The Saab 99 is the Perfect Classic Daily

As undoubtedly their most consequential model, the Saab 99 was Trollhättan's first compact executive saloon. Borrowing engineering from Triumph, allying it to a unique yet handsome silhouette, and finishing it off in a distinctly competent package, the 99 has today become possibly the perfect classic daily driver.

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[Griffoslife]

This was my dad car!! He was master technician at Saab before he sadly suddenly passed away!! He worked for Saab for 40 plus years and there was nothing about Saab he didn’t know!! Breaks my heart to see this car again but I see the passionate history here!! Saab played a massive part in my childhood growing up and so did cars!! Thank you for making this car internet famous!!

[esteissietse]

Great video! My current, first, and only car I have owned is a 1983 99, slate blue with tan interior. Bought it when I was 23, still driving in now. I love it and will never get rid of it!

[destrozar]

Superb historical motoring journalism. It's the attention to detail and the backstories that make your videos stand out from the rest. Fantastic work.

[Blutnase]

Dude, you experience this car like someone who's driven it for years. Thank you.

[PeterBarri]

Ed is a very talented and knowledgeable presenter.

[kramnam]

Well presented! I have an 89 900i and love it . The doors still click shut in such a satisfying way. It’s my everyday car, my only car.

[Grahamvfr]

At 27.11 seats!..i can recall a great Saab advert which read..if you have a bad back, dont change your doctor, change your something like that 😊. Always a fabulous cockpit.

[orenkipnis]

Great video. Driving Saabs for more then 3 decades, where the most is a 99LE that was my daily 22 years and 450, 000 miles.

[RobinOsborne]

Back in the very early 1980s I had a Saab 900 Turbo 3 dr and that was such a wonderful car. I owned it when I met my wife and she still absolutely loves it if we see a 99 or 900. So sad that Saab are no longer with us as they truly offered a different experience. Great video.

[jrbs]

Love how the bonnet opens on these cars; a piece of engineering genius 👌

[TheBTG]

My first car as a college kid was a 1980 99 GLi. I got it when it had over 100 k on the clock. It was a wonderful driver and was unbelievable in the snow. I’ve never been without a Saab for 40 years. 😊

[rupertorgan]

This video brought back a lot of memories for me. From the mid 1970s to 80s, three 99s and two 900 turbos came and went across my parents' driveway. I learned to drive in one of them and got to drive one of the turbos once I had passed that magical age of 21 in the eyes of insurers back then. Your research about the engine issues was spot-on, the first 99 my mother owned had a 1854cc Triumph-developed engine and it had its issues, usually related to British-built components. I seem to remember my father saying something like 'bloody Girling', or 'bloody Lucas', everytime a problem was diagnosed. After they enlarged to two litres, all the problems disappeared and the second Saab on our driveway was a very reliable car. The introduction of the 900, with the redesign forward of the A-pillar, got rid of the 'wonky' steering wheel angle and also created space to fit PAS on right-hand drive cars. Along with a much improved interior ergonomics and quality, it convinced my father to P/X his Jaguar XJ12C for one of the first 900 turbos to be delivered to the UK. At the time, there was nothing on the road other than a 911 turbo that could match the Saab's midrange acceleration. The original 99/900 was so good that the first GM-influenced 900s were a step backwards in terms of just about everything and the beginning of the end for the brand.

[lewis]

9:41
The door extending down beyond the sills absolutely IS a safety feature.
In a side impact, it helps prevent the door from riding over the sill and intruding into the cabin and also helps to to remain possible to open, instead of being wedged into the cabin.

[LeifDjurfeldt]

I'm so glad you mentioned that the engine is in fact a derivatie of the triumh engine, as most reviewers overlook details as this when researching SAAB.
The 99 is a glorious car and your take on it is one of the best on YT I thik.
You should try a 2 door 900 og, as it is a bit like the engine a "better interpretation" of the same thing. It keeps the good things, but fixes smaller things like the pedals, steering column angle so it actually faces the driver, positioned everything facing the driver, etc It's the most driver oriented and individualistic saab of them all!!

Greetings from Göteborg - Sweden

[rolandsuch]

I have owned 6 Saab’s, my first was a 1980 99 Turbo 2 door. I loved it. My last Saab was a 9-5 Aero Hirsch Sport Wagon. The best feature of all my Saabs were the seats!

[davidpeters]

After the Triumph 2000 Mk2's went out of production my dad finally bought his first foriegn car, a yellow Saab 99 Combi Coupe. He bought another in purple after that. Great cars.

[ianbrade]

Very well researched and presented. The next step would be for you to find a 900 to review.

[mpainter]

I've just shared this video to the UK saab owners club on Facebook

[heyboykelly]

I knew about the Triumph engine connection but as is usual, a quick Wiki search and half an hour later, I’ve gone from the B engine to the H engine to the BAIC end of the story for the slant 4. But it did make me wonder if anyone had ever taken the better Saab version and fitted it into a Triumph. Imagine a Dolomite with a much more modern Saab H engine, turbo charged. Now that would be something else.

[chrisshaw]

Thank you for a superb video, one of your best. My initial motoring career was in Fiats. I am not artistic, but I could have been a Sculptor in polyester resin. Something had to change. In 1979 I bought a Saab 99 EMS, which I took to 200K miles. I moved on to 900s and have never been without one (or more) since and my highest milage one is over 300K. I am sure that many owners may get many more than that from them. I use a modified 900SE (normally aspirated) for my daily driver. In organising an annual historic car rally I drive 1, 000 miles in a day in it, frankly nothing else will do!

I have another car as TR7. Perhaps one day it will get a Saab engine.