Here's some stuff that I think deserves your attention. Just a few photos of my previous Saabs, a tour to the Uusikaupunki Saab museum and so on... Now that I've got a digital camera I've taken dozens of photos at the Finnish Saab Club meetings. feel free to look around, but please do not reuse the photos without permission since most of them are about other people's cars - even though the plates are covered.
Saab sales brochures from the 60's
Last Update 20th May 2004
We bought a house last fall. This new house of ours is not exactly new, it was built in 1962. I am now renovating the attic and getting rid of the old scrap the previous owners have gathered up there. Among that stuff lies pretty much car related stuff: old sales brochures, car magazines etc. all from the 1960's. I will add any interesting Saab-related stuff I run into here.
Helsinki Motor Show is an annual car show held here in Finland. There were lots of interesting cars at display there, but - surprise surprise - all that I have put up here are shots of the Saabs that were on display. Well, the RaceAbout 2 isn't exactly a Saab but I find the idea of a custom-made race car powered by a Saab engine quite interesting.
Photos from the factory Saab Museum in Trollhättan, Sweden
Last Update 17th July 2001
I took these photos on my visit to the Saab museum in Trollhättan in summer 2001. The museum was a very interesting place, although I expected it to be somewhat larger than it actually is. Anyway, there were many interesting and unique cars to see. Here are photos of most of them, including shots of the model year 2002 9-5: notice how Saab copied the aluminium dashboard from my car? :)
Saab 900, model 1987. Base trim 4-door sedan. White. Ascetic but extremely reliable. Had 340 000 kms (212 000 miles) when traded in May '98 for my next Saab.
Saab 99 GL, model 1984. 5-speed with 2 doors. Cherry red. Has so far served well for 400 000 kms (250 000 miles). Sold to my brother.
Uusikaupunki Saab Museum
Last Update 13th July 2000
In summer of 1997 I made trip I had been planning for a long time. All it took was a 3-hour drive west from Helsinki. I ended up to a small city on the west coast of Finland called Uusikaupunki. The city itself isn't very special, but the plant just outside the city is quite an important part of the album of Saab.
The plant was established in 1969 as a joint-venture between Saab of Sweden and Valmet of Finland. The production started with Saab 96 and up to 1993 the Uusikaupunki Plant has assembled practically all the Saabs sold in Finland and exported a high percentage of the production as well. Product range included 96, 95, 99, 90 (Manufactured only in Uusikaupunki), 900 and 9000. In fact almost 30% of all Saabs ever manufactured are made in Uusikaupunki.
In 1986 the 900 Cabriolet was introduced. All cabriolets have been built in Uusikaupunki and it soon became a very important article for the factory. After GM acquired Saab Valmet Corporation bought out Saab from the plant. It was thereafter named Valmet Automotive. After the introduction of the new generation 900 in 1993 the production of hard-top models was centralized to Trollhättan, Sweden. The only Saab models remaining in production in Uusikaupunki are the 900 cabriolet and Viggen (both are produced only in Uusikaupunki). It may sound a little surprising, but since Valmet Automotive is an independent manufacturer they have just started assembling Porsche Boxsters side-by-side in the same plant with Saabs.
These photos are from the Saab Museum located within the Uusikaupunki Plant. They have an unique collection of 90-series models plus many interesting prototypes that shouldn't even exist. A good example of these is the 9000 cabriolet. Until these days it has been kept in secrecy, but now it can be seen in the museum - together with a really tall 900 limousine, a 9000CD V8 and other very special prototypes such as Opel Calibra Convertible.
These are just amateur photos taken by me, the place really is worth seeing by yourself. Unfortunately they do not arrange sightseeings to the factory. More information about Uusikaupunki can be found at http://www.uusikaupunki.fi. Valmet automotive is at http://www.valmet-automotive.com .
The prototype of a 9000 cabriolet. Front view.
Reverse view. The taillights were very prototype-like.
Internals.
Saab 92s. The green one was the first in Finland, registered in 1951.
Saab 96s and 95 wagons.
Two generations of Sonetts. Super Sport was hidden somewhere.
The family portrait of Uusikaupunki-made cabriolets: 1995, 1986 and 1994.
The first-generation cabriolet with an "impressive" front spoiler.
