on. Loved that car!

Can't believe that you didn't show the most famous ads demonstrating the most useful feature of the SAAB 900! The ones showing that its hatch and cargo area was so large that with the rear seats folded down it could carry a lawn mower or even a sofa, something very few cars, wagons, or even SUVs can do, even today!

We had a 1995 900s and an 01 9-3 convertible. Both had a ton of stupid problems. That 9-3 was super fast though.

I thought they looked kinda odd as a kid growing up. But they quickly grew on me and I really liked the styling.

I bought a 2007 Saab 9-3 two years ago and it has the 08 interior (07 was a transition year) and I'm going to keep it until the wheels fall off, LoL. Its fast, comfortable and fun to drive. Leather interior, heated seats, sunroof and the its called night panel not dark panel. The only thing that lights up is the speedometer to 90 unless you go faster. It might share the same platform with other gm cars but saab made it better, a lot better. Thank you for the video.

Still miss my 87 Saab 900. Tremendous amounts of room but lacking in horsepower for its five speed in the mountains. My greatest fear was dropping my car keys down between the seats. I should’ve bought the turbo. The seating position was so comfortable that I think I would still have one today.

Thank you for featuring Saab. My favorite brand (before GM) of all time! I could go in forever about my love of the car. It’s true that GM squashed what a true Saab really was. Sad. Luckily, there’s still a following and many who will preserve real Saab’s for a long time ahead.

I had a 2005 9-3 convertible, red (Chili Pepper 🌶...I believe) with a tan interior. I liked its different look and was the only convertible I used as my main vehicle (had a 95 Miata as well but was a "play" car). Never had a problem with it, always got compliments and generally enjoyed the car. Had occasional torque steer when floored and was a bit "noodley" when going over large bumps... but I would definitely get it again. Great summer cruiser.

The Saab Viggen you could not take delivery on until you attended driving school, as Saab insisted that any front wheel drive with more than 250hp was too dangerous to give to the uneducated drver. I had to get an Aero. Because the car I was replacing that was totalled and I couldn't wait. It is a rare and special car. The unicorn Saab.

I own a 1993 9000 CD, bought it at a used car lot, I love it after a test drive, it is really good for its price. Not the best sedan out there, but definitely really safe for its day.

Thanks for the video. It’s making me long for the 2 SAABs I had the pleasure of owning when I first qualified,30 years ago. I had a 900 5spd and replaced this two years later with a 900i and still regret never having owned an iconic 900 Turbo. None of their subsequent models set my heart racing in the way the 900 did;such a beautiful car-in my book more aesthetically perfect than even the Citroen DS. In the intervening years,although I’ve owned Mercedes and BMWs,which were all fantastic and reliable cars,I never loved to the same extent the way I loved the SAABs.I particularly miss inserting the ignition key between the seats,the wraparound windshield(which in terms of visibility has yet to be surpassed),the curved ‘cockpit’ and the overall unconventional atypical coachwork.It’s quite sad that this unique marque has been mothballed.

I remember sitting in a blue 9-3 viggen at the ‘99 Toronto auto show . Even though it was departing from it’s roots I still consider this the last hurrah.

I owned both the 95 Hot Aero (2001) and 93 Aero (2002) they were brilliant cars, I even upgraded both with a Noobtune stage 1 to get more power. Couldn't have asked for better cars. I sold them to family members and I moved on to a 93 Aero 2006.

SAAB is all I'll ever own. To this day there is no other car on the global market that can even compete. I drive a 2008 9-3 now. Still looks brand new in 2021, incredibly reliable and comfortable, one of the safest cars on the market, and fast enough to leave BMWs in my rear view. All that AND more soul than a 70s Ferrari? Hell yes

A fond childhood memory was my Dad visiting a SAAB dealer in a neighboring state and looking at a SAAB 99. He bought back brochures and was impressed with the safety and engineering and thought front wheel drive would be great in our snowy winters. The following year, our AMC dealer opened a SAAB franchise. At the time we had an AMC Hornet which was getting a bit long in tooth....and was also repaired after a fairly serious car accident. We attended the grand opening. Dad took me out on a test drive in a red 99 EMS. It was great fun to ride in. Eventually his job was transferred to another state and a vehicle purchase wasn't a priority. I was disappointed...I figured in 4 years, I would be getting my license and would be learning how to drive in the SAAB. Our new town didn't have a SAAB dealer. We ended up buying a VW Rabbit with AC and an automatic transmission...both of which severely blunted performance...and I ended up learning how to drive in the Rabbit. The Rabbit endured myself and my younger brother as teenaged drivers and I even got to take it out on an autocross course. Later, our town opened a Subaru dealership. Dad ended up buying an Outback wagon and later Legacy sedan, figuring all wheel drive would be great for their severe winters.

