Tallers Berma - the story of the Saab rescuers from Barcelona

The Carrer de Rafael Battle. A quiet street in a fairly posh residential area of ​​Barcelona. In house number 14 there is a small garage. Her name is "Taller's Berma“. In itself not an unusual phenomenon. When the gate is open, it resembles hundreds of 2-3 man businesses still in existence around the city.

A bit messy. Crammed with vehicles on the existing lifts and below.

However, if you take a closer look, you will find that there are always a few Saabs among the vehicles. And an old Saab logo that is part of the workshop sign. If "Saab workshop Barcelona" is entered in the search engines, this workshop will come first.

Tallers Berma, the Saab savior from Barcelona
Tallers Berma, the Saab savior from Barcelona

But now to the beginning of the story of the Saab rescuers from Barcelona

It's the late 80's. A young man named Juan has just completed his military service. Before that he graduated as a mechanic from the Technical School at Carrer Rafael Battle. This was next to the then branch of "Ibercarerra", the exclusive importer for Porsche and Saab in Spain. Juan – Corsa Gsi driver at the time – always found Saab a bit strange, successfully applied for one of the vacancies and began his career as a car mechanic in 1989.

About 10 years later, another young man named Xavi graduates from the same school. Coincidentally, he learns all about ABS and turbocharging from a Saab workshop manual in the school library. It was one of his first encounters with the brand.

In June 1998, the two met on a lifting platform at "Ibercarerra".

They quickly become friends and an unbeatable team of specialists. Many hopeless cases are sent to them from all over Spain, where the mechanics, who have been retrained by GM in short seminars on Saab, break their teeth.

As usual in Spain they have lunch almost every lunchtime in a small family restaurant across the street. There they meet two elderly gentlemen who run one of the aforementioned small, chaotic car repair shops in the same street at number 14.

It is joked and talked shop. One day Juan and Xavi will be chosen to inherit the small workshop when the time comes.

But it's not that far yet

2004 the distribution of Saab and Porsche separated. The branch in question becomes a pure Saab operation, and Juan becomes the workshop manager.

A few busy but quiet years pass.

In 2008 Spain was hit hardest by the economic crisis.

We all know the drama about Saab running parallel to this.

The branch will be closed on April 29.04.2011, 2011. Juan and Xavi get some job offers despite the crisis. But now the early joke of "inheritance" becomes reality. You would like to work on Saabs, know your way around and take over the small workshop in September XNUMX. And the younger of the two owners directly with it. He stays one year.

The beginning of the Saab rescuers from Barcelona is difficult

The beginning was difficult. Customers scattered in all directions. Hardly anyone spent money looking after their mobile treasures. The "accidentally" saved customer file, and above all Xavi's wife, who tirelessly puts a flyer at every Saab seen, help to build up a new customer base. And over time, the old customers of "Ibercarerra" will find their way to "Taller's Berma".

Now they are the last. The area's penultimate facility, run by former Saab employees, closed a few weeks ago.

Tirelessly they take care of the Spanish Saab inventory. Customers from distant parts of the country also seek her advice. It can happen that you have to wait a little longer for an appointment. But when the time comes, the inspection or repair is carried out to the minute. Unless something unforeseen was found, or parts delivery is delayed.

However, the vehicles always leave the workshop without any defects.

And it doesn't matter whether it's a Saab (about 40%) or another make.

Juan also cultivates his passion for Saab privately. His collection includes a 93-series 900 full turbo, any 9-3 OG, 9-5, up to the 9-3 NG Aero of the last series, a total of 9 vehicles that are guests at international meetings from time to time.

Xavi has never driven a Saab privately. At first he found her strange. Then no model fit into his life situation - wife and child outside of Barcelona, ​​with partly unpaved roads at that time. And when the 9-4 X was announced, it was simply too expensive for him. But it is obviously possible to live the fascination of Saab without owning one.

And may they live on for many years to come.

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Aldo
Aldo
4 years earlier

Relatively speaking, there were always quite a few Saabs in Oviedo, Spain.

My parents drove:
1986 Saab 9000i (bought in 1986)
1996 Saab 9000 CSE 2.3t (bought in 1996).

I still drive my old 2002 9-5 SW 2.3t (bought in 2008 as a two-hand).

I don't have 60k € for a new car and find senseless consumerism as long as the 9-5 runs perfectly. I prefer to put the money in the sailing boat.

In the north-west of Spain there is an Atlantic climate, on the coast the daily maximum temperatures in August are only around 22-23 ° C ...
In winter it is of course much warmer than in HH, last weekend sailed ~ 25 nautical miles in a t-shirt ...

Barcelona is in the Mediterranean, where it is quite hot in midsummer ...

The Lizi
The Lizi
4 years earlier

Dear Saabans roast.

Other countries other manners….
The closed workshop also belonged to the type mentioned in my report….
Therefore there are no stocks to be released. Everything is taken care of for the necessary repairs "on time". And the successor probably took over the equipment.

gruß

The Lizi

Saabansbraten
Saabansbraten
4 years earlier

I thank you for your report as well as the others.

