You do know Vauxhall was bought out by Peugeot before becoming part of Stellantis Group. It exists only as part of a badge engineered group of vehicles.
SAAB committed suicide because of hubris. GM gave them a lifeline and if it had willingly shared chassis and components, as VAG vehicles do, they would probably still be around today.
@williamegler8771 That's not true. And would we really want Saab to still be making cars today? They would have been turned sooner or later. Saab didn't like the crap GM wanted them to put into their cars.
@@williamegler8771Saab was forced to negate on existing contracts and use GM parts. I learned that at the Saab museum from a former assistant to Victor Muller who had worked just about all her life at Saab. She like Victor Muller because he had at least tried to save the company. Muller however had completely underestimated the importance of the supply chain and the difficulty to get ALL suppliers on board again. There were too many who had moved on and or still needed to get payed by Saab before they would be willing to ship anything to Saab. And there was GM that didn’t except any of the (dodgy?) financiers that Muller came up with.
@@williamegler8771 General Motors was forced to sell Saab as they themselves were demoted to Sergeant Motors during the financial crisis around that time.
I always smile when I see a Saab convertable. A mate of mine had one and a Summers day we went for lunch at Blackheath (London) where they have quite a few restaurants with outside eating. He parked the car and as we had the hood down, pressed the button to bring it up and we got a round of applause from the diners at one of the restaurants because of the power drive hood performance :)
In 2000, I got my mid life crisis car for my 40th birthday, a Saab Viggen Convertible, (in lieu of taking a company car) all but brand new. I LOVED that car, wish i'd never sold it 😢😢😢 STET that, it's still on the road (X16GEN....plate i put on) and i just looked at the MOT history ....someone's spending a lot of money to keep it going!!!
Having owned 7 or 8 Saabs, it still kills me that they are no longer in business. Even so, that 9-3's style still looks fresh today! What a bargain. I still drive a Saab as my daily: a 9-5 Aero with over 200K miles. Look after them, and a Saab will run forever!
Matt, you scored a winner with this car. It's a low pressure turbo; the small letter t on the rear badge gives it away. All the usual 9-3 issues seem to be absent (yes, I'm a Saab tragic). No button peel, no rust on the rear quarter panels (they usually go below the roof clamshell), the chin spoiler isn't smashed to shit or missing altogether, the seats aren't cracked, the roof works, the battery cover is present, the cupholder works (possibly the only 9-3 left on the planet with a working cupholder) the key buttons aren't destroyed, and the central ignition module is working ok; if that goes, it's a new module and new keys, costing $$$$. The ashtray is missing but that'd be a tenner from a scrapyard. Somebody loved this car. The digital display for the climate control temperature goes to 0-9 if you have the roof down, rather than showing a temperature; the unit is actually working fine. There's a really good Saab specialist near you in Glossop, Saabtec. I used them when I lived in Saddleworth.
Wow sold at £1750. 😳 That was an incredible buy for the new owner. I had two Saab Vector Convertibles, both brand new as company cars. I put 70k miles on each of them in 2 years and had zero problems. A terrific, fun car. A sure fire investment for the new owner at that money👍
We gave up work in 2017 to travel around Europe in a campervan....on the way into our local town just before we left, we saw a stunning aero 93 anniversary for sale. 10,000 miles later...the camper was still on storage and we had a fabulous time. It handled superbly for a fwd car and twice saved us from disaster with the safety systems onboard. Wish I had never sold it😢
There is a 93 Aero parked near me, same colour as this one and I’ve always thought they have aged really well. Less than £2k for one of these in good order is bonkers good value! It’s less than 4 PCP monthly payments on new cars for a lot watching this channel I’m sure, makes one think 🤔. Splendid vid
Owned a 2008 Saab 93 Turbo Vector petrol for two years. Amazing car. And I can attest to those amazing seats. I now have a Lexus RX and the seats are no where near as good as my Saab's. I still regret selling mine and wouldn't mind purchasing one again if I came across a clean one. The 2.0l turbo vector petrol is the engine to have, packs 175BHP which is plenty and the engine is brilliant, and you really enjoy the turbo kicking in when you stamp your foot.
I drove Saabs for nearly 20 years: two 9000s and two 9-5 Aero estates, one of which was chipped by Abbott to about 290bhp. Beautiful, quick cars that had a certain aura about them. My wife always said i always looked serenely content when driving them. Had a few problems with them but I was fortunate that there are/were nearby specialists to look after them because they really do need looking after! I'm now in a Skoda Superb 220 L&K, which is the closest big, quick and luxurious 5 door petrol auto there is. It's a great car, but I still miss Saab.
I’m getting a 93 Vector Sport estate off my dad when I pass my test, he took me for a drive in it and I fell in love, such a beautiful and smooth car even 17 years later!!!
Your mate can use it for the summer and sell it back to you for the same 1250 quid in September. So 1750-1250 = 500 quid for 5 months = 100 quid per month to have a reliable, fun convertible. All he has to do now is hope that there's actually a summer between April and September !!!
