Saab Mission 2019

My summer vacation is over, and in earlier times the new model year would roll off the production lines in Trollhättan. Unfortunately, cars are no longer being built at Göta Älv, but there is the blog and the Saabs on the street. And there was plenty of opportunity to think about it on vacation.

Saab Mission 2019
Saab plant Trollhättan. Image: Saab Automobile AB / saabblog.net

If you are traveling for days, not a Saab sighted, then you feel pretty alone. Especially in the south of the republic, Saab has visibly lost its presence. Sure, you see from time to time a nice, well-kept Saab convertible, or a Youngtimer, and then the Saab heart is happy. Unfortunately, more and more unkempt vehicles are noticeable, as are the early 9-3 II, which are visibly neglected. And who have no long car life left over.

Does Saab disappear? Time works against the brand, but the zeitgeist may work for them. More and more, especially young people, are fed up with consumption pressure. They rely on old vehicles, which must be nice analog. Being permanently tracked is unacceptable to them. Cheap maintenance, longevity and sustainability, and also the protection of privacy count. Add understatement and the story of Saab, then the underground brand, beyond the glass and marble consumption temples, has a great opportunity.

Driving a Saab has always been different. Never comparable to the big mainstream brands. It was always a conscious decision to buy a Saab. And so it is today, in the realm of used cars and gravel roads. What we, the Saab community, can do is tell our story. So that people who are interested in Saab can read it. And maybe make a decision in favor of the small Göta Älv brand.

Our Saab Mission 2019

Our team has therefore considered a few things for the new “model year”. We are backing the tried and tested with a campaign and want to motivate our readers to tell their Saab story. As always, there will be a little incentive this time too. A nice, shabby thank you is in production, of course in a limited edition. It should be motivation not to give up, but to show pride in the griffin right now.

Detailed details and the start of the action will follow as soon as we have the giveaways in stock. The readers may be curious.

Saab photo action!

As we know, not every Saab driver has the genes of a hobby author. That shouldn't be an obstacle to sharing your Saab enthusiasm with other people. We want as many Saab owners as possible on board for our campaigns, because together we are strong! In the next week we will present our photo campaign. Anyone who owns or had owned a Saab, or sees one on the street, can participate.

Participation is easy, the Saab photo campaign will start next Monday.

What else will happen on the blog in the coming weeks? As announced, we will part with “Paul” and sell our project car. We are donating the proceeds to a good cause. The Saab 9-5 is currently in the hangar, without a driver's seat, which is with the saddler. Because of the vacation time we have to be patient, but the mission is coming to an end.

In addition, we will address a hot topic, and that is the rust in our everyday vehicles. While we maintain the classics and youngtimers meticulously, our daily drivers rust gently and unnoticed. A circumstance that we and our workshops do not pay enough attention to. A ticking time bomb that you have to do something about, even if you want to drive Saab in a few years. We have highlighted the problem with our 9-3 station wagon. The report will be coming soon on the blog.

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Ken-Daniel S.
Ken-Daniel S.
5 years earlier

The fact that many 9-3II are neglected is partly due to the diesel crisis, unfortunately they are not worth much anymore, although they are still great cars. We will certainly not give ours, no matter what, so I'm curious about the rust protection and maybe tips on how to protect the seals on the front and rear windows. Many 9-3II are also in the hands of non-Saab fans who have probably gotten it somewhere cheap from a Fänchenhändler and which is no matter what happens to the car.

Ralf
Ralf
5 years earlier

Nice to read something from you again. SSL over, yeah. ... PS: My daughter (10 years old) has been an enthusiastic SAAB driver since she was born (of course with my support and not in the public SV ... 😉) and keeps saying that she doesn't even know what kind of car she will drive , because no new SAAB is made anymore. It's just as well that dad doesn't just have a SAAB in the garage. ... everyone have a pleasant week

kochje
5 years earlier

I am looking forward to these new promotions and glad that we can regularly read something interesting about Saab again.

Jochen Gewecke
5 years earlier

Nice that the blog is back 🙂
I was in Malta for two weeks and I was totally surprised at how many Sabbs I saw driving around there. Feels more than Volvo, I didn't count. It was nice ...

Herbert H.
Herbert H.
5 years earlier

A nice end for the summer slump. Rarely, by the way, not only in the south. SAAB I only saw a Swede in a 9-5 on the WÜ - HST route, who was as surprised as I was :-). Today on Rügen, two SAABs came towards me, all grinning happily. SAABists.

Saab900ll
Saab900ll
5 years earlier
Reply to  Herbert H.

In hst but there is about 10

Matthias
Matthias
5 years earlier

Thanks for finishing the “SSL” ……. A small motivation to keep driving Saab, I had last Wednesday on the A 24 from Hamburg to Berlin …… .I “slumbered” with my 9000er at 130 km / h and cruise control when the nice sound of a non-original exhaust system passed me, which “escaped” from a 900 I Turbo …… .because the Saabian colleague recognized me a little late too, we greeted each other several times with flashing lights from me and flashing lights from him …… .. my passengers were very touched and I thought: It's nice that people are still getting closer in spirit in this way ... Please, keep it up !!

