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Posted by Larry West [Email] (#1140) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Larry West) on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 10:43:50 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: on that note, saab86, Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:19:01
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The original design of the Classic 900 (AKA 99B) was the hatchback, The longer nose, and extended wheelbase complement the angles of the hatch. They started with the 99 hatch at the A pillar, and designed a new nose that would lengthen the wheelbase, accommodate a potential 6-cylinder motor, and still use most of the 99 front suspension, and the existing powerplants. Someplace in Trollhättan is the prototype 99 with the lenghtned nose...

The 900 was built only as a hatchback in its first two model years, 1979 & 1980. You could get 3 doors or 5, but always with the hatch. The 900 4-door came out for the 1981 model year, after they had decided to restrict 99 sales to Europe. The 2-door 900 was the next-to-last 900 body style to come out, and it precipitated the 900 Convertible.

The 900 4-door doesn't suffer from the same "not quite right" look as the 99 hatch does. The 900 4 door carries the sleek design into the trunk area, where the foreshortened nose of the 99 doesn't quite mesh with the hatch.

Mind you, I wouldn't turn a 99 hatch down, it's just that my preference goes towards the 99 2-door. The 99 hatch looks OK, but the longer nose of the 900 complements the rest of the body (which is essentially the same behind the A pillars as the 99) to a greater degree than does the shorter nose of the 99.

If you want a real odd-looking combination, Saab tried the hatchback look on the Saab 96. I know there are folks who think they should have built it, but one look at it, and I knew why they didn't. Basically, you just can't combine 1950s design at one end with 1970s design at the other. Google for "Saab 98" to see what I'm talking about...

As for the tail of the 900 hatches, well, chalk that up to the design of the hatch. When the hatch was introduced on the 99 in 1974, there were no taillights in the hatch at all (there were license plate lights). In fact, they didn't come along until 1980 model year, when rear fog lights became mandatory in Europe. THAT was their primary reason for being. On US cars, rather than inventory different hatches, they simply turned the rear fogs into brake lights.

The 900 sedans don't have that issue, due to a single, composite light cluster on each side at the rear.

Also, the hatch was designed with 1970's assembly, fit and finish standards. There are huge gaps between the hatch and the fenders in some places, gaps that would never make it in today's car building world. It wasn't until the 9000 CS (in 1992) and the NG 900 (in 1994) that Saab designed a car with the tight tolerances needed for a seamless appearance of the taillights mounted to the body and those mounted to the tailgate.
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Current:
2002 9-5 Aero Kombi Cosmic Blue
2000 9-5 SE sedan, Imola Red
1990 900S Rose Quartz, Auto
Past:
1999 9-5 LPT Combi
1999 9-5 LPT sedan
2002 9-5 Arc
1990 900 5-speed
1986 900 turbo Convertible
1991 9000 turbo
1980 99 GLi
1986 900 turbo
1986 900 S
1991 900 turbo
1984 900 turbo
1976 99 GL
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