I saw a fix for these dodgy screens - clicking a lighter starter directly next to the screens - the little electro pulse seems to sort it. A far better use than smoking or even shocking kids at school like we used to use in the early 2000's
Some years ago, probably in spring, I was walking in the rain along a dual carriageway when by coincidence 3 convertibles overtook me in a row: An Audi A4 doing about 40 mph with the roof up. A BMW 3 Series, doing about 45... roof up. Then flying past me, and them, lights ablaze, doing about 70 mph came one of these Saab convertibles. And yes, the roof was down. It was like watching the genuine article versus the pretenders. I think I even let out a 'GO ON, SON!' type of comment and punched the air. One of those happy moments in life I'll never forget.
Just parted with a 9-3 Aero saloon. Did 90,000 miles in 7 years & other than normal wear & tear items & regular servicing it was totally reliable. Great car, great performance & just a little bit different. If I could've bought a newer one than the one I had with low enough mileage I would've done in a heartbeat!
My uncle had the Saab 93 vector saloon, was fun to drive and I liked the quirky features it had, notably the key ignition by the handbrake and the dashboard that looked like a cockpit.
These were the height of fashion/cool back in the 80's and 90's. I was once lent a Saab 900 saloon as a courtesy car after buying a used Sierra from a Saab dealer. It was superbly comfortable, and rode very well. A cut above the Sierra's and Cavaliers of the time....Very solidly built. The ignition key was between the front seats on the one I drove, and you had to put it in reverse to get the key out before you left the car. Ah, I see it's still in the same place in this one...
I owned and lived with one and it was terrible. Probably the worst car I've ever owned. Injectors, turbo, manifolds, EGR valve, gearbox, brake calipers and more all had issues along with a host of interior fit and finish problems. I was very happy to trade it in. Barely made it to the dealership with the injectors pissing diesel out all over the engine bay.
@@6770connorCan't argue with that. Unfortunately I bought it with an insurance payout and I had only a few days with the courtesy car before they took it back so I had to find something quickly. I also believed the hype back then about Saabs being bullet proof. It had a full service history and appeared well looked after but it was a total lemon. Lesson learned! If I could go back I would just get a Honda Accord and save myself about £4k in repair costs.
I had one about 14 years ago, a yellow 93 Aero (the ‘HOT’ version) kept it 3 years and used it year round,even in a minus 10 degree winter it was comfortable safe and pulled well,never missed a beat, I so regret selling it as it’s the best car I’ve ever had, and you’re so right about the seats 300 mile drives and I’d get out feeling fresh, I would definitely have another.
I really enjoyed this one Matt. I love a nice Saab. They have an X factor that tickles my ticklish bits. They're different; a bit like a Citroen that's been built by someone who knows how to make cars. It was a very sad day when Saab went out of business. And nothing else has ever filled the space they once occupied.
Love my 93 wagon even tho the wipers have broken twice in 6 months and the heater control decals have gone west. Shame they're not in business anymore!
Love your channel. Had one of these lovely cars . Black with beige leather Loved it apart from the drive chain snapping after two years in and unable to buy new seat belt as they had gone bust. Apart from that, I still maintain they look modern and classy despite being over a decade old.
Thanks Matt for the memories. I owned a 2001 9 3 a couple of years ago before we moved states here in Australia. It was a Designer Series (only 200 made). It had Aero wheels and blue inserts on the seats and door cards. Colour coded windscreen surrounds and side skirts. A snappy looking car and very reliable with 200,000 kms on it when I bought it. We lived in the country and used it on days when we wanted to go down to the seaside for coffee and a drive. It's great being retired!
Finally, the video I've been waiting for. Congratulations for getting one without the "manual operation only" message when taking the roof down. Mine's currently suffering from that. Fantastic that you saved one from the scrap. They really are underrated.
I'm now fully addicted to this channel. I love the fact that this chap is not only a Partridge fan, but also has very good musical knowledge, much like myself. I was brought up on radio2, and can recognise a tune from it's first few bars. Oh, and it also helps that I'm also slightly ginger & blinking LOVE cars...especially when they turn a profit 🤑😉 Yes, I'm convinced this is my favourite channel.
12yrs on… and still no one can manufacture a convertible that is even remotely as beautiful as Saab! (Audi came close) The SAAB convertible is a testament to design engineering that not even today’s engineers can comprehend.
I own a 2011 Saab 95 NG Aero TTiD saloon. Without a doubt the best car I’ve ever owned. Fast when need to be and very comfy. Such a shame GM walked away from the brand and let it die.
Had a 2005 9-3 Aero cabrio 2.0 turbo several years ago. Absolutely loved the car. Previous owner was Paul Simon’s percussionist. Mine was lime yellow metallic with light grey leather, automatic, sadly. Had lots of fun with it. Very reliable as long as you get the kit to protect the ECU.
My first car was a Saab 9-3 Aero 2.0T. Was actually one of the best cars I have ever owned, so much fun, looked very good, so much for the money. So sad I sold it.
Ah yes a Saab big lover of the ex Swedish brand Saab loved all the cars they made they were always cool and unique. Unfortunately these days many are being neglected due to parts supply troubles.