Really cool of you to mention the Cadillac BLS, it's a car that I have a strange fondness for and would love to import one day.

Ayyyeee he finally did it! My 2000 Saab 9⁵ Aero Wagon was hands down to this day my favorite car I've ever owned, out of the 20 different cars I've had even being from 20 years ago. Saab was a special brand and it really sucks how GM eventually handled them ( although badge engineering was their plan all along since that's all GM ever does anyways ) but if GM wouldn't have bought them out in the 90s, Saab would have been dead all the way back then so it's bittersweet. I really do wish they could have made it past 2012 tho, some of the concepts GM had for the 2010s actually looked really good. It would have been awesome to see what could have been.

I owned 1986 900s followed by a 1990 900s. I kept that car for 11 years. Ive been driving Mercedes and BMWs ever since, but if the brought the origional 900 back, i'd be tempted.... thanks for the video!!

Still own two of these. A 99' and an 02' Viggen.

I’ve owned a 900, a 9-3, a 9-5 aero, and a 9-7 aero. All were pretty fun cars, but my favorite was the 900 turbo. That thing drove like nothing else. It had equal length drive shafts so it had no torque steer. Wish I could buy another one.

A buddy of mine would buy the mid 80's version with bad turbos and and fix them for flipping. He must have gone through 6-7 of them. Boss had a 86 convertible. Was surprised how quiet it was. Quirky but lovable. How about an episode on ASC corp? They built a lot of the convertibles we all loved in the late 70s and 80s!

Every time I think about with General Motors did to Saab I rage on the inside because the Saab I grow with meant something. It made a statement just by it's mere presence and for it to be destroyed and eventually no longer with us in a current form is a travesty! I wish I could bring it back but at least we can still buy a classic, and before I leave this earth I will have a fleet of Saabs in my multi car garage Saabaholic forever!!!

I own three Saab’s currently- a 9-7x and two NG 9-3’s. I’ve driven tons of different cars. I bought a 2005 Audi A4 this spring while I was working on my 2004 9-3 and needed something to drive. My sister asked how I liked driving “a real luxury car”. I just smiled and said that it was no Saab. I own three Saab’s now and plan to keep them as close to forever as I can. And yes, when the right one shows up, I’ll buy a fourth

Thank you for posting this. I love the brand so much and they are all I've ever driven. I currently have a Viggen and an Aero, so I can keep up with repairs I rotate usage between both of them. It was heartbreaking to watch the brand dissolve over the years under GMs stewardship. Towards the end it was like watching a soap opera unfold. The devotion Saab owners had to the brand was unmatched by any other manufacturer. What a saga.... a true Saab story

SAAB is the veritable underdog of the automotive world! I'm not just proud of a small nation as Sweden having two world renounced car brands, I'm also aware of that the SAAB's rust protection could be better. Just figure when MCM bought an OG 900 Turbo for next to nothing 'cause it got more than 400K kms on it, imagine how easily sold that would have been in Sweden considering no rust which all daily's suffer from here! Mileage aint nothing to these engines! :P

I miss Saab aaaah

Out of all the brands gm was involved with saabs were the most reliable and trusted brand even today these cars are amazing and fun to drive

Had a 1995 Saab 900 until it was totaled in 2010. Still miss it.

Hope you eventually expand into newer Saab’s too! Love this, thank you for throwing my name in the screenshot & for following through. I’m really enjoying the Saab resurgence happening right now

The XWD was a Saab design and it lasted more than one year. It was used until 2011 for the 9-3, 9-5 and 9-4x. Also, Saab might have shared a platform with GM but always had it's own design, safety, mechanics and quirky independent Swedish engineering. The only exceptions were the 9-2x and 9-7x. Those two models were rebadged Subaru and GM.

