The call (1) - a (Saab) conversation turns my world upside down

It wasn't that long ago my personal Saab world was full of clichés, but perfectly fine. Hatchback, automatic and leather were a must. And products from the GM era were not noted. Period. This is also reflected in my small collection. Saab 900 OG Coupe, 900 NG Cabrio and two 9k. This should stay that way forever. No change. No pain of selling or breaking up. I thought I was happy. The word "notchback" did not exist in my vocabulary. Small exceptions were of course allowed and are in the nature of things. My coupe is manual, and I looked benevolently after a Jaguar, Lancia and Co.

Saab 9-5 Gentleman Project from Tom
Saab 9-5 Gentleman Project from Tom

It started with the Gentleman Project

I could never have imagined that a single conversation - among strangers at the time - with all its consequences would turn this world upside down. Tom called me and asked for the "gentleman". the rest is readable Story.

Now this call is nearing its second anniversary, and nothing in my Saab world is like it used to be. "Lizis Garage" was founded. New Saab friendships have emerged and some Spanish treasures have found new owners. My knowledge of Saab and my passion for this unique brand have been catapulted into other dimensions.

Gentleman in Barcelona at Tallers Berma
Gentleman in Barcelona at Tallers Berma

Self-study is an advantage in many situations. Above all, it was the hours of conversations with Tom and the specialists Frankfurt, Barcelona and - more and more often - Pieterlen. Concentrated knowledge meets passion and humor. A perfect recipe for fun and educational moments in life. Conversations with some salespeople and customers also fell into the “great” category.

Saab limousines - rediscovered

My research in Spain "gave me the rest". It was primarily younger Saab brands of all stripes that I was allowed to drive. Mostly limousines - an extremely popular type of car in southern Europe.

At least before the SUV pandemic broke out.

The little one at the Gentleman- Test drive ignited spark, had developed into a passionate major fire. In focus: limousines from Saab. Elegant, timeless and free from beads, they are pleasing to the eye. The words “sculpture” or “design icon” come to mind more and more often when I look at them.

The Saab 9-5 "Gentleman" on the way to Germany
The Saab 9-5 "Gentleman" on the way to Germany

Tom has shown many examples that Saab's design language is still very popular today. Not to mention technical quotes. With Saab-typical, partly quirky out of date, partly visionary details, they stay true to the company tradition. Enough has already been written about the enjoyment of turbo engines. In their entirety, these vehicles are still pure pleasure today.

Limousine passion?

I was particularly impressed by the encounter with a 9-3 sedan from 2003. With a very neat, bright interior, sunroof, automatic and the splendid 150 hp engine, which had just 83.000 thousand kilometers behind it. Every trip is a pleasure. And the most incredible of all colors did the rest. Espresso black metallic! In twilight or cloudy skies, the car was just black. In the sunshine it shimmered from brown to purple, green and blue. A fascinating spectacle of colors, which I initially classified as a faulty paintwork.

But that's a whole different story.

The gentleman project in Germany
The gentleman project in Germany

Although I like to be out and about in daylight, I noticed that I subconsciously move all trips with this Saab to the dark time of the day. More aircraft cockpit in a Saab is not possible if the controls of the 9-3 NG light up green! The actually so useful "black panel" button was never used. I found it difficult - noticeably "inspired" - to keep to the strictly monitored speed limit of the Spanish motorways. I will leave out explanations about the finish of this series at this point.

You like it or you don't.

Tom also wrote about the fascination of the countless buttons. Just like about the need for as analog, powerfully motorized sedans as possible. The Europeans' preference for the powerful 4-cylinder engines was reported on the blog on the occasion of the 9-3 market situation checks in the USA.

Regardless of this, ALL of our friends Saab specialists unanimously praised the durability of the mechanics of the four-cylinder 9-3 NG Aero automatic.

Now the pieces of the puzzle came together to form a picture. I started scouring the market for Saab sedans.

sequel follows

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aero50
Editor
2 years earlier

Espresso Black metallic, really an incredibly beautiful color! Like this Java metallic with the 9-5 NG.

mountain saab
mountain saab
2 years earlier

The bad thing is that every series has its charm and that starts with the SAAB emblem. I like to drive every one of my SAABe!

The Lizi
2 years earlier
Reply to  mountain saab

It couldn't have been better expressed….