I borrowed my brothers Saab tòok me a while to realise where the ignition key goes by the handbrake for some strange Swedish reason. Well done Matt you made £££ with no overspend
It started with the 99 and was placed there for two reasons. Safety as mentioned but the second reason was ergonomics, you do all the other things to get going down there. Turn the car on, release parking brake and put in the correct gear.
Are you thinking of the one that looks like it starts at a beach, but it is actually a large billboard, and the car then drives on a snowy mountain road? There was some version of "California Dreaming" playing in the background.
Matt take a look in the comments....all saab fans....what a great bunch saab owners are. Happy you featured saab sad they no longer exist....and forget NEVS.
These are great cars...I had one exactly the same, but it was an auto for a year on contract hire, and it never let me down.... It effortlessly cruises down the road...no issues whatsoever!
I bought a SAAB 9-3 V6 Sportwagon (56 plated so had facelift dash) as a stop gap car and fell in love with it. I have since parted with it due to the £615 tax but I do enjoy watching video's and TV episodes about SAAB now such as Wheeler Dealers etc. Everybody always says " you cant get parts" but There is a SAAB parts importer in Milton Keynes called ORIO.
The HVAC numbers revert to 0 to 10 when the roof is down, then back to actual temperature numbers when back up. You can set the aircon to go off when the roof is down as well. Quirky old cars. Love them. Had a 93 2.0T Aero 2005 for 4 years.
8:52 is fortunately normal behaviour. A/C is turned off with the roof down and replaced with a 0-10 scale of heat, with 0 being unheated, regular air, and 10 being pretty hot. I guess they reckon you can't control the interior temperature if you're outside.
Delighted you did not " massively overspend " Matt and pleased for you the car sold, it was a little peach and at £1250 quite a bargain, it also looked fantastic after the valet and touch up, well done !!
What a bargain at £1250 & £1750! I bought a 2003 93 Aero brand new and loved it. It was my 2nd Saab and it was the quirkiness I loved about them. Nothing sluggish about that car. Also the best seat I had ever sat in until I bought my present Volvo. You can see I like quirkiness. There's one of these (convertible) parked on a drive in my road and I smile when ever I walk past it. Brings back happy memories. And the best bit was driving in snow and ice when all the German cars had come to a halt.
I really like this generation of 93; at first glance they're subtle, almost non-descript so look smart and professional, but the more you look, the more styling details you see and the more handsome they look. Later generations got a bit more "bold". Volvo's of this era were similar. And welcome back Sensible Matt.
Great vid and nice looking car, Matt. Favourite line was definitely about the seat patch which was done "in the dark I think". Priceless. Keep up the good work.
Nice car! I used to have a 93 Aero, forget the floppy handling… and quick! Only sold it ‘cos I was tempted by a 95 Aero, re mapped to 275bhp, Bilstein shocks with Eibach springs. Really fast, and handled beautifully! Another car I so regret selling…😢 RIP Saab😢 Great channel btw, thanks for the entertainment!
"Nothing like it on the market" Because I'm sad, I zoomed in to see "High Peak Autos" on the plates 😆 (potential buyers can see the chap's address in the photos)
And there's nothing wrong with that climate control display, as I'm sure you worked out by now 😅 It changes from a temperature setting to a simple "1 to 10" when the roof is down because you can't climate-control an open car! Love your videos!
Good news, Saab 93 Convertibles are great. On an 06, an auto petrol will most likely be £715 to tax for a year so a manual is a much better buy. If you haven't already, ask your mate to check if this example has the Comfort Pack, where you can lower the hood from outside the car by holding down the open button on the fob. It's a cool fun feature 😊 I'm going to dig mine out tomorrow now!
Got the Aero 2.0 convertible in this colour and has remote opening roof, sat nav, electric heated seats , auto wipers ,electric folding mirrors, put Bilstein shocks on and now handles very well, also had a stage one tune to 250 bhp and it goes like stink, very underated cars
I had a 2006 Vector Sport in black for a while, the 1.9 diesel. What a car it was. Supremely comfortable seats - didn’t get back ache once no matter how long the journey was and it had all the power you could want. I only sold it as I didn’t do enough miles to warrant a diesel. The Saab enthusiasts will say petrol was the way to go on these, and probably more reliable too, the dreaded swirl flaps on the diesels were very common failures. Great cars though and sadly missed. Oh and TS is Teesside 😉
Mate if your life is dull mine is pitch black 😂 I had 10 years working in the motor trade and 90% of it was brilliant until Pendragon bought us out' absolutely horrible people.... But I'd love to get back into it like something what you do.... The TH-cam channel is the best real world motoring program out there... Can't believe your not on TV yet
Great cars. I had the 93 SD Turbo convertible and drove it down to central Italy from Pamplona. Then the following year from London to Almeria. An absolute joy to drive, and it just kept going. That could sell for £2000+ 8 days a week. Really nice example.
