I love it when people make a considered decision to buy, restore and preserve a classic Saab. I love the idea of these cars staying on the road where they belong. There’s nothing quite like going to a big Saab gathering and seeing a range of classic Saabs alongside the 9-5s and 9-3s of the last decade. It warms the heart.
For some of you, it’s not so difficult to find a classic Saab. You might live in reasonable proximity to a whole bunch of older Saabs. Of course, it gets harder for everyone when the model you’re looking for is a bit older. But the hunt need not be too long if you don’t want it to be.
Some of us have it a little tougher. For someone here in Australia, or Asia, buying anything older than a classic Saab 900 can be quite a challenge. I’m still waiting to see if my own personal circumstances will allow me to get a Sonett over from the US. I even found the right car, but it takes some serious commitment to source and then import a car from halfway around the world.
Then there’s a completely different class of Saab buyer – the one who sources the exact car he wants, regardless of where it is, regardless of whether there might be a model nearby that’s oh-so-close to what they want (but not exactly the one).
That’s Marko.
Marko lives in Finland and was after a particular car. The right color. The right year. And in the right condition – rust free.
Marko started his search in March 2010 and ended up turning to the classifieds over at Saabnet to get the right car from California. The fact that it had a troubled transmission and some reasonable miles didn’t worry him.
A few months worth of negotiations and arrangements didn’t worry either him or the seller. In fact, they were both of the same mind. Marko didn’t want to buy just any car and the seller didn’t want to sell his pride and joy to just anyone.
What Marko ended up with is a rather rare Saab 900 Convertible from 1991 in what I believe is Beryl Green (I could be wrong) – a car that he’s using the Finnish winter to tidy up prior to enjoying in the summer months, including the 2011 IntSaab in Finland.
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That’s dedication to getting and then preserving the right car – and there’s something about it that’s very, very admirable.
I really hope I can make it over to IntSaab later this year and see this one in person, and shake the hand of a like-minded Saabnut.
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