‘I put it down to SAAB building strong cars’

Nic Cooper, Letchworth

Back in 1995 I started looking for a black Saab 900 Carlsson. The biggest problem from my point of view was that the least expensive cars were advertised for around £9000, which was more than I could afford at the time.

The ad for what is now my car appeared in May 1996. It was £6500 ono and only five miles away! It had a pretty high mileage for a car not six years old (87,000 miles). I paid £6000 – a bargain.

My idea was that I could drive it for a year or so, then buy a lower mileage example. But there was no need, I kept piling on the miles and it just lapped them up. So it was that five years on we sailed through the 200,000-mile barrier.

By 2002 and now with 230,000 miles on the clock I had the timing chains replaced and thought it was probably time to buy something a bit newer. So, I set out to buy a second generation Saab 900 Turbo. I found a suitable car and asked about a trade in value. To my surprise and disbelief, the sales manager at the dealership said that he wasn’t interested in my car and that he’d give me a £500 discount against the new car. I could either leave the old car or take it home. So I kept it! I love driving the car… this might sound a bit stupid, but it’s like it fits somehow. It’s most enjoyable driving in the Alps, the roads are fabulous and the scenery spectacular. One day soon we’ll be going back and I can’t wait. I have no worries that it’ll get us there either. Given the chance I’d fill the tank up and go tomorrow. The biggest fix it has needed was the gearbox, which I rebuilt in 2015. SAAB build strong cars, but I put this mileage down to regular oil changes (every 6000 miles), changing brake master cylinder and slave cylinder at the same time and replacing balljoints in pairs. I love my long-lived Swede and couldn’t bear to part with it now.