Had a 900 aero many years ago, lovely machine and a proper Saab felt like you was sitting in a fighter jet. Also had a 93 Aero convertible about 15 yrs ago, was a nice car but if i remember correctly it was basically a Vauxhall so lacked the quality and as you say the switches would peel leaving the white plastic. Was a nice thing to drive in the summer with the roof down and pretty quick too..
My dad had a 93 from the earlier generation a aero coupe in the same colour as this one. I used to love how it looked and my dad how it drove. Went to 500.000 km on lpg, Awsome car. So pity they were dumped by the US buyout. Still kinda always wanted a SAAB.
I helped moved all the new uk saab stock in 2005/6. A factory near the original storage yard contaminated the paint. They all needed a full respray, before they had even been sold!
About bleeding time 🙂. On my 4th Saab 9-3 convertible so good to see one on your channel. Current one being one of the last ones they made before going bust! 97k miles and pretty close in condition to the one here if not a bit better. Basically nothing wrong with it. Only thing that surprised me was you saying how comfortable the seats were. I'd just assumed all car seats were that comfortable 😂.
Nice car. One of the few true four adult seater convertibles.. We considered one of these when looking for our convertible 19 years ago, but they were dear. We were then offered a great deal on a 2.2 Astra G convertible that was one year old. We still have it. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the parts (roof hydraulics etc) were interchangeable with the Vauxhall. All it needs is a wind deflector.
Moral of the story
Scrapping 4 cars can buy you a Saab93 👍
…and a SAAB convertible will make you realise why all other convertibles are scrap!!
Yes indeed
@@lukeclifton4392 really? any opinion on the volvo c70 from '07?
It's so unfair that companies like Vauxhall still exist but SAAB no longer do.
You do know Vauxhall was bought out by Peugeot before becoming part of Stellantis Group.
It exists only as part of a badge engineered group of vehicles.
Whats wrong with Vauxhall?
It is because of the fuxking GM (General Motors)
@@archy234Ain't nothing right is it?
I hear lots of people who have said a similar thing and none of them have owned a Saab. There lies the problem.
I was a SAAB man. Damn you GM.
SAAB committed suicide because of hubris.
GM gave them a lifeline and if it had willingly shared chassis and components, as VAG vehicles do, they would probably still be around today.
without GM this Saab 9-3 would never been built.
@williamegler8771
That's not true.
And would we really want Saab to still be making cars today? They would have been turned sooner or later.
Saab didn't like the crap GM wanted them to put into their cars.
@@williamegler8771Saab was forced to negate on existing contracts and use GM parts.
I learned that at the Saab museum from a former assistant to Victor Muller who had worked just about all her life at Saab.
She like Victor Muller because he had at least tried to save the company.
Muller however had completely underestimated the importance of the supply chain and the difficulty to get ALL suppliers on board again. There were too many who had moved on and or still needed to get payed by Saab before they would be willing to ship anything to Saab.
And there was GM that didn’t except any of the (dodgy?) financiers that Muller came up with.
@@williamegler8771
General Motors was forced to sell Saab as they themselves were demoted to Sergeant Motors during the financial crisis around that time.
That 93 is a credit to its former owner. It just goes to show that if you maintain and care for a quality car, it can really stand the test of time.
100k Miles is nothing for this car. In Finland most of the ones are driven even more than 200k miles, and they are still driving all right
Love my 1999 93. Blows most modern cars into the weeds for all 'round experience.
My Dad was involved in a head on crash in a 93.The copper told me if he had been driving something less robust he would have been dead.
I t boned a tree trunk in a 900 and all I had was scratches on my face from the airbag. If I’d taken the Citroen that day….
Nice little profit,well done Matt
Rear ended a 9 3 about 20+ years ago. The 9 3 didn’t have a scratch and front of my car looked like it had taken a beating
@@arthurtwoshedsjackson6266W cap
@@arthurtwoshedsjackson6266To be fair, the fronts are made to deform the most.
I always smile when I see a Saab convertable. A mate of mine had one and a Summers day we went for lunch at Blackheath (London) where they have quite a few restaurants with outside eating. He parked the car and as we had the hood down, pressed the button to bring it up and we got a round of applause from the diners at one of the restaurants because of the power drive hood performance :)
I put the hood down before driving off after visiting my sister. Her 5 year old son said "Look! It's a Transformers car!". 😂
@@andrewcarter7503😂😂😂
The snatch at blackheath bak in day was top class
In 2000, I got my mid life crisis car for my 40th birthday, a Saab Viggen Convertible, (in lieu of taking a company car) all but brand new. I LOVED that car, wish i'd never sold it 😢😢😢
STET that, it's still on the road (X16GEN....plate i put on) and i just looked at the MOT history ....someone's spending a lot of money to keep it going!!!
A nice motor. At the age of 72 I can relate to floppy and soft!
and that's why we have Viagra!
Ah...the Vauxhall Viagra.. don't see many these days. Very up and down performance.
😅😂😅😂😅😂😅😂
Having owned 7 or 8 Saabs, it still kills me that they are no longer in business. Even so, that 9-3's style still looks fresh today! What a bargain. I still drive a Saab as my daily: a 9-5 Aero with over 200K miles. Look after them, and a Saab will run forever!