I drove a 900 for years. It had many wonderful features, was roomy, and got good gas mileage. When it ran, I enjoyed driving it a lot. It broke down so often I got to know all the local tow truck drivers. To ad insult to injury, despite spending piles of money at the local dealer in a futile attempt to keep it running, I started to receive angry letters from AAA. “Membership in AAA is NOT a substitute for regular maintenance”. I remember it well.

Saab! 🥳 Was waiting for this one. Also great job with the channel 👍

I loved SAAB 900s, but I absolutely needed awd and bought a 1987 VW Quantum Syncro wagon. And I lived that very functional car. It was wonderful. A story about them would be appreciated.

Great video. I've been thoroughly enjoying the content.

I love Saabs... great brand that got destroyed by gm. I want a 900 SPG so bad...

Thanks for taking my suggestion! I love these cars and I am looking forward to seeing new videos soon. You should do a video about the Ford Transit Van.

Great video! You come from the same generation as I. Probably why I love your videos so much. Kudos.

keep it up man, love your channel

My favorite Saab was the Sonnett III. What a pretty little sports car and with front drive was a precursor to the Honda CRX. I remember when GM started running Saab that the brand's days were numbered; GM ruined almost everything they touched, from their core divisions to Saturn to it's European and Australian brands to the GM EV-1. As soon as I saw that the 900 was coming out on an Opel/Vauxhaul platform I knew the Saabness was going to disappear and that GM would find a way to ruin Saab too.

This is a good car channel. I'm glad RU-vid recommended you. New subscriber.

Finally! A Saab episode! Also, do the 9-2x

Good ol' Saab

I remember the 93 Viggen. Such a cool car. I always wanted to drive one. :)

You did one with the 900 and 9-3, should now make one with 9000 and 9-5

Please an episode on Isuzu (as a car brand)

My first car (900s classic 5spd). Only newer cars required you to put the car into reverse to remove the key. Now you see giant and bright infotainment screens that you can't turn off, and saab thought you only needed a speedo that went to 90mph.

Had the 900 hatchback, best bumpers. Lots of room.

I just bought a 1985 civic wagon and everyone asks me about it No one knows what it is if they’re under 30 years old And everyone smiles when I drive by

3:04 Pay attention to the orange indication light, it says "CRUISE (VANILLA SKY)".

I remember seeing Saab 900s everywhere in the mid 1980s to mid 1990s, a time when I think they were at their pinnacle. During their heyday, I made sure to point out each one to my friend, who hated the Saab 900, he said they were hideous and ugly. But, that's the fun of it! I love quirky and ugly cars, though I thought the 900 looked awesome. It just wasn't the same after GM redesigned it.

Loved my 2000 93 and my 2005 95 aero they were great cars

They did the Saab Viggen advertisement at the McCarren airport in Las Vegas. I was working there at the time. Love Saab cars.

Though I thought the first NG 900s looked pretty good (as they still had a similar profile to the previous 900), I’ll still never give up my ‘92 900 vert, and I’m still casually looking for a similar vintage SPG (as if I need 4 cars)! Just as my ‘87 Jeep XJ is in my opinion, a far better vehicle than my new Jeep, the “pre GM” Saab’s are still more in my wheelhouse. Thanks for the vid!

My friend back in 1988 bought an 1986 900s while I owned a Jeep CJ7. I always called his car a snobber because my friend wanted to an 80s Yuppie. We were both 22 year old GenXers. His car handled like a dream. It had decent power but its styling was pretty cool. He tried to get too much power out of it and it needed a head gasket due to serious overheating. I never realized GM destroyed the brand but I’m not surprised.

Nice review on the Saab I always liked them their were unique looking cars👍

As a kid that loved aircraft, I fully knew of Saab making fighter aircraft, but never knew of the connection between their aircraft division and their automotive division. All I knew was that their aircraft were cool and their cars were very strange looking

Loved the 900 classic, I had a 1988 900S coupe. Once GM went away from quirky, it weren't the same.

I purchased a 2006 SAAB 9 5 in 2016. The engine had overheated with the previous owner; that's how I got it from Copart for $650! I invested several thousand dollars for a new engine (you cannot waste $$$ on a SAAB, they are land-based Viggens!). In the summer of 2018 the oil cooler lines failed while I was on a freeway driving home. The oil warning light came on. I pulled over as soon as I could. Finally finding a convenience store, I bought a quart of oil. I was able to drive it a few blocks before the light came on again. AAA towed it home 49 miles at no charge (AAA Plus Program). It has been parked in my garage since then, I do have both new cooler lines but rather than repair it, I bought a 2007 9 3 convertible instead, also from Copart! The 9 5 now has 48,000 miles and looks perfect. By January 2022 it will be repaired. The 9 3 is a blast to drive and the style is better than any Mercedes or BMW.

