Saab 900
See Saab 900 (NG) (a.k.a. "New Generation 900" or "GM 900") for the 1994鈥"1998 Saab 900 model.The
900, an
automobile from
Saab, was released in
1978 for the
1979 model year, and was produced through 1993 (some cabriolets were sold as 1994 models). It was based on the
Saab 99 chassis, but had a longer front end to meet U.S. frontal crash regulations. The
drag coefficient was 0.34. The 900 was produced in 2- and 4-door sedan, and 3- and 5-door coupe configurations; additionally, from
1986, a
cabriolet (
convertible) model was produced. There were single- and twin-carburetor
carburetor,
fuel-injection and turbocharged engines, including both full pressure (FPT), and, in European models during the early 90s, low pressure turbos (LPT).
The Saab 900 was a front-engined, front-wheel-drive
compact car with a longitudinally-mounted, 45-degree slanted, inline 4-cylinder engine,
double wishbone front
suspension and beam-axle rear suspension. In its heyday, the 900 was popular with drivers who enjoyed its comfort, safety, practicality (especially hatchbacks), and highway driving manners.
Like its predecessor the 99, the 900 contained a number of unusual design features that distinguish it from most other cars. Firstly, the engine was installed 'backwards', with power delivered from the crank at the front of the car. Secondly, the transmission, technically a transaxle, bolted directly to the bottom of the engine (albeit with separate oil lubrication). Power from the crank would thus be delivered out of the engine at the front, then transferred down and back to the transmission below, via a set of chain-driven primary gears. Similarly, Minis also had their gearbox mounted directly below the engine; however, the Mini gearbox and engine shared the same oil, whereas the Saab 900 (and 99) gearboxes contained a separate sump for engine oil.
Very few front-wheel-drive cars utilized a longitudinally-mounted engine configuration. Fewer still utilized a double wishbone suspension design. Refined over several decades of two-digit Saab models, the 900's double wishbone design provided excellent handling and road feel. The rear suspension comprised a typical beam axle design, stabilized with a panhard rod. However, the attachment points between the axle and chassis made up an unusual configuration that essentially consists of two
Watts links at either end of the axle: a lower control arm attaches the axle to the bottom of the vehicle, while an upper link attaches at the top but faces towards the rear, unlike a typical 4-link design with both lower and upper links facing forward. Early models did not have
sway bars; they began appearing on certain models in 1985 and, in U.S. and possibly other markets, became standard on all trim levels by the late 1980s. The sway bars decreased body roll, but at the expense of some ride comfort and, when driven aggressively, increased inside wheelspin. The front and rear bars' diameters were unchanged throughout the model's run.
Stylistically, the 900 utilized a deeply curved front windshield, calling attention to the marque's aircraft legacy. The hatchback, or
Combi Coup茅 cars were exceptionally spacious, if not universally loved for their aesthetics. Also underscoring their aircraft lineage, the 900's dashboard was curved to enable easy reach of all controls and featured back-lit gauges. Saab engineers placed all controls and gauges in the dashboard according to their frequency of use and/or importance so that the driver need divert his gaze from the road for the shortest possible time and by the smallest angle. This is why, for example, the oft-used radio is placed so high in the dashboard.
The 900 underwent minor cosmetic design changes for
1987, including restyled front-end and bumpers; sheetmetal body parts were unchanged. Being a small car factory, for economic reasons, Saab kept the basic undercarriage more or less unchanged throughout the 900's production run.
The Saab 900 could be ordered with different options. One highly sought-after option was called the
Aero or Special Performance Group (SPG), as it was known in the U.S. The Aero/SPG incorporated (depending on the market and model year) a body skirt; a sport-suspension (1987+) that included shorter, stiffer springs, stiffer shocks, and swaybars; leather seats; premium stereo, and air conditioning. Each of these features could, of course, be ordered independently from Saab's Accessories Catalog for fitment to standard models. Power output varied by model year and market but models produced after 1985 were fitted with a
16-valve turbocharged engine.
The
1979 900 was available in three versions: The GL had the single-carb 99 hp/73.5 kW engine, the GLS had twin carburetors for 106 hp/79.5 kW, the EMS and GLE had
fuel injection for 116 hp/87 kW, and the 900 Turbo produced 143 hp/107 kW. A five-speed transmission was introduced in the EMS and Turbo for
1980.
The 900
sedan was introduced in
1981 along with the phase-out of the old
Saab B engine in favor of the lighter
Saab H engine.
A big change for
1982 was the introduction of Saab's
Automatic Performance Control (APC), a.k.a. boost controller. The APC employed a
knock sensor, allowing the engine to use different grades of gasoline without engine damage. Another new feature that year was the introduction of central locking doors on the GLE and Turbo).