Given Saab as a company no longer exists, where do you get it serviced from?
@@sunilnijran1515 here in Boston USA, there are still plenty of Saab specialists. Many Saabs are still on the road around here!
Matt, you scored a winner with this car. It's a low pressure turbo; the small letter t on the rear badge gives it away. All the usual 9-3 issues seem to be absent (yes, I'm a Saab tragic). No button peel, no rust on the rear quarter panels (they usually go below the roof clamshell), the chin spoiler isn't smashed to shit or missing altogether, the seats aren't cracked, the roof works, the battery cover is present, the cupholder works (possibly the only 9-3 left on the planet with a working cupholder) the key buttons aren't destroyed, and the central ignition module is working ok; if that goes, it's a new module and new keys, costing $$$$. The ashtray is missing but that'd be a tenner from a scrapyard. Somebody loved this car.
The digital display for the climate control temperature goes to 0-9 if you have the roof down, rather than showing a temperature; the unit is actually working fine.
There's a really good Saab specialist near you in Glossop, Saabtec. I used them when I lived in Saddleworth.
My cup holder is fine. However the rear sills....
Wow sold at £1750. 😳 That was an incredible buy for the new owner. I had two Saab Vector Convertibles, both brand new as company cars. I put 70k miles on each of them in 2 years and had zero problems. A terrific, fun car. A sure fire investment for the new owner at that money👍
A great example. A shame SAAB don't do cars anymore. Always stood out from the rest. Love that colour as well.
Make cool jets tho
I owned a 9-3, great car. And as you say the seats are fantastic. Also you can wave at other Saab drivers and have a cheery wave back!
Got a wave on long hill last week. Always cheers me up 👋
My late uncle loved unsual cars. He had a SAAB 99 in 1979. I remember at the time thinking the seats were so much nicer than those in British cars.
Wow! The building alarm was a bang on advert for the sound proofing in your Range Rover - that was amazing!
the alarm prob belongs to wonder grip as their depot has prob been sat abandoned like their van for the last month or so
We gave up work in 2017 to travel around Europe in a campervan....on the way into our local town just before we left, we saw a stunning aero 93 anniversary for sale. 10,000 miles later...the camper was still on storage and we had a fabulous time. It handled superbly for a fwd car and twice saved us from disaster with the safety systems onboard. Wish I had never sold it😢
There is a 93 Aero parked near me, same colour as this one and I’ve always thought they have aged really well. Less than £2k for one of these in good order is bonkers good value! It’s less than 4 PCP monthly payments on new cars for a lot watching this channel I’m sure, makes one think 🤔. Splendid vid
Owned a 2008 Saab 93 Turbo Vector petrol for two years. Amazing car. And I can attest to those amazing seats. I now have a Lexus RX and the seats are no where near as good as my Saab's.
I still regret selling mine and wouldn't mind purchasing one again if I came across a clean one. The 2.0l turbo vector petrol is the engine to have, packs 175BHP which is plenty and the engine is brilliant, and you really enjoy the turbo kicking in when you stamp your foot.
I drove Saabs for nearly 20 years: two 9000s and two 9-5 Aero estates, one of which was chipped by Abbott to about 290bhp. Beautiful, quick cars that had a certain aura about them. My wife always said i always looked serenely content when driving them. Had a few problems with them but I was fortunate that there are/were nearby specialists to look after them because they really do need looking after!
I'm now in a Skoda Superb 220 L&K, which is the closest big, quick and luxurious 5 door petrol auto there is. It's a great car, but I still miss Saab.
Seems like Skoda was one of the brands that benefited by SAAB going under. Both are clever cars.
I’m getting a 93 Vector Sport estate off my dad when I pass my test, he took me for a drive in it and I fell in love, such a beautiful and smooth car even 17 years later!!!
Whats your insurance going to be 😲
More Saabs please, great video!
Your mate can use it for the summer and sell it back to you for the same 1250 quid in September. So 1750-1250 = 500 quid for 5 months = 100 quid per month to have a reliable, fun convertible. All he has to do now is hope that there's actually a summer between April and September !!!
It's going to be hot as hell in the UK this summer, the Euros are taking football home to Germany.
I saw a fix for these dodgy screens - clicking a lighter starter directly next to the screens - the little electro pulse seems to sort it.
A far better use than smoking or even shocking kids at school like we used to use in the early 2000's
Some years ago, probably in spring, I was walking in the rain along a dual carriageway when by coincidence 3 convertibles overtook me in a row: An Audi A4 doing about 40 mph with the roof up. A BMW 3 Series, doing about 45... roof up. Then flying past me, and them, lights ablaze, doing about 70 mph came one of these Saab convertibles. And yes, the roof was down. It was like watching the genuine article versus the pretenders. I think I even let out a 'GO ON, SON!' type of comment and punched the air. One of those happy moments in life I'll never forget.
I really like SAABs. Great purchase, good to see a car that not a basket case...