Hans
Hans
5 years earlier

As analog cars, the old SAABs will surely make it. Some of the 900 will survive.
9000-er and 95 will rarely get that far. They were in their lifetime too much used cars and not so crazy special. Even if I liked it.
Bad it looks with the 93. Too much electronics inside to get really old. If the parts have reached their age, it will probably be expensive. And if someone else wants to afford it? In my last licked the CIM rum. Lock up and drive away impossible. Orio / Saab Parts can not deliver. Somewhere else one was found in the frame. And if not? How to use "so what" without the thing? Who replaces one in 20 years, when the 93 Oltimer status has such a part? Can this be repaired at best? Because without such special parts it will not work. And of these special parts there are probably thousands of different solutions in today's cars without which a function of the vehicle will not be possible.

Herbert Hürsch
Herbert Hürsch
5 years earlier
Reply to  Hans

I'm afraid these are all legitimate thoughts and doubts ...

About 16 years ago a friend (an engineer in theater and event technology) who had sat down with people from Daimler (it was about the presentation of the new S-Class) told me that the Daimler boys had said in the meeting, the new S-Class is the first that would probably never make it into a classic car ...

On the part of the event people, there was an embarrassed silence and finally the obvious question: "Yes, why is that?"

They already anticipated the answer. The reason given was the complex electronics and the fact that neither Daimler nor its suppliers would feel responsible for them in the long term ...

An astonishingly frank statement from a market leader on the subject of sustainability. As a supporter of a brand that has disappeared, you don't have to indulge any more illusions ...

It is indeed the technically simpler SAABs that will have a longer life. You have already presented that perfectly correctly. Unfortunately …

MySAABisStillGOOD
MySAABisStillGOOD
5 years earlier
Reply to  Tom

Answer: So people will buy VOLVO?

Mario
Mario
5 years earlier

Always a pleasure to devour the detailed reports here. I can count myself among the Saabians with 32 years probably the younger ones here, but at least I have been driving Saab for almost 13 years. And even with this description I can only agree. For me, Saab also stands for the proven that I greatly appreciate and enjoy in a world of digitization and automation (keyword driver becomes a passenger). Let the whole smart cars pumped full of ICs prove for the first time that they will continue to be cherished and cared for even after decades. A successful weekly start for you all

Jan_HH
Jan_HH
5 years earlier
Reply to  Mario

I can just undercut that with 22 years 😉

Herbert Hürsch
Herbert Hürsch
5 years earlier
Reply to  Jan_HH

I think there are even younger years coming!

My boys are already negotiating with me who will get which of my cars for the 18th (in 7 or 10 years) ...

Herbert Hürsch
Herbert Hürsch
5 years earlier

A very well considered and great debut after the SLL!

Inner resistance to the “digital” appropriation of all possible areas of life is growing. What is the so-called “digital competence”? Here the average politician and the average journalist seem to me beyond all measure frugal and simple-minded.

As a rule, the “digital competence” of citizens is still exclusively determined and measured by how many people of which age groups are enthusiastic about the latest nonsense and to swim in the main stream, to use as many devices and offers as possible are able and willing to use . Ergo, they are reduced to uncritical consumers and the more uncritical and willing to consume, the more (digitally) competent the population is supposedly ...

It should be clear to everyone that this competence can only be understood today as a critical, self-determined and selective use of the digital.

It was very similar with the printed word. My grandmother (God blessed her) once told me through her daily newspaper and her magazines that everything had to be right, otherwise it would probably not be printed. And that said a woman who had experienced World War II and some (printed) propaganda. Actually unbelievable ...

Oh, how happy I am to drive an analog SAAB ...

hansmichael ortlepp
hansmichael ortlepp
5 years earlier

Hello and a greeting from Franconia to my favorite bloggers!

klaus
klaus
5 years earlier

My 2002er 9-5 2.3t kombi (4ter after 99, 900, 900-I) now has new bushes in the chassis because of TÜV
and runs and runs and ...
The automatic transmission was still flushed and refilled (did not know that was necessary).
Greetings Klaus

T Hawkins
T Hawkins
5 years earlier
Reply to  klaus

Hope you changed the filter ......

Franc troll
Franc troll
5 years earlier

Nice that the blog is back. I really missed the SAAB reading!

Siegrist, Ulrich
Siegrist, Ulrich
5 years earlier

Congratulations to so much enthusiasm, is admirable, the focus is right. Keep it up !
From a 2009 Saab 9 5 2.3T (260 PS) sportscombi owner who has been driving Saab for 48 years.

mac9-5
mac9-5
5 years earlier

to "analog vehicles":

I would rather describe myself as a “sometimes critical technology nerd” with all sorts of modern and smart frills.
But in cars (especially faucets and center console) I also like it more classic.

And I am currently experiencing a real “split” in my environment or circle of friends and acquaintances.
For a few MUST it be the newest, as digital as possible and with huge ads (Tesla-like was yesterday), illuminated as much as possible in cruel bright colors and all this with thousands of Gimmiks (up to the logo light cone on the ground from the Outside mirrors).

But many here in my circle of acquaintances have more than enough of this technology flood (from tracking & CO anyway) and therefore (and because of the resulting higher repair costs and the increasing dependence on the authorized workshops) consciously choose "older" Used cars or sometimes even new “cheap brands” without all these “digital bridges”.

And just on the weekend I had this discussion with nephew and niece.
Both are “Generation Smartphone”. And my niece wants to buy her first car soon.
But both want to consciously a car that has as little digital stuff as possible (only iPhone connection for music is important and possibly Navi integration).

PS:
It's nice that our “SSL” (SAAB summer hole) is finally over!
I'm looking forward to the upcoming campaigns - I'm excited! 🙂

Franc troll
Franc troll
5 years earlier
Reply to  mac9-5

SSL = great! Good that it's over!