Think back 20 years or so, those of you who can, to when you saw a Saab for the first time. It might have been a 99 or a 900. Some of you older guys will probably think it was a 96 or something even older. My guess is that for the most part, people’s first Saab sighting would be of a 900.


Now. Answer honestly. How many of you thought it looked kinda funny?


The reason I got so absorbed into Saab certainly didn’t stem from looking at them. It came from that first drive I had in one. Until that first drive, I just figured they were for rich, pretentious types who figured a real Aussie car was a below their station. Prejudiced as I was back in my 20s, it wasn’t until I got to ride in one that I figured there was some substance behind them.


I learned to love the designs as years went by. It wasn’t until some time later that I really appreciated the fact that the 900 was a somewhat timeless design that still looked fantastic years after it ceased production.


I got to thinking about this last night as I pondered what I thought were some rather unkind comments about a recent SOTW entry. It was EHall’s Saab 9-5, a 2007 model in white. It struck me as I was thinking about these how the facelift on the Saab 9-5 has really grown on me now. I still think there’s certain colors that suit it much better than others, but overall, I think this look is starting to really grown on me.





It’s all a matter of personal preference, of course, but I wonder if this is another one of those Saab designs that’s going to stand the test of time. Perhaps it’ll be much more appreciated in 2012 than what it is now.


What will we all think in five years from now when we look back and compare, say, a 2007 Saab 9-5 and a 2007 Saab 9-3 when it comes to exterior design?


Just a thought. But Edna, you’re fine by me.


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