Just parted with a 9-3 Aero saloon. Did 90,000 miles in 7 years & other than normal wear & tear items & regular servicing it was totally reliable. Great car, great performance & just a little bit different. If I could've bought a newer one than the one I had with low enough mileage I would've done in a heartbeat!
My uncle had the Saab 93 vector saloon, was fun to drive and I liked the quirky features it had, notably the key ignition by the handbrake and the dashboard that looked like a cockpit.
The folks at SAAB cared about peoples knees.
These were the height of fashion/cool back in the 80's and 90's. I was once lent a Saab 900 saloon as a courtesy car after buying a used Sierra from a Saab dealer. It was superbly comfortable, and rode very well. A cut above the Sierra's and Cavaliers of the time....Very solidly built. The ignition key was between the front seats on the one I drove, and you had to put it in reverse to get the key out before you left the car. Ah, I see it's still in the same place in this one...
Had 3 of these. Petrol Aero was very quick 210bhp model. Generally good reliable cars.
Reliable is a bit of a stretch, bang average at best.
Mine wasn't. I could write down everything that went wrong with it but I'd be here all day.
Always a great looking car, still is. Never dated. Your mate got a bargain.
On my 3rd Saab, currently a 9-3 Aero convertible. Once you own and live with one, you understand the appeal.
I owned and lived with one and it was terrible. Probably the worst car I've ever owned. Injectors, turbo, manifolds, EGR valve, gearbox, brake calipers and more all had issues along with a host of interior fit and finish problems. I was very happy to trade it in. Barely made it to the dealership with the injectors pissing diesel out all over the engine bay.
@@AWMJoeyjoejoe clearly bad judgement on your part when buying the car.
@@6770connorCan't argue with that. Unfortunately I bought it with an insurance payout and I had only a few days with the courtesy car before they took it back so I had to find something quickly. I also believed the hype back then about Saabs being bullet proof. It had a full service history and appeared well looked after but it was a total lemon. Lesson learned! If I could go back I would just get a Honda Accord and save myself about £4k in repair costs.
@@6770connorCan't argue with that. Lesson learned. Never buy GM.
I had one about 14 years ago, a yellow 93 Aero (the ‘HOT’ version) kept it 3 years and used it year round,even in a minus 10 degree winter it was comfortable safe and pulled well,never missed a beat, I so regret selling it as it’s the best car I’ve ever had, and you’re so right about the seats 300 mile drives and I’d get out feeling fresh, I would definitely have another.
I miss Saab 😢
Saabs are still here
@@supersaabclaireSome spare parts are hard to find though.
Me too..they are becoming a rare sight in my neck of the woods.
I really enjoyed this one Matt. I love a nice Saab. They have an X factor that tickles my ticklish bits. They're different; a bit like a Citroen that's been built by someone who knows how to make cars. It was a very sad day when Saab went out of business. And nothing else has ever filled the space they once occupied.
Love my 93 wagon even tho the wipers have broken twice in 6 months and the heater control decals have gone west.
Shame they're not in business anymore!
Love your channel. Had one of these lovely cars . Black with beige leather Loved it apart from the drive chain snapping after two years in and unable to buy new seat belt as they had gone bust. Apart from that, I still maintain they look modern and classy despite being over a decade old.
Thanks Matt for the memories. I owned a 2001 9 3 a couple of years ago before we moved states here in Australia. It was a Designer Series (only 200 made). It had Aero wheels and blue inserts on the seats and door cards. Colour coded windscreen surrounds and side skirts. A snappy looking car and very reliable with 200,000 kms on it when I bought it. We lived in the country and used it on days when we wanted to go down to the seaside for coffee and a drive. It's great being retired!
The fact the roof works fine makes it worth what you paid already 😊
Love a Saab & buzzed on your success story for a change
You could probably have sold it for a cool 2K and I doubt anyone would blame you for being greedy. Very nice of you.
Finally, the video I've been waiting for. Congratulations for getting one without the "manual operation only" message when taking the roof down. Mine's currently suffering from that. Fantastic that you saved one from the scrap. They really are underrated.
I'm now fully addicted to this channel. I love the fact that this chap is not only a Partridge fan, but also has very good musical knowledge, much like myself. I was brought up on radio2, and can recognise a tune from it's first few bars. Oh, and it also helps that I'm also slightly ginger & blinking LOVE cars...especially when they turn a profit 🤑😉
Yes, I'm convinced this is my favourite channel.
I drive the exact same , same year colour etc , bullet proof , worth 2500 , this is the second 93 on your channel , well done , great to see it
This car is on AutoTrader! The video made me look. Love a Saab.
That was a terrific deal for your SAAB collecting friend Matt! A truly decent car, at a very fair price.
A Saab? Now you’re just playing with fire 🔥 - I love your content
This should be the car for your Spain trips
For winter, Spain’s not a convertible country in the south
Love my saab 2011 convertible as my daily.. Great video and keep the saabs coming😊😊
12yrs on… and still no one can manufacture a convertible that is even remotely as beautiful as Saab! (Audi came close)
The SAAB convertible is a testament to design engineering that not even today’s engineers can comprehend.
