Happy Birthday! Finally 20 years!
Birthday, 20 years, finally ... On March 30th the time had come. The Saab 9000 Anna project and its midnight blue, still nameless relative turned 20. They rolled off the assembly line in Trollhättan on the same day, came to Germany, and then went their separate ways.
For 15 years and 8 days until they return to Saab Hangar came together. The future prospects for the silver 9k, now known as Anna, were bleak. In principle, it was an “end-of-life” car. Remaining TÜV, window frame grate, an enormous maintenance backlog with a list as long as the Great Wall of China, a depressed door. No car that could make you want Saab.
A clear case for export, or just to use up. Almost it would have happened, because all potential buyers in front of me said then. Probably they were more sensible than me, maybe they didn't see the potential that was in the Saab. The 9000 would then have simply joined the statistics and would have disappeared at some point.
Everything gets better from the 20th year…
For a car, the time is between the 15. and 20. Year most dangerous. Stocks are shrinking rapidly, especially in the 19. Year. Up to 20% of the year disappears from the inventory. Be recycled or, in the most favorable case, exported to the East or Africa. Then, after the 20. Birthday turns the tide. The loss rate dwindles from year to year. At the same time the care condition gets better, the maturing of the Youngtimer becomes a classic.
In 30. Year, with the consecration of the H-mark, comes the turn. The secret cold reserve, consisting of garage gold and barn finds, is used. More vehicles of a vintage are logged on than off. (Source / Statistics: Autobild Classic 2 / 2018)
So now 20. The Anna Project is in a much better state than it was before 5 years ago. Still not perfect, which is never the goal. The nameless, midnight blue relative is prettier and better. But also had a pleasing history. The probability that both Saabs will get the H flag is high. If nothing unforeseen comes in between.
And the neglected 9k is back in the league of checkbook-groomed specimens. Once a year it goes to the oil change and inspection Frankfurt, Of course you could do that yourself. but that is not the point. Four eyes see more than 2, and I want to know even in 10 years a Saab workshop with all their expertise in the area. Every visit to the Saab Partner is not only an investment in the Saab, but also in the immediate future of the brand.
There is no doubt that there is still a need for investment. Not urgent, but there are things that should not be lost sight of. And a wish list. For example a stainless steel exhaust system for the 9000.
Actually, the Anna project should have accompanied the blog only a certain amount of time. It turned out differently, the Saab remained. I like the 9k a lot, and I like it more and more, the older it gets. It turned out to be a good investment, even if it did not look like that at the beginning of the story. Old cars grow in our hearts as we screw and care for them. They have what modern vehicles can not offer. Sustainability and a very own, analog style. You can also say character to it.
But maybe the realization that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a good 9000 also plays a role. The survival rate of the best car that Sweden put on its wheels in the 80s is not high. It is 6,4% in the home country (Updated 2017). It will be similar in Germany.
Such a Saab 9000 would also like me, in Voralberg is the first generation with 30 000km for sale, so these barn finds there are now and then.
The concept with the large tailgate and the general great space, so he was ahead of his time. Today, such vehicles are successfully sold as 4 Door Coupes, but have much less space.
Too bad that there is no real successor to the 9000.
Congratulations to both 9000ers and especially to the owner!
As always wonderfully written, thank you Tom! Just the "secret cold reserve" ...
Yes.
Happy Birthday, Anna!
All the best for the freshly baked classic car. And of course for the owner!
May you have a long time to enjoy each other.
PS How about calling the Blue 9k Anton or Arne?
Just as thought.
I'm already talking. A name has to be. The midnight blue 9k has been without it for too long. I think about it 😉
Maybe the blog can help you !?
Come on, you Saab fanatics!
What are the name suggestions for the Blue 9k?
The name of Tom likes best, gets the nod.
And maybe the namesake may be present at the baptism
Congratulations. Nice for every 9000er who is still on the road ...
I like the Anna-9000 in the pictures almost better than the blue one. Even if the blue is probably better in nature, I think the silver one is very successful in terms of the color combination. The light paint, the dark and red lights in good contrast and of course the rims also fit very well ... keep it up to the H license plate ...
My 9000er will be declared Veteran here in Switzerland in the year 2021. The 1990er was only put into circulation in summer 1991.
I feel similar. The blue one is the absolute beauty, also because it has light leather. With Anna, it's the contrast that makes it. It was such a thing at first sight ... (although Anna didn't look really good at the time)
Happy Birthday ! ! !
For me, the 9K will forever remain THE SAAB of all SAABs, which was best in the environment of its competitors and contemporaries. There may have been better SAABs later, but no other SAAB before or later was ever as ahead of its time as this one ...
Simply a super good car. May Anna always have a good and accident-free ride!
PS
And again I catch myself tapping the market for 9000ern.
Sooner or later someone has to be here ...
A? Some people have two of them. And surely there is a SAABist with three somewhere?
Enviable ...
Cheaper to be usable or even good copies yes no longer. So earlier would be better?
A real highlight of the SAAB story!
Congratulations to the 20 again. Birthday.
Timelessly beautiful! Hard to believe, again 20 years are around. Must have been one of the last. I think we are getting old 😉
Thanks for the nice mind games about the elegant SAAB 9000! 🙂 Undoubtedly timelessly beautiful to look at in silver and also enjoyable to drive with a nice turbo. Silver, blue metallic and scarab green were my favorite exterior colors “back then”. Ultimately, however, it became a SAAB 9-3. In blue. 😉