Memories Of A Car Ahead Of Its Time: The Saab 96

A proud Swedish company that I had a personal relationship with is floundering. The company is Saab — and it was once a cool, techy business. Just look at its original name: "Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget." That's Swedish for "Swedish Aeroplane Company."

I didn't know Saab was an acronym, honestly, I thought it was the Swedish word for a car that looks like it has spinal problems.

Turns out that's because the aeronautical engineers who were designing Saabs wanted it to be more aerodynamic. And Saab's were SAFE. In the 1950s Saab was the first car maker to make seatbelts standard and in the 70's you could buy a Saab with side-impact protection.

Then today I read the bad news — GM's Saab Sale Falls Through.

 

I had the same problem with my old Saab 96.

I don't know why no one wanted to buy it. It got pretty good mileage. It had front-wheel drive. It handled well in the snow, and boy, there was snow in New Hampshire in the early 70s.

But when I tried to sell the Saab in Claremont, N.H., back in 1974 there were no takers. Was it because it looked like a pickle with wheels? Was it because of the dents I put into it? Was it my total lack of salesmanship?

Thankfully, Gerald Ford intervened — but not like how he intervened when he pardoned Nixon. For me, this was more helpful by a long shot: buy a new car, get $500 federal rebate.

Or something like that.

Anyway, I decided it was time to buy a new car from Dean Hill Motors. Since they were the place that sold me the used Saab 96, they took it in trade. With the $50 they threw in for the Saab and the $500 bucks from Jerry Ford, I bought a $2,400 new Fiat 128.

Yes, $2,400. Yes, Fiat.

Anyway, I dumped the Saab 96 on them and drove the five miles to Tremont Square. That's where the Fiat 128 engine seized. Later I was told that there were two types of Fiats — the ones made BEFORE lunch, and the Fiat I got, made after the traditional two-hour factory lunch break.

The Saab 96, for all its faults and quirks, never did that.