Saab Viggen on tour. Saab Festival Trollhättan.

Cars have given me joy since the sandpit age, the first Saab that I can consciously remember was a 99 chrome model. My father preferred Italians and French, two new Renault 16 cars in the 70s sharpened my eye for innovative vehicles with interesting spatial concepts and good road location.

Saab Viggen and 9-4x
Saab Viggen and 9-4x at Schwedenkai in Kiel

Later, I took over the behavior of my parents: pack up and drive off the car, preferably heading north. At the age when I was still too young for the moped driving license we were on a small Danish island, the landlord of our summer house drove a Saab 96 L V4 model 1974.

The experienced Saabblog reader now knows what follows: I was allowed to drive the Saab and not only on dirt roads. Notes on my part on my missing driver's license were rated as void. Reason: his son-in-law is the police officer here on the island, he himself on the board of the bank and the ferry company, so nice on the island in the Saab V4 and the freewheel remains in it.

Something like that leaves its mark, of course, my first Saab was a 1984 Saab 96 GL V4 model year 1978, by the way it's still in my garage. Since then I've owned around 20 Saabs, a 9-3 Aero 2-door MY 2001 - with Viggen seats and body kit - I drove for about 3 years. When it was exchanged for a 9-3 TurboX Sport Sedan I missed those excellent seats and the large tailgate.

So I became the end of 2016 proud owner of a 9-3 Viggen M99 course in the great Lighting Blue, he has as an additional equipment on an electric glass roof and Audio Package Level 3, German first delivery with documentation.

Although the Viggen has run on 300.000 KM, but was always in care at official, competent Saab dealers in care and you realize that a car then too! In addition, a deer performance upgrade with 250 PS installed, Eibach lowering springs and very consistent 18 Zoll OZ Racing Ultraleggera rims mounted.

Furthermore, the absolutely necessary steering gear support and bracing at the bottom of the subframe, the so-called "rescue kit" for 9-3 OG. The best in my opinion: new front original seat covers were raised, with the beautiful blue inlets of the Viggen with blue paint.

The Saab drives error-free and is speedy, in contrast to my 9-3 Turbo X completely without Radau, it is always amazing how a Saab four-cylinder turbo grabbed. Consider this car is almost 20 years old!

Of course, the transfer from Munich to Hamburg went without a hitch and I drove sensibly, but after many years I got a point in Flensburg because of speeding to the enthusiasm of the seller traded. Sorry!

The Viggen wintered in my garage, an appraisal was drawn up and the blue one was approved in the spring. The Autohaus Etehad team in Halstenbek had an original set of new Saab floor mats in stock, of course, and then I changed the engine and transmission oil.

The first tour went to Trollhättan in the summer of 2017 together with Saab friend Oli with his rare 9-4 X to the Saab Festival.

A great combination: the Viggen in lighting blue, the 9-4 in pearl white. This makes traveling fun and especially so when you take the ferry from Kiel to Sweden. In the morning in Gothenburg, on the Swedish National Day June 6th, we took the exit from the Volvo Museum Torslanda to the Saab Museum in Trollhattan.

On Sunday on the way to the Saab Festival, I put the Viggen in the ditch at walking pace! Except for a bent tow hook, he didn't get anything and my Swedish Saab friend was finally able to get a Saab back on the right track with his blue Ford tractor.

The retrofitted modification of Eibach springs / 18 inch wheels completely convinced me on this tour, even on Swedish forest paths ... if you stay on the road! I then went on a larger day trip across Sweden, the Viggen inspires and gives driving fun that is actually only available at Saab.

The return journey I went alone, I took the ferry from Varberg to Grena / DK, a visit to my Danish Saab friend Jens on the west coast with mandatory overnight stay in his garage and bath in the North Sea ended my first Viggen tour.

7 Comments
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Bjorn
Bjorn
6 years earlier

An impressive story.
This is the famous “Saab disease” we are all infected with.
Greetings to all Saab drivers

Herbert Hürsch
Herbert Hürsch
6 years earlier

The purest reading pleasure! ! !

And great pictures too. Hats off to the author, his text and his eye.

I even like the PV 445 from the national competition. But if I could choose one of the cars shown, it would be the Viggen ...

In any case, many thanks for this story and all the best for 2018.

Ken-Daniel S.
Ken-Daniel S.
6 years earlier

beautiful Viggen, I also have a Blue Viggen, but only in 1.43, but also the sight pleases me

Aero 9-3
Aero 9-3
6 years earlier

Super-perfect optics! Congratulations on this SAAB 9-3 Viggen example!
Breathtaking photo with the Viggen in the ditch ...
From now on always (!) Accident-free journey with the Viggen and the other SÄÄBen!
Thank you for the participation in the nice DK story.

Joseph
Joseph
6 years earlier

Oh, Götz, are you just as crazy as me? Back then, as a little toad, I was already driving a car at the age of 5, infected in a positive sense by my crazy father, and I was always crashing over the stubble fields in the border area, just as I still do today at the age of 70. Nothing has changed, on the contrary! When I really have time, I'll write down my stories on the blog, crazy and crazy, I'll just say in advance! After 53 years of Saab, I'm currently driving my Saab 9-3 TurboX station wagon and a 9-5 Aero from the former corner of Hamburg, as well as, of course, my awesome two-stroke engines when the weather is nice. Once a Saab – always a Saab is my motto!
I was also lying in the snow with my second 9-3 Aero Turbo4 3 weeks ago, a Valmet tractor had its problems and I was only able to free myself after 2 hours with difficulty and a differential lock. Then something came through to me again: the child in the man! Afterwards I was exhausted from shoveling.
Go on like this Götz, and for the other Saabfahrer, I understand her well. Only the hard come through! LG from the Münsterland, Josef

GP362
GP362
6 years earlier

Hello Goetz,
all the best for 2018 and always have a good trip with this chic Viggen!
Nice story on the danish island

Greeting Gerd

mac9-5
mac9-5
6 years earlier

wow …. is that the chic 9-4x that was for sale in a well-known portal a short time ago?

... I would like a blue Viggen like that too... 😉