SAAB SPARES

Saab Original, a distribution centre in Nyköping in Sweden, ships out over 50 containers of official Saab parts and accessories all over the world every day. While Saab Original’s web site lists ten pages of spares for the 900, ranging from a new bonnet at the bargain price of £75 to a manual gearbox housing at £104 (both prices plus VAT), we called into Saab specialist Volsaa Engineering in Derby (01332 291320) to find out what the spares situation was like for anyone thinking about restoring an early 900.

Technicians Geoff Morris and Adam Yeomans explained how over the years Volsaa Engineering had built up what the pair called an ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ of spares for most late Saab models, including both generations of the 900. As Geoff explained while showing me the firm’s extensive stores area: “Owners of older cars often source parts online and we will happily fit them, but as you can see we’ve got a huge stock of second-hand panels, interior trim and mechanical parts, while a local former Saab dealer can supply new parts.”

Although Saab no longer builds cars, the availability of parts for the 900 seems to be reasonably good and despite the Saab 900 being an endangered species, there’s an enthusiastic network of specialist repairers, such as Volsaa on hand to help keep a survivor on the road if things do go wrong.