Great video and what an absolute bargain. You sold at a great price too. Lovely car! This is such a feel good channel. Always positive!
I own a 2011 Saab 95 NG Aero TTiD saloon. Without a doubt the best car I’ve ever owned. Fast when need to be and very comfy. Such a shame GM walked away from the brand and let it die.
Had a 2005 9-3 Aero cabrio 2.0 turbo several years ago. Absolutely loved the car. Previous owner was Paul Simon’s percussionist. Mine was lime yellow metallic with light grey leather, automatic, sadly. Had lots of fun with it. Very reliable as long as you get the kit to protect the ECU.
Good illustration of mild OCD Matt. “ I will of course be changing the reg plates because they don’t MATCH “.
My first car was a Saab 9-3 Aero 2.0T. Was actually one of the best cars I have ever owned, so much fun, looked very good, so much for the money. So sad I sold it.
what year was it?
@@f0xyplayz_yt307 2004
I had a 53 plate Aero. Very fast car,but the stereo was awful. I've got a face-lift vector sport now and thank god they sorted the stereo out.
Ah yes a Saab big lover of the ex Swedish brand Saab loved all the cars they made they were always cool and unique. Unfortunately these days many are being neglected due to parts supply troubles.
I own a Saab 9-3 turbo in glacier white on 102.000 miles. I love it and have had a few positive comments.
I borrowed my brothers Saab tòok me a while to realise where the ignition key goes by the handbrake for some strange Swedish reason. Well done Matt you made £££ with no overspend
I believe they put the ignition there because it is quite common for people to injure their leg on the keys in car crashes.
😂😂😂😂
They put it there so you don't bruise your knee in a head-om collision
It started with the 99 and was placed there for two reasons. Safety as mentioned but the second reason was ergonomics, you do all the other things to get going down there. Turn the car on, release parking brake and put in the correct gear.
@Ce0ammer thanks every day is a school day
it's got a manual gearbox and a real handbrake....and no annoying computer screen...proper car!
Always like these. I seem to remember an ad campaign featuring a green one with Skis photographed in the Alps?
Are you thinking of the one that looks like it starts at a beach, but it is actually a large billboard, and the car then drives on a snowy mountain road? There was some version of "California Dreaming" playing in the background.
Love it! I have owned 2 Saab convertables - there is something just so effortlessly cool about them.
Love SAAB’s…. Have had a 96, 95, 900 and a 93….. best comfortable car I’ve ever had….
Matt take a look in the comments....all saab fans....what a great bunch saab owners are. Happy you featured saab sad they no longer exist....and forget NEVS.
These are great cars...I had one exactly the same, but it was an auto for a year on contract hire, and it never let me down.... It effortlessly cruises down the road...no issues whatsoever!
I bought a SAAB 9-3 V6 Sportwagon (56 plated so had facelift dash) as a stop gap car and fell in love with it. I have since parted with it due to the £615 tax but I do enjoy watching video's and TV episodes about SAAB now such as Wheeler Dealers etc. Everybody always says " you cant get parts" but There is a SAAB parts importer in Milton Keynes called ORIO.
Loved my 93 Aero. Great car. I had zero problems with it.
I have owned one of these now for 8 years, a 2007 diesel in electric blue with the updated dashboard and it is awesome.
The HVAC numbers revert to 0 to 10 when the roof is down, then back to actual temperature numbers when back up. You can set the aircon to go off when the roof is down as well. Quirky old cars. Love them. Had a 93 2.0T Aero 2005 for 4 years.
I had 93 aero Convertible from 2007-10 and did 110.000 miles with absolutely no issues, with roof down was an attractive car..
8:52 is fortunately normal behaviour. A/C is turned off with the roof down and replaced with a 0-10 scale of heat, with 0 being unheated, regular air, and 10 being pretty hot. I guess they reckon you can't control the interior temperature if you're outside.
Delighted you did not " massively overspend " Matt and pleased for you the car sold, it was a little peach and at £1250 quite a bargain, it also looked fantastic after the valet and touch up, well done !!
Loved my Saabs. Had 95 vector and 93 tTID. I’m in a 5 series now!
Oh Matt you've brought back so many happy memories I had with mine 😂😂😂 before I had to sell 😢😢😢.....oh I miss my 9-3 soft top ..
🌟🎊🤩🥳
What a bargain at £1250 & £1750! I bought a 2003 93 Aero brand new and loved it. It was my 2nd Saab and it was the quirkiness I loved about them. Nothing sluggish about that car. Also the best seat I had ever sat in until I bought my present Volvo. You can see I like quirkiness. There's one of these (convertible) parked on a drive in my road and I smile when ever I walk past it. Brings back happy memories. And the best bit was driving in snow and ice when all the German cars had come to a halt.
I really like this generation of 93; at first glance they're subtle, almost non-descript so look smart and professional, but the more you look, the more styling details you see and the more handsome they look. Later generations got a bit more "bold". Volvo's of this era were similar.
And welcome back Sensible Matt.
