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Date: Sat, 9 Aug 2003 19:00:53 +0100
From: "Charlie" <charles.pinopsamin.net>
Subject: A long time, Saab owner


Hello Saabie people, I have owned many makes of cars and thought many were better than my previous. Once I used to be in the electronics contracting world. Whilst contracting, I worked for a company called Sundstrand (I believe to be the spelling), London. They repaired in-aircraft entertainment systems. At the time I had a Ford Sierra 1.6 Ghia (couple of years old at time), the mechanical development engineer owned a Saab 99 which must have been, at the time, for me, the ugliest (almost Lada/Skoda like) car I had seen. He told me a story which embedded itself into the back of my mind. It goes like this (I'm sure he won't mind me repeating after all these years): He worked as mechanic for the original "Italian Job". Lots of money and plenty of wacky stuff was on the go at the time. While on this job he drove an old Saab and on his time off he would take his family out for a run about. One day he was a wee bit high, family in the Saab, his attention wasn't on the road and he ended up hitting a light pole. The light pole buckled and fell onto his car. He said that he had been foolish and he deeply regretted what he had done. However, if it had not been for the fact he had been driving his old Saab, him and his family would have been crushed. Later my brother in-law got a Saab 99 ems. What an ugly car I thought, but yet again, it was not long before the Saab proved to be a life saver after a front wheel blow-out on the M5 motorway. After all these happenings I should have gone straight out and bought a Saab, but no. Fords, Vauxhalls, BM's 7series.......... and then in 1990 I bought a Saab 900 hatch auto. All the times I had witnessed their reputation, came flooding back. I would drive anywhere and flashes of headlights would appear in the distance. A fellow Saab owner would have recognised another Saab on the road. I too got into the habit of flashing lights when other Saabs were about.... it felt like I was in an elite group....... and I was, of course!! The advent of GM holding shares in Saab was a terrible time for me. GM was supposed to have had the worse safety record in U.S. history. To me it just seemed they were trying to use Saab as an image, and didn't really care about Saab in it's own right. It wasn't long into the affair when Vauxhall were advertising their Astra with side impact bars and many of the other safety features that Saab had brought into the motoring scene. Paaaa!!!! what a cheek, I thought. Recently I heard that one of the early 95's (Griffin, I think) had had twisting floor pans because the Vectra floor pan was not upto the power of the engine( wouldn't have happened under Saab rule, I'm sure) I don't think I'm a nut, but I was all set to call my daughter Saab(well some are called Mercedes, or Porsche). My wife did not follow my train of thought, but I did manage a third name for her..... Saabrina. Fortunately she is level, and safe, and tough just like the Saabs I remember. Named after a Saab that could show up any other make or brand for safety and quality of build. Yours Charlie

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