Asbestos-free brakes were introduced in
1983, an industry first. A new model also appeared that year in Sweden 鈥" the GLi, which used the fuel injected engine.
1984 saw the introduction of the
16-valve DOHC B202 engine. With a turbocharger and intercooler, it could produce 175 hp/129 kW in the Turbo 16 model (less for
catalyst-equipped engines). The Turbo 16 Aero had a body kit allowing the car to reach 210
km/h (130 mph). A different grille and 3-spoke steering wheel appeared across all models.
|
1984 Saab 900 Turbo 16 S "Aero" |
The dual-carb model (and "GL" nomenclature) was gone for
1985. Now, the base 900 had the single-carburetor engine, while the 900i added
fuel injection. Two turbocharged models were offered: The 900 Turbo had the 8-valve engine, while the T16S had the 16-valve intercooled unit. The 8-valve turbo had the
intercooler the next year, while the 16-valve cars had hydraulic engine mounts. 1986 also marked the introduction of the 900 convertible in North America.
A new grille, headlights, and so-called "integrated" bumpers freshened the 900's look for
1987, though the sheet metal was unchanged. Several common parts for the 900 and
9000 were introduced for
1988 model year, including brakes and wheel hubs. A water and oil cooled turbocharger (replacing the older oil-cooled unit) was also introduced to improve the unit's durability.
In each of the seasons 1987 and 1988, there was a special 'one-make' race series, in the
UK, called the
Saab Turbo Mobil Challenge, sponsored by
Saab Great Britain and
Mobil. It was run by the
BARC.
The 8-valve engines were phased out in
1989 and
1990, with the turbo versions having been removed in North American markets by the end of
1984; North American 900S models received the non-turbo 16-valve engine for
1986. A non-turbo 16-valve engine replaced the 8-valve FI unit in the 900i (900S in
North America) as well, while the
carbureted engines were dropped. A low pressure turbo engine was available in European markets in 1990 as well.
Anti-lock brakes were introduced on all models in 1990, and were standard on Turbo models.
A 2.1 L (2119 cc/129 in鲁) (
B212) engine was introduced in
1991. This engine was available in the
United States until the end of the original 900, but in most of
Europe, this engine was replaced a year later with the earlier
B202 because of
tax regulations in some European countries for engines with a displacement of more than 2000 cc.
By 1990, the Saab 900 no longer had the 'Turbo' emblem or Mesh wheels. There was also a change in the door locks, which carried over to the 900NG. The 'Turbo' emblem was now on the back, next to the Saab 900 emblem. This may not be accurate for the Swedish saabs, but it is for the US versions.
Front seats (from the
9000) were standard from
1991 on and electronically-adjustable ones were available as an option.
"Classic" 900 production ended on
September 26,
1993, with a new
Opel Vectra-based
900 entering production shortly afterwards. The final classic convertibles were still sold as
1994 models, with the Special Edition commanding top dollar in the resale market even today.
In all, 908,817 Saab 900s were built, including 48,888 convertibles.
 |
1992 classic Saab 900 Aero convertible |
In the mid
1980s, the president of Saab-Scania of America,
Robert J. Sinclair, suggested a
convertible version to increase sales. The first prototype was built by ASC, American Sunroof Company (now
American Specialty Cars). Similarly, Lynx Motors International Ltd produced two "convertible" models, just prior to the official 1986 launch. [
1]
The
Trollh盲ttan design department, headed by
Bj枚rn Envall, based its version on the 3-door hatchback while the Finnish plant used the sturdier 2-door version, which also looked better and was therefore selected for production. The initial production was not planned to be large but the orders kept coming in and a classic was born.
The new car was shown for the first time at the
Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) in
Frankfurt in the autumn of
1983. The first prototype aroused enormous interest and in April
1984, Saab decided to put the car in production at
Valmet. The production of the first 900 convertible started during the spring of
1986.
The convertible usually had a
16-valve turbocharged engine, some with
intercooler, but it was also offered in certain markets with a fuel-injected 2.1 L
naturally-aspirated engine from 1991 on.
Influenced by
General Motors (GM), in
1994 the
"New Generation" (NG) 900 SE, based on the
Opel Vectra chassis, was introduced. While this design contained styling cues reminiscent of the
classic 900, the GM 900 was fundamentally a different car. For many fans of the marque, the GM 900 marked the end of Saab's technology-driven design philosophy and, in their view, the beginning of the dilution of the brand.
The cabriolet/convertible, however, was made on the 'classic' chassis for an additional year. This model is affectionately known as "The Goose," as, in some markets, the emblem on the back of the
SE version reads "Saab 900 SE", which looks a bit like "GOOSE."
