SAABS ASSEMBLE FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

We return to 2013, the year the International Saab Clubs Meeting was hosted in the UK, and British enthusiasts of the marque pulled out all the stops

International Saab Clubs Meeting, 2013

One fan flew in from Australia and hired a Saab just so he could take part.’

Each year, the International Saab Clubs Meeting (IntSAAB) picks a different country as a host, and in 2013 – for the first time in many years – it was the turn of the UK to put on a celebration for the marque that had only gone bankrupt the previous year.

Perhaps it was the still-lingering sadness which drew people en masse, or maybe it was because the Saab Owners’ Club of Great Britain (co-organiser, along with Saab Enthusiasts’ and UK Saabs) was also celebrating its 50th birthday. But whatever the reason, Wicksteed Park in Northamptonshire was packed with cars and fans of these Swedish machines that have always been just that bit cerebral and individualistic.

They came from all over Europe, as far afield as Russia, and around half were from abroad. One ultrakeen enthusiast even flew from Australia and then hired a Saab 900 Convertible so he could be part of things. Each day saw over 300 vehicles participate, both on display and touring the local area. At the time there was much optimism that Saab would rise again under its new owner, National Electric Vehicle Sweden. Sadly, that wasn’t to be.

Highlights included a timeline of 50 Saabs, to mark the Saab Owners’ Club’s anniversary, and there were special guests in the form of Mr Saab himself, Erik ‘On the Roof’ Carlsson, his RAC rally co-driver and later BMC rally team boss Stuart Turner, and ‘Flying Finn’ Simi Lampinen, who met visitors, signed autographs and got together to entertain all with accounts of their Saab exploits.

Stephen Vince’s 1976 Saab 96L swoops in on the Saturday morning of the meeting.

The evolution of Saab’s sporty Sonett line with (right to left) a two-stroke 841cc Sonett II, its slightly later V4 sibling with modified front-end and bonnet bulge, and the Sonett III, restyled by Coggiola at the whim of the US market.

This mean-looking early Saab 900 Turbo, clad in Airflow bodykit, came all the way from Germany for the event.

Chris Redmond’s 1985 Saab 900 Turbo T16S is one of the best surviving ‘flat-nose’ 900s. This was its first outing post-resto.