What happens to the stocks from the other recently closed SAAB workshop mentioned? Which was that? Where do the parts go etc.? It is always helpful to use the community, and it would be a crime and against our enthusiasm if good original parts flew away again. I am pleased if you write me / us more information.

Best regards!

Herbert Hürsch
Herbert Hürsch
4 years earlier

@ Ebasil,

Diversity and uniforms are also nice keywords. My brief outline of the news from the ÖR within 24 hours was also completely incomplete ...

Again rising electricity prices (officially confirmed the highest in the EU before) and the classification of the pine tree as an inferior tree or the signature collection of the CSU against 130 actually belong to the overall picture of a uniformed and lobby-driven, contradictory society against diversity.

The official classification of the pine (my favorite tree) as inferior, awakens unsightly associations for me. How can one come up with the absurd idea, in the face of a species extinction, to act as a selective factor and as a savior?

Everything is possible …

Fortunately, there is still a Saab with which you can drive across France to Spain with the E85, where you can eat well in both countries and get a repair if necessary. Let's hold on to it for as long as possible ...

Ken-Daniel S.
Ken-Daniel S.
4 years earlier

People who are enthusiastic about Saab and work on it would come up with a few, besides Saab Himberg, of course

Germán
Germán
4 years earlier

Very nice report! Back then I always brought my Saab to Ibercarrera and I know both of them from that time.
Fortunately, the two then opened the workshop, so there is a trustworthy and professional contact point for our vehicles.

Greetings.

Ebasli
Ebasli
4 years earlier

Herbert Hürsch - coal-powered Tesla

The whole absurdity is aptly summarized in one catchphrase! Great, I will take over into my active vocabulary immediately, even with modifications (coal-powered MOIAs, electric cars, scooters, etc.)! 🙂

And E85? Perhaps one can still somehow draw the attention of all the concrete heads, lobbyists, fashion believers and probably mostly uninformed people to the fact that renewable energies, especially from waste, are the better way and a necessary part of a necessary diversified energy policy ?! Vive la France!

Herbert Hürsch
Herbert Hürsch
4 years earlier

Completely out of time?

In D one discusses the end of coal production for 2038. At the same time in Berlin the end of the combustion engines due to driving bans for 2030 (inner city) or for 2035 (entire state of Berlin).

At the same time, a new coal-fired power plant goes online and excavators roll through Brandenburg pines for Tesla. BASF would like to build a battery factory in the same state, but concerns about environmental protection are rising. The pollution of the (drinking and ground) water is high, the required earths / resources are rare and there is still no functioning cycle, no recycling.

All information comes from the ÖR and the last 24 hours ...

Why a coal-powered Tesla is environmentally friendly and why its batteries should be better than those from BASF remains open. As well as 1.000 other questions. For example the one after E85, just to upgrade one ...

Human Lizi,
How pleasantly human and understandable your great report could be against such a complex and confusing background. It has fallen out of time. 1.000 thanks for that.

And it makes me hungry. I would really like to go out to eat in a Spanish restaurant (which is mostly filled with locals) again. With Saab mechanics especially...

Ken-Daniel S.
Ken-Daniel S.
4 years earlier

I also agree with this, great story and nice that the Saab table is held up in Barcelona too.
Are there any more reports about workshops that are not direct blog supporters?

Tom
admin
4 years earlier
Reply to  Ken-Daniel S.

Yes and no. In 2020 there will be reports about people who are enthusiastic about Saab in some and also about workshops. However, according to today's planning, they will mainly be blog supporters.

Ebasli
Ebasli
4 years earlier

Thank you for this heartwarming report from Catalonia! How great that the love for our great, beautiful and unique Swedish vehicles can continue to live in beautiful Barcelona - thanks to the admirable commitment of Juan and Xavi and his wife. Great! 🙂 May these last rescuers continue to “practice” there successfully and for a long time and at some point, if necessary, may also find successors.

I'm always flabbergasted that there are so many Saabs in Spain. Last year I even saw a slightly Talladega-style white 9-3 I on La Palma (yes, I know, somewhere else and very far away, but still all the more astonishing). 🙂

What also surprises me is that there are so many convertibles in the photos. I thought it would be too hot in Spain for that !?

Kind regards from Hamburg to Barcelona and the two operators many more successful years in the care of our beloved Saabs!

The Lizi
The Lizi
4 years earlier

Dear Aero 9-3

There is no separate supply for reasons of space. Everything runs through the otherwise known places….

Aero-9-3
Aero-9-3
4 years earlier

Wow, what a great report from Spain! Funky impressive. It's a good thing there are such enthusiasts! The salt in the automotive car scene. May the rep. Orders be 40% or more! Good business and lots of fun in the workshop!
Are there any indications of where the Catalans can get their spare parts ???
Orio? Scandix? Or your own “precaution” via “recycling” / processing.
A nice Sunday report! Thank you!