Saab introduced a turbocharger in
1978 in its
99 Turbo with the
B engine (based on the
Triumph Slant-4 engine designed for Saab by
Triumph). This engine was also used in early 900 Turbo models, which in export markets made Saab a household brand.
The B-engine was further designed into the
H engine, which was used through
1993 (and 1994 cabriolets). The H-engine is very durable, and due to a fairly standardized
engine management system, can be easily
tuned to 197 hp/147 kW, and with further bolt-on modifications, to the 247 hp/184 kW range. Saab used
Bosch-made mechanical K-Jetronic continuous fuel injection in the fuel injected and 8-valve turbocharged versions, and the Bosch LH 2.2 and 2.4 and
Lucas Automotive electronic fuel injection systems were used in the 16-valve versions. The 2.1 L 16-valve engine used the Bosch LH 2.4.2 electronic fuel injection system.
What set the 900 Turbo apart from its turbo-equipped competitors, especially in the early- and mid-
1980s, was the development and use of the
Automatic Performance Control (APC) boost controller. The system allowed the engine to run at the limits of
engine knocking. The system had a knock sensor attached to the motor block and if knocking of any kind was present, the APC-system would decrease the charge pressure by opening a
wastegate, a bypass to the exhaust. This enabled the use of various
octane fuels and also made the use of turbocharger safer for the engine. Later 900 Aeros and Carlssons had special APC controllers in red enclosures (so-called "redbox APCs) that provided more maximum boost.
At first, Saab used a
Garrett Systems turbocharger (T3), which was oil-cooled. From 1988 through 1990, watercooled T3s were fitted. In
1990, Saab fitted
Mitsubishi TE-05 turbochargers in the SPG models only; in 1991, all 900 Turbos were fitted with the TE-05. Also watercooled, the TE-05 was slightly smaller than the Garrett T3s, providing improved throttle response and quicker spool-up. The TE-05 is unique in that its exhaust inlet flange utilizes a Garrett T3 pattern.
Engines:
* 1979鈥"1989 鈥" 2.0 L (1985 cc)
B201 NA, single-carb, 99 hp/73.5 kW at 5200 rpm and 163 N路m (119 ft路lbf)
* 1979鈥"1984 鈥" 2.0 L (1985 cc)
B201 NA, dual-carb, 106 hp/79.5 kW at 5200 rpm and 165 N路m (121 ft路lbf)
* 1979鈥"1989 鈥" 2.0 L (1985 cc)
B201 NA,
FI, 116 hp/87 kW at 5500 rpm and 168 N路m (123 ft路lbf) at 3700 rpm
* 1979鈥"1985 鈥" 2.0 L (1985 cc)
B201 Turbo, 143 hp/107 kW at 5000 rpm and 235 N路m (173 ft路lbf)
* 1986鈥"1989 鈥" 2.0 L (1985 cc)
B201 Intercooled turbo, 138-155 hp/103-114 kW at 5000 rpm and 235 N路m (173 ft路lbf)
* 1984鈥"1993 鈥" 2.0 L (1985 cc)
B202 16-valve turbo, 158-172 hp/118-129 kW at 5500 rpm and 255-273 N路m (188-201 ft路lbf)
* 1989鈥"1993 鈥" 2.0 L (1985 cc)
B202 16-valve, NA, 124-128 hp/93鈥"96 kW at 6100 rpm and 170-177 N路m (125-130 ft路lbf)
* 1990鈥"1993 鈥" 2.0 L (1985 cc)
B202 16-valve low pressure turbo (LPT), 143 hp/107 kW at 5600 rpm and 202 N路m (149 ft路lbf)
* 鈥"1994 鈥" 2.0 L (1985 cc)
B202 16-valve intercooled turbo (FPT) in the convertible.
* 1991鈥"1993 鈥" 2.1 L (2119 cc)
B212 NA, FI, 138 hp/103 kW at 6000 rpm and 180 N路m (133 ft路lbf)
900C
900C was built in
Uusikaupunki,
Finland and was a late 1980s carburetted model. It used an eight-valve B201 engine with a single
carburetor producing 100 BHP.
900EP
The EP was a special
Ecopower model for the Italian market. It uses a 16V low pressure turbo engine and has a pre-heated catalysor.
