Why you still feel safe in a forty-year-old Saab 900

The time when you could pick up a 900 Classic from a dealer for €500 seems to be gone forever. A good one increases in price every year, especially if it is a Turbo. That is not the Saab we drive, on the contrary, it is the basic version. Yet it says GL on the tailgate and it must be said: it does not look like a simple entry-level version, with some chrome here and there, tinted glass and a nice interior. The color combination is anything but boring. This 900 was delivered new to its first Dutch owner just over 37 years ago by dealer Lenderink (Enschede and Hengelo) and therefore still has its original license plate. The dashboard is enriched with a retrofitted tachometer, a popular accessory at the time. We are even more charmed by those crystal clear, large VDO clocks with their striking bright orange hands: clock, speedometer and a combination instrument for fuel supply and coolant temperature. This copy has 194,000 kilometers on the odometer and has long since found a new owner.

The three knobs for the interior climate are almost at eye level and the radio cassette player is slightly above them. This has really been thought through. Then that panoramic windshield. What a view! And have you ever taken a good look at the door opening on a Saab? There is a huge recess in the sill into which the bottom of the door falls. This way, your pants, dress or long coat stay nice and clean when you get in. The seat is comfortable and the seating position contributes to a safe driving style. Between the front seats we find the ignition switch (so that you do not get your knee in the key in the event of an accident) and the choke lever. It is a pleasant, relaxing car to drive, in which you feel safe even in today’s traffic. There is no fifth gear, but the noise level remains within limits even at 120 km/h. This model 900 was built from 1978 to 1994, until 1984 next to the 99. There are later 900s of this generation for sale, but the price quickly approaches 10,000 euros. This 1983 copy was for sale in 2021 for €4,950.