I've always liked Saabs, I knew many people who had them and they loved them to the point they would drive em till they died.

proud owner of a 92X Saabaru. Looking for a 900 turbo someday

Prior to 2016, i wasn't fond with Saab cars. But ever since i watched few pictures of Saab 900, it quickly grew on me. Personally, the car somehow screams childhood of the early 2000s, despite none in my neighbourhood own one. This, along with 9-5 (both the old and especially the final version), are some of my favourite Saab. But as much as i love it, i don't think it'll be possible to own one, given i can imagine how complicated the mechanics are. And i personally love the Combi Coupe of Saab 900. Even the 2013 Phoenix 9-3 Concept have it, but with modern (and dare i say, timeless) styling. Shame it never get into production. Otherwise, it'll be my dream car, like what people would think of Mercedes, BMW and Audi.

I'm a fan of older cars. When I purchased my B5 A4 a couple of years ago I was trying to find a 93. I always did like Saab, just something about them. I do love my Audi though!

In junior high (mid 80s) there was someone who worked at a business close to our house and would park on our block. I remember seeing that black turbo with the beige leather interior as i walked to school. I hadn't seen anything like it and loved it ever since. Then i owned at '98 900s turbo (purely emotional purchase).

These videos are addictive.

I miss saab. It's a great company. If they came back I'd buy another one.

My dad owns a 1995 Saab 900 Turbo Convertible. Tuned to 300HP. He loves it and has owned it for 12 years now. Needs a new transmission because fixing it would be too expensive. Once we have a garage we'll buy one and put a 9-3 Aero transmission on it making it a hydraulic transmission that is more reliable than the non-hydraulic one. But, other than that. It's such a great car. I haven't been in a "Pre GM" Saab, but even that. I love it. I'm saving up for either an OG Saab 900, Saab 9000 with the 2.3 Turbo, or 9-3/9-5 Aero. Cheap (In Sweden at least) and reliable cars. But, I can't say that I'm disappointed with the NG 900

We've owned a few 900's a 9000T and 93 Aero. Sold the Aero last year, but still looking for my next Saab

I have a 2001 Saab 9-3. One of the last years of the hatchback. Sucks that they aren't still around.

I had to repo a Saab 9-3 Turbo from a past-due customer once. That was fun to drive, just wish it wasn’t full of garbage when I was behind the wheel, and I wasn’t taking someone’s commuter away from them.

That 900 turbo was really cool! I always wanted one.

I had a green 1992 Saab 900 sedan. Loved that car. Headlight washer lamps…kind of useless but they looked cool lol. The leather seats felt real good. I remember the backseat was a legitimately comfortable seat for those days since you had those big headrests for backseat passengers. It certainly had quirks and issues here and there.

Yeah. It was heartbreaking what GM did to Saab when they took over--very similar to what they did to Saturn. Although, Saturn operated as a separate entity, rather than a division of GM.

I loved Saab when I was a kid growing up. I always wanted a Swedish Saab not some fake GM SAAB. GM destroyed SAAB. They were some really unique and sophisticated looking cars. If SAAB could be resurrected I would be first in line to buy one.

Video on the Talbot Lotus sunbeam" the first hothatch before the Golf GTI. Interesting car, and stunning in the. john player gold black colours.. a true forgotten gem..

I miss SAABs! My parents were into Swedish cars, mu mom drove a Volvo GT and my dad, a SAAB 900. I worked for GM's Mortgage division in the early 2000's so I got good discounts on GM cars; my mom and my sister both purchased the new 9-3's. They actually were very reliable-the only issue was that the interior plastics were VERY cheap; otherwise they were styling cars and were still fun to drive despite being a GM product

Back in the day I worked at a Saturn/Saab/Isuzu dealer (Canada). It is a shame... GM had a hand in the shutting down of all 3. I will say to me nothing beats a classic 900, especially convertibles and SPG's in black. As well the H engine was wicked to drive as I have driven many Viggens and Aeros, the mid range pull was insane. Miss ya Saab.. and FU GM lol 😆