900 CD
An even longer "
Finlandia" version called the 900 CD was made at the
Valmet factory in
Uusikaupunki,
Finland. The 900 CD was 20 cm (7.9 in) longer than standard, by adding 10 cm (3.9 in) to both front and rear doors, but only the rear leg room was larger. Optional extras for the CD were a
leather interior, reading lights, rear blinds, footrests, and even an in-car
telephone. There was an even longer, VIP
limousine version, also by Valmet. The CD was supplied in '
automatic transmission' form only.[
2][
3]
900 Enduro
The Enduro was a special version of the 900 Turbo assembled by Saab Australia; only twelve 900 Enduros were made [
4]. The package consisted of large, flared fiberglass fenders, extra gauges (oil pressure, battery voltage and current drain) mounted where the radio usually was, improved suspension and big wheels and tires. To increase performance the wastegate was set at 17 psi (1.2 bar). Water injection came standard.
900 Lux
The Lux was a special model available 1983 and 1984. It came in a two-tone paint, usually Slate Blue metallic on top and silver below.[
5]
900 Carlsson
The Carlsson was a special model made in honour of
Erik Carlsson. It was a three-door 900 powered by a 1985 cc turbocharged engine with APC giving 185 BHP and fitted with twin chrome exhausts.[
6]
Conversions
* Lynx Engineering produced two "convertible" models, just prior to the official 1986 launch. [
7]
* A demountable camper module, the
Toppola, was created for the 3/5-door hatchback.
* Coachbuilder Nilsson built a variant Saab never thought of - a wagon, the styling of which was incredibly well executed. [
8]
* Limousine conversions are few, but effective. [
9]
Dealer Models
Some SAAB dealers made special models. SAAB Wimbledon made the
Sprint and the
Sport. The Sprint had a special body kit, lower, stiffer springs, and Pirelli P7 on 7"x16" wheels. It also came with intercooler, full colour coding and 3-spoke leather steering wheel. The Sport had alloy wheels, full colour coding and spoilers, uprated suspension, 3-spoke leather steering wheel, Clarion stereo and an electric aerial. Heuschmid GmbH offered options such as tuning, intercooler, suspensions tweaking and custom alloy wheels. EIA Motors of France made a series of 100 normally aspired 16 valve tuned to 158 BHP.[
10] Lynx Motors in the UK made a short run conversion of the two-door 900 shell to a convertible.[
11]
* Wheelbase: 2525 mm (99.4 in)
* Front track: 1420 mm (55.9 in)
* Rear track: 1430 mm (56.3 in)
* Ground clearance: 150 mm (5.9 in)
* Length: 4739 mm (186.5 in)
* Width: 1690 mm (66.5 in)
* Height: 1420 mm (56.25 in)
* Weight distribution: 60/40 (unloaded), 51/49 (fully loaded)
*The Saab 900 Turbo was
James Bond's vehicle of choice in three
John Gardner Bond novels of the
1980s, beginning with
Licence Renewed. In the second novel,
For Special Services, the 900 was dubbed the "
Silver Beast" [
12]. The "Silver Beast" made its final appearance in John Gardner's third Bond novel
Icebreaker. The car is Bond's private vehicle that he had outfitted with various gadgets by the real-life company Communication Control Systems, Ltd. (CCS). In conjunction with the release of
Licence Renewed, Saab had a real "Silver Beast" created that was virtually identical to the specifications in the book. The car is currently located at the Saab Museum in
Trollh盲ttan,
Sweden.
*A black Saab 900SE convertible was
Jerry Seinfeld's car in the
American sitcom Seinfeld, and made prominent appearances in numerous episodes.
*A black Saab 900T AERO was
Richard Pryor's pride and joy in "
Moving (film)"
*A grey Saab 900 convertible was featured in the movie
High Fidelity
*A red Saab 900 convertible was featured in the movie Sideways (2004).
*A burgundy Saab 900S sedan appears in the film Black Cadillac'', in which three friends, after a wild night in a bar, find their Saab being chased by a mysterious black 1957
Cadillac Eldorado.
*In
As good as it gets, Jack Nicolson, Helen Hunt, and Greg Kinnear travel to Baltimore in a Saab 900 Convertible.
*In
Deep Impact, Tea Leoni's Character drives a Saab 900.
*A Saab 900 convertible features very briefly in Anger Management starring Jack Nicholson.
*In 2003 movie
Love Actually, Jamie (Colin Firth) drove a navy Saab 900s in France, in numerous trips with his love interest (later wife) Aur茅lia.
*For other Saab 900 appearances in movies, see
Internet Movie Cars Database (
IMCDb).
*A Saab 900 was featured on the cover of
Slint's 1989 album
Tweez.[
13]
*
Saab 900 Gallery
*
Saab 900 Bulletin Board*
Svenska Saab 900-klubben*
Saab Workshop A collection of resources for maintaining and upgrading Saabs
*
Saab forum discussion site*
Saab VIN decoder*
Saab Automobile*
Saabmuseum.com*
SAAB 900 (1979-1994) Special Editions A cornucopia of SAAB C900 miscellanea ...