Great vid and nice looking car, Matt. Favourite line was definitely about the seat patch which was done "in the dark I think". Priceless. Keep up the good work.
Nice car! I used to have a 93 Aero, forget the floppy handling… and quick! Only sold it ‘cos I was tempted by a 95 Aero, re mapped to 275bhp, Bilstein shocks with Eibach springs. Really fast, and handled beautifully! Another car I so regret selling…😢 RIP Saab😢 Great channel btw, thanks for the entertainment!
I see your pal’s put it straight on the market for £2.5k! Lovely car Matt, enjoyed this one.
"Nothing like it on the market"
Because I'm sad, I zoomed in to see "High Peak Autos" on the plates 😆
(potential buyers can see the chap's address in the photos)
Went buy a 9.3 estate a few years back as we’d just got a dog - ended up buying a 9.3 convertible and an ancient Isuzu Trooper - loved both of them.
I have a lime yellow one with 81k automatic, i love it just done all discs and pads drop links tie rods ,it's like diving a new car .
And there's nothing wrong with that climate control display, as I'm sure you worked out by now 😅 It changes from a temperature setting to a simple "1 to 10" when the roof is down because you can't climate-control an open car! Love your videos!
That is very clever
Good news, Saab 93 Convertibles are great. On an 06, an auto petrol will most likely be £715 to tax for a year so a manual is a much better buy.
If you haven't already, ask your mate to check if this example has the Comfort Pack, where you can lower the hood from outside the car by holding down the open button on the fob. It's a cool fun feature 😊
I'm going to dig mine out tomorrow now!
I had a SAAB 9-3 Aero Grypen for a weekend many years ago and I’ve never forgotten the experience.
Got the Aero 2.0 convertible in this colour and has remote opening roof, sat nav, electric heated seats , auto wipers ,electric folding mirrors, put Bilstein shocks on and now handles very well, also had a stage one tune to 250 bhp and it goes like stink, very underated cars
I had a 2006 Vector Sport in black for a while, the 1.9 diesel. What a car it was. Supremely comfortable seats - didn’t get back ache once no matter how long the journey was and it had all the power you could want. I only sold it as I didn’t do enough miles to warrant a diesel. The Saab enthusiasts will say petrol was the way to go on these, and probably more reliable too, the dreaded swirl flaps on the diesels were very common failures. Great cars though and sadly missed. Oh and TS is Teesside 😉
Mate if your life is dull mine is pitch black 😂 I had 10 years working in the motor trade and 90% of it was brilliant until Pendragon bought us out' absolutely horrible people.... But I'd love to get back into it like something what you do.... The TH-cam channel is the best real world motoring program out there... Can't believe your not on TV yet
8:38 TS is Teesside, which covers parts of North Yorkshire and County Durham e.g. Middlesbrough and Stokton-on-Tees
These cars are awesome... always love seeing a saab on the road. Shame they rust so bad.
Wow matt, you're spoiling us now.
Great cars. I had the 93 SD Turbo convertible and drove it down to central Italy from Pamplona. Then the following year from London to Almeria. An absolute joy to drive, and it just kept going. That could sell for £2000+ 8 days a week. Really nice example.
Had a 900 aero many years ago, lovely machine and a proper Saab felt like you was sitting in a fighter jet. Also had a 93 Aero convertible about 15 yrs ago, was a nice car but if i remember correctly it was basically a Vauxhall so lacked the quality and as you say the switches would peel leaving the white plastic. Was a nice thing to drive in the summer with the roof down and pretty quick too..
My old next door neighbour has one he goes out in it once a month , however it gets Cleaned weekly
Those Saab convertibles are lovely and like every upmarket car, it doesn't matter what age it is.
My dad had a 93 from the earlier generation a aero coupe in the same colour as this one. I used to love how it looked and my dad how it drove. Went to 500.000 km on lpg, Awsome car. So pity they were dumped by the US buyout. Still kinda always wanted a SAAB.
I helped moved all the new uk saab stock in 2005/6. A factory near the original storage yard contaminated the paint. They all needed a full respray, before they had even been sold!
I love my Saab's, currently have a 9-5 Hot Aero s estate and a 9-3 Hot Aero convertible. Really comfortable and powerful cars.
Thank you for saving a SAAB Lad.
Result 👍
About bleeding time 🙂. On my 4th Saab 9-3 convertible so good to see one on your channel. Current one being one of the last ones they made before going bust! 97k miles and pretty close in condition to the one here if not a bit better. Basically nothing wrong with it.
Only thing that surprised me was you saying how comfortable the seats were. I'd just assumed all car seats were that comfortable 😂.
Great cars mine never went wrong apart from the exhaust flex 😂
Nice car. One of the few true four adult seater convertibles.. We considered one of these when looking for our convertible 19 years ago, but they were dear. We were then offered a great deal on a 2.2 Astra G convertible that was one year old. We still have it. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the parts (roof hydraulics etc) were interchangeable with the Vauxhall. All it needs is a wind deflector.
They say your in business to make money and not friends, I was to nice, but it worked out ok. I ended up with a lot of both.