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Junkyard Gem: 1989 Saab 900 Turbo Convertible

I live in Colorado, where Saabs were loved deeply by residents going way back to the 96 (and I'm sure a few 92s were sold here in the 1950s, though I haven't found any in local car graveyards … yet). By far the easiest pre-GM Trollhattanites to find in Centennial State wrecking yards these days are the 1978-1993 900s, and I walk by a half-dozen for each one that I document as a Junkyard Gem. We admired a gloriously brown 900 Turbo two-door a few months back, but today's 900 Turbo is an extremely rare cabriolet version, the first I've found in a boneyard in at least 15 years. The convertible 900 was available only as a turbocharged version in the United States when it was introduced for the 1986 model year, and that continued through 1991. After that, a naturally-aspirated 900 convertible could be bought here. When in very nice condition, these cars can bring tidy sums. A super-low-mile '87 900 Turbo convertible just sold for $145,000 recently, in fact. This car has more than 843 times as many miles on the odometer as that car, however, and it shows every one of them. It's not terribly rusty, considering, but the sheet metal shows many battle scars, and the interior is about what you'd expect with 33-year-old leather. Last year's film adaptation of Haruki Murakami's short story, "Drive My Car," put the Saab 900 Turbo back into mainstream cultural awareness. However, that car is a two-door sedan; the best-known Saab 900 Turbo Convertible in cinema history is the one driven by Iben Hjelje's character in the film adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel, "High Fidelity." These cars were fairly quick for their time, with 160 horsepower from this DOHC 2.0-liter straight-four in 1989. Having seen more than my share of 900 Turbos going up against same-era BMW E30s and Acura Integras on road courses, I'd put my money on the Saab in a wheel-to-wheel race (that is, in a race short enough to keep the Swede's nervous engine alive). While a three-speed automatic was available on this car, the kind of Americans odd enough to buy Saabs in 1989 also tended to be the type that wanted manual transmissions. In fact, I can't recall ever seeing a (non-Opel-based) 900 with a slushbox. Yes, Opel! Starting in the 1994 model year, the 900 name went on a car based on the Opel Vectra platform. Later on, the Saab 9-5 and Saturn L-Series lived on the same chassis. Given all the luxury features and genuine performance, this car was a pretty good value for the price in 1989.

Rally legend Erik Carlsson dies at 86

The motorsports world has lost a legend with the passing of famous rally driver Erik Carlsson at the age of 86. If you've ever seen a photo of a vintage Saab sliding around a corner or blasting through tree-lined roads, there was a good chance that Carlsson was behind the wheel. The man was so tied to the Swedish auto brand that he earned the nickname Mr. Saab. Carlsson experienced his greatest competition success in the late '50s and early '60s when he scored victories in premier events like the Monte Carlo Rally (pictured above). Among his more impressive performances were consecutive wins in '60, '61, and '62 Britain's RAC Rally. His three-cylinder, 750cc Saab 96 wasn't insanely powerful, but Carlsson made it a monster in the world of rallying. In 2010, Saab named a special edition 9-3 after him and honored his victory at the RAC Club in London. Beyond being impressive behind the wheel of a rally car and a longtime Saab brand ambassador, the driver had a habit of rolling his car during competition to earn the moniker "Carlsson On The Roof." According to Classic and Sports Car, he also wrote the book The Art and Technique of Driving that detailed his left-foot braking method, and it was co-authored with his wife, fellow racing driver Pat Moss. Our condolences go out to Carlsson's friends and family.

Saab signs deal to sell 20,000 electric cars in China

Another quarter, another gargantuan deal for National Electric Vehicle Sweden (Nevs), the Chinese-backed firm that bought the assets to Saab in 2012 and then spent two years getting out of financial trouble. The company just announced that it has agreed to a framework deal with China Volant Industry Co. (Volinco), a firm whose principal business is import and export of aerospace equipment and technologies. The tentative Volinco order is worth 8.5 billion Swedish crowns ($996 million US) for 20,000 electric cars that will be delivered between 2017 and 2020. A final purchase order is expected to be finalized later. In December, Nevs signed a deal worth $12 billion to provide 150,000 electric cars to Panda New Energy, a Chinese EV leasing company. That deal will also see Nevs provide 100,000 electric vehicle products and services to companies that Nevs works with. As with the Volinco deal, Nevs will build and paint components for its Saab 9-3 EV in Trollhattan, Sweden then ship the kits to China for final assembly. Given the number and size of its recent deals, it shouldn't be a surprise that Nevs is building a factory in Tianjin, China that will be ready in 2020. Volinco apparently plans to use the trove as company cars for employees. The final agreement will also include giving Nevs access to a range of the aerospace firm's suppliers to assist with its production plans. Nevs is also working with Dongfeng and Renesas Electronics to help develop its current and future cars. Featured Gallery 2014 Saab 9-3 News Source: Reuters Green Saab Green Automakers Electric Sedan NEVS national electric vehicle sweden