I'd have to agree with much of what John A said. I'm fairly new to Saabs, only 3 years now. For the first time in my life, I own 2 cars and love them both and yes, both are Saab's.

I remember very well my Grandfather remarking, just as you said, that Saabs are most often cars for wives of rich doctors. I've heard it said that Saab owners in the US have the highest average (whether median or mean, I don't know) household income of any non-exotic brand. I'd guess Porsche is considered exotic. I believe this was from a 1997 Saab promotional video from the "Take Your Own Road" campaign. Further, I've heard that a very substantial portion of Saab's sold in the US were cabriolet's. This came before the introduction of the 9-5, probably in the mid-late 90's. I always took these 2 facts to mean that 1) there were a large number of very high-income buyers of 900 convertibles and that 2) those buyers skewed the income picture so that you lose sight of the upper-average to lower-high income buyers.

I'd also have to agree with John's comment about Saab owners being most willing to help other motorists. The very first day I had my 96 Saab 900S (it was an off-lease purchase), the battery died when I went out to a movie with some friends. I hadn't even transferred in jumper cables yet. So, being that many people were exiting the movie theater, I started asking some. I'd guess I asked between 10-20 people and no one would give us a jump - many saying they didn't have cables. So, my friends and I walked down the street and bought cables and came back. We then asked a couple more people with no luck. We were about ready to call a tow truck when I asked one last guy if he'd give us a jump. We weren't even standing near the car (at least 50 feet away) and there was no way he'd have know we had the Saab. Well, when he pulls up, what do you know but that he's got a late classic Saab 900. If I'm not in too much of a hurry, I'm very willing to over help to stranded motorists - particularly Saabs. :)

Interestingly, and perhaps somewhat validating another of John's comments, when I bought my 85 900, it was from an engineer. He'd driven both this 900 and a prior 99 to 300,000 miles. He'd just upgraded to a 9-3 and was hoping to do the same again.

Finally, I do think there is something of a split between perception and reality. Our marketing/sales director seemed to have a similar opinion to that of my Grandfather. After I'd owned my first Saab a year, he said that he'd started noticing them more and was surprised by how many there were out there. People notice a stunning 900/9-3 cabrio cruising down the road but what about a base 5-door 900/9-3??? My guess is they don't. This contributes to the perception/reality split.

Good luck! Please post your results for us! If written in Swedish (or some other language), I'm sure one of our very well educated members can translate for us!

Bryce

85 900S
00 9-5 Aero

• Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, Kallis, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 03:55:46
  • Re: Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, David Beckerman, Thu, 22 Feb 2001 01:55:42
    • good information, Dave. Thanks.........eom, John A., Thu, 22 Feb 2001 12:56:46
  • Typical Saab driver: a masochist., tlrm, Tue, 20 Feb 2001 15:08:30
    • By the way, my rich housewife drives a 92 900, Subaru Forester,or, tlrm, Tue, 20 Feb 2001 17:50:56
    • Jeez, What does that say about us Brit car enthusiasts? n/m, Dave Westlake, Tue, 20 Feb 2001 16:45:05
      • You people have even more twisted psych problems., tlrm, Tue, 20 Feb 2001 17:10:30
        • When did Canada annex Connecticut....eh? n/m, Dave Westlake, Tue, 20 Feb 2001 20:27:57
          • A little known fact, but the Trilaterals gave Con., tlrm, Wed, 21 Feb 2001 10:21:09
          • Ten years ago, but you weren't listening . . ., Mr. Ed, Wed, 21 Feb 2001 08:03:16
            • So that's why the gas tax is so high........n/m, Dave Westlake, Wed, 21 Feb 2001 09:05:12
  • SAABs and their owners on TV + movies, jonathan p, Mon, 19 Feb 2001 21:51:44
    • naw, that movie was "Throw Momma From the Train" :), modest mouse , Tue, 20 Feb 2001 23:56:25
      • Yeah, and that was a model 96 n/m, Dave Westlake, Wed, 21 Feb 2001 09:07:57
  • I'm a U.S. Saab owner... "typical" I'm not..., IrieTom , Mon, 19 Feb 2001 13:38:02
  • Yes, my rich US housewife drives a Saab..., carneykjnc, Mon, 19 Feb 2001 13:36:54
  • overcoming cognitive dissonance, John A., Mon, 19 Feb 2001 11:37:06
    • Before I discovered Saabnet I thought cognitive dissonance, Mr. Ed, Wed, 21 Feb 2001 08:02:02
    • Re: overcoming cognitive dissonance, saw, Mon, 19 Feb 2001 22:08:40
      • Re: overcoming cognitive dissonance, John A., Tue, 20 Feb 2001 11:53:17
        • I can go for that, saw, Tue, 20 Feb 2001 13:50:34
          • Confirms one thing about Saab owners, Mr. Ed, Tue, 20 Feb 2001 18:00:59
  • Marketing vs. Reality, zeke, Mon, 19 Feb 2001 09:44:03
  • View from Britain - land of warm beer, Mr. Ed, Mon, 19 Feb 2001 08:24:24
    • "wideboys"!, Rick D., Tue, 20 Feb 2001 19:49:51
      • Re: "wideboys"!, Mr. Ed, Wed, 21 Feb 2001 08:00:05
  • Here is my data, Joe , Mon, 19 Feb 2001 06:40:54
  • My view on this, Atul, Mon, 19 Feb 2001 01:08:55
  • If you want real data, let me know..., Atul, Mon, 19 Feb 2001 01:08:37
  • WOW...more info, Dave, Sun, 18 Feb 2001 21:30:41
  • Re: Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, smooch, Sun, 18 Feb 2001 19:54:40
  • i just think how the hood opens is cool... :), saab boy, Sun, 18 Feb 2001 15:47:24
  • Re: Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, JasonS, Sun, 18 Feb 2001 14:00:36
  • not-so-definitive answers for your study...., modest mouse , Sat, 17 Feb 2001 23:08:44
  • I was "born" with it...., Clay McNeely , Sat, 17 Feb 2001 21:37:51
  • They're not at all self-regarding, Narcisse, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 17:19:19
  • Re: Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, saw, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 14:49:08
  • Also, people that participate on this board are NOT typical, Tcar, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 14:36:04
  • Rich US Housewife definately for NEW 9-3 convertibles,, Tcar, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 14:34:30
    • Re: Rich US Housewife definately for NEW 9-3 convertibles,, Scott Paterson , Sat, 17 Feb 2001 17:55:51
  • so, the ad goes something like this....., anothermike, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 13:53:52
  • Re: Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, John, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 13:35:31
  • Re: Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, Dan W, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 13:25:28
  • OK., Ricky J, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 13:24:03
  • Re: Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, Scott Paterson , Sat, 17 Feb 2001 11:41:08
  • Re: Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, Bill D, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 11:11:21
  • Re: Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, Tre Denton, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 11:11:03
  • Re: Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, Bryce, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 09:57:29 <-- Viewing This Message
    • More - Direct answers to your questions..., Bryce, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 14:04:52
  • Re: Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, John A., Sat, 17 Feb 2001 08:57:47
    • Re: Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, EGD , Sat, 17 Feb 2001 10:57:49
      • thanks for this data ;-), John A., Sat, 17 Feb 2001 14:19:10
  • Re: Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, PatO, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 08:53:58
  • Re: Tell me what a U.S. Saab owner is like, Dave Westlake, Sat, 17 Feb 2001 08:46:30

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