Some people are born Saabrijder and Willem Vijn is one of them. For him, his 96 Saab 1971 never gets out of date. Saab a brand that almost everyone knows and clearly has its own face. For Wim this is the ideal classic for daily use.
By: Dirk de Jong
Willem: “My parents had two Simcas that were exchanged in 1975 for the proverbial Swedish quality. In this case that was a Saab 99 from 1974. For my mother, the acquaintance was a sensation in itself, because in the years that followed only one brand came into the yard: Saab. The first 99 was followed over the years by four other Saabs, including again a 99, a type 900 and a 900 NG. The permanent place for Saab has remained for me. ”
Experienced rider
He shows that driving a Saab is a pleasure for him by naming the numbers and types that he has owned during his (car) life. Such as three times a 99, two times a 900, twice a 9000, twice an Aero 9-5 and a 9-3. Talk about a rich (Saab) car past !!
Documentation
His bookcase fills a wide variety of brochures, workshop books, magazine articles and photo books, all about the beautiful Swede. In addition - and that is very special - he has a model of every car he has owned that are showing off in his closet.
Pleasant sensation
As a 'retiree' it is certainly not a life in a lower gear for him. In fact, he still falls short a few days a week. His Saab 96 is a car with good technology and, moreover, an original Dutch copy, which was also cherished by the previous owner. He continues to admire Saab for its beautiful design and thanks to more ardent enthusiasts, the classic Saab has not yet disappeared from the traffic scene. It remains the better class for Willem in all respects: Beautiful, technically good, refined comfort, fierce acceleration and fantastic handling. Who would dare to contradict him? It is clear that the passion is still very much alive after a long Saab car life.
Also read:
- The SAAB Silver Arrow
- Saab 96, Aunt Cornely's car
- Driving impression SAAB 99 GL 5 Speed. Enchantment, originality and independence
- Saab 96 2-stroke Short Nose, 1962
- The SAAB 96 "Special", unique Dutch anniversary edition from 1979
Saab 96 is a beautiful example of automotive technology. I once got to drive Marie's orange car. Her boyfriend Bertus made it possible. After 300 km and a full gas tank I was able to return the car without scratch or damage. 300 km of 'wear'. Recently I was able to buy a revised Saab 96. The restorer was not done with his work. Now with AOW I look with different eyes. Then it becomes a hobby that may cost some money.
Greetings from Oldenzaal
Jan
Superb brand !!
I have always found Saab to be quite a nice car brand.
It's a shame that they have gone under.
I used to have a school friend whose mother owned a Saab 96.
An extraordinarily special car with a little airplane feeling inside.
Being in a Cessna plane at a later age immediately reminded me of this car.
Was in the fortunate circumstances to have been able to drive various Saab 96, but I did not notice much about the enthusiastic technology, in the end a chunky noisy Ford V 4 engine that was also in the Ford taunis.
I don't want to kick anyone in the shins, but I automatically come to a comparison with the other Swede: VOLVO. 🤨
I never actually understood that SAAB was put in the shadow of VOLVO. Because a SAAB was always of a different class than VOLVO, even with safety (including front-wheel drive, low windscreen (Elands), strong tubular constructions, operating philosophy), a SAAB was more progressive and explicit.
In short in two sentences:
- a VOLVO was a bit Eastern European in design with well thought-out IKEA design inside.
- a SAAB had an aeronautical background and applied that engineering philosophy in its cars.
Even GM did not want SAAB to fall into Chinese hands because of the applied and in-house technology: then go bankrupt and take the loss. Need to say more?
I think you kick people in the shins, namely those who greatly appreciate an old Volvo PV444 or PV445 or P1800 or 1800SE or the 120, 140 and 240 series for their solidity, thoughtfulness and far superior quality to many other brands. And what is "Eastern European by design"? The angular lines of a Polski Fiat or Lada really came from an Italian pen.
Comparing is always dangerous. Every car has its qualities. Also the lesser brothers. Even a meringue like the Zastava 750 (Fiat copy, Eastern and Southern European and built on for far too long) has made millions of people happy.
The Saab 96 has remained seriously undervalued in the classic car world until recently, with ridiculously low prices. Fortunately, prices are now increasing, making restoration worthwhile.
When I got my driver's license in 1980, the last one left, unfortunately.