This 1989 Saab 900 Turbo pairs a 5-speed manual transmission to its 2.0-liter 16-valve turbocharge inline-four engine. Offering an open-top driving experience, this Convertible comes finished in Cherry Red over tan leather upholstery. Having undergone thorough servicing throughout the past decade, this Swedish sports car is now being offered for auction out of Minnesota by the cosigning dealer while showing just over 44k miles on the odometer.
This example comes finished in Cherry Red with a black convertible soft top featuring a heated glass window. Equipment includes front and rear spoilers, body side moldings, fog lights, Halogen headlights with cornering capability, and 15” Sunburst alloy wheels dressed in Bridgestone Ecopia EP422 tires from 2019. The left quarter panel's upper half has undergone a minor repair and repaint, with a rough finish showing sanding marks. The trunk, hood, and other surfaces have been buffed, and paint chips have been touched up. Paintless dent repair was also performed on the hood and lower portion of the passenger side door. The power-retractable top and driver’s side window were replaced in 1998. The seller notes minor signs of road wear along with slight scuffs on several wheels. Detailed images are provided in the gallery along with a clean CARFAX report.
The cabin features tan upholstery complemented by a contrasting black upper dashboard and headliner. Equipment includes front seat heating, heated power side mirrors, power windows, rear seat headrests, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a central locking system, air conditioning, and electronic cruise control. The seller adds that a mahogany shift knob has been installed, a Pioneer CD player with Bluetooth connectivity was fitted, and the dash trim was repaired in August 2020. Additional floor mats are said to accompany the sale. All gauges, electronics, and accessories are reported to be working properly.
Beneath the hood lies a B202 2.0-liter 16-valve turbocharged inline-four engine rated at 158 HP and 188 lb.-ft of torque stock. Power is sent to the front wheels through a 5-speed manual transmission. Regular maintenance was consistently upheld, with significant services conducted in 2009 and 2017 including replacement of the clutch master cylinder and battery. In January 2017, an oil change was completed along with replacements of the thermostat, electric cooling fan, and temperature sensor. The ignition switch was cleaned and lubricated in January 2018 by Svenssons. An inspection noted that following repairs, the car was in nearly new condition for its age, with a minor to-do list remaining. In April 2018, a new battery was installed, various switches & filters were replaced, the valve cover gasket, water pump, and belts were replaced, and air conditioning issues were addressed. Subsequent maintenance on 5/15/18 included new spark plugs and a warranty repair for the valve cover gasket. In March 2019, the reverse gear issue was rectified, and in October 2019, worn wiring harness sheathing was addressed, alongside battery replacement and starter replacement. Additional repairs in July 2020 involved replacing the auxiliary fan temperature sender due to overheating. In August 2020, an oil change was performed with Castrol Edge Synthetic. The most recent maintenance on 4/22/22 included replacing the outer CV boot and left front wheel and tire due to a pothole, alongside an oil change and general inspection.
This sale will include a clean title, owner’s manuals, sales literature, a toolkit, and floor mats.
The seller would like you to know: “Mechanically, this Saab 900 Turbo starts and runs very well. The engine pulls strongly and has no issues building boost as it accelerates up to speed. The transmission shifts crisply and there is no abnormal play in the steering. The interior is in wonderful condition, given the age of the vehicle. The heated front seats are in excellent condition, and everything works as it should. The dash doesn’t have any signs of cracking. The only defects present are an 8-10” tear along a seam on the driver’s side rear seat cushion and some vinyl bubbling on the glovebox cover. The Saab’s exterior is in great shape overall, with no obvious scratches or dents, and only a few minor rock chips in the paint. We did notice that the left rear quarter panel has been repainted at some point and the color is a close but not perfect match with the rest of the paint on the vehicle.”
Comments (63)
WHat a great present to buy for your father. A rare beauty
Congrat's you're dad is going to be stoked, this is a great example of one of Swedens's finest drop tops!
@JJHuggins Thanks John! @cultcars @joshuawert Looking forward to a fly-and-drive with pops!
Congratulations. I'm sure this will be a great car for your father. John
Sold for $14,600
Bid in the amount of $14,600
Bid in the amount of $14,350
Hey Daryl!
Bid in the amount of $13,700
Bid in the amount of $13,450
Bid in the amount of $13,200
Bid in the amount of $12,666
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Bid in the amount of $11,900
Bid in the amount of $10,900
Bid in the amount of $10,500
Bid in the amount of $9,900
Bid in the amount of $8,500
Bid in the amount of $7,900
Bid in the amount of $7,200
Bid in the amount of $6,400
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Bid in the amount of $5,900
Looking to surprise for my 78 y/o father...He had three 900's while I was growing up and hasn't stopped talking about them since! In car culture we always hear about restoring a car 'just like my dad had', or 'the car my mom drove'. I don't want to wait until he's gone to become sentimental and purchase the car of his dreams, I want to share the experience with him now, together!
My only worry is how the gaudy yellow NY plates will affect the aesthetic.... :)
Bid in the amount of $5,600
Bid in the amount of $5,350
Bid in the amount of $5,100
@cultcars TY
Bid in the amount of $4,850
@coletrickle I suspect the hunting idle is a vacuum leak. It's not uncommon for cars this age to have vacuum leaks due to the age of the vacuum lines. Not an expensive fix but it can be a pain to track down.
Bid in the amount of $4,600
Yes the AC blows cold. The car is in excellent condition overall and there are no current maintenance needs
@cultcars Does the AC blow cold when the car is at operating temperature?
Unfortunately we don't have a way of determining the exact temp produced by the AC system
Can you tell me what temperature the AC unit produces?
@cultcars Thank you again!
Hopkins is about a 20 minutes drive from the Minneapolis airport and I can confirm the cruise control is fully functional.
Two questions: Does the speed control work? (not a deal breaker at all. Just curious as in my experience few do in he 1st Gen cars). Secondly, how far are you located from the airport?
@ABPhoto . Thank you so much for your candidness. I too thought so watching your videos.
Bid in the amount of $4,350
Bid in the amount of $4,009
@joshuawert Thanks! Can you comment on the idle oscillations? Do these smooth out when warm? Any history or attempt at diagnosing?
@ColeTrickle All original paint except for the top half to he quarter panel. I broker the antenna and had it replaced.
@cultcars I purchased the car from the original owner's family. It was bought new by a man who sold it to his daughter before he passed away. I am, technically, the third owner but consider myself the second. I love this car.
@Jacybiker I am the owner of the car and the answer is a most definite yes. The car runs amazingly well.
Bid in the amount of $3,750
Bid in the amount of $3,200
@Jacybiker hi there, although I'm not the owner or seller, I am the photographer who took the photos and got to spend an afternoon driving the car. Although I haven't logged a ton of miles on the car (and neither has the owner, to be fair), the car did drive beautifully and I don't have any reason to believe it couldn't go the distance. That being said, it is still a 35 yr old car so anything could happen but the car didn't give me any reason to doubt its mechanical soundness.
Bid in the amount of $2,800
Question for you: After paying for the car and obtaining the necessary documents in order to register this Saab in NY, do you feel this car ready to be driven 1400 miles without a problem? (in your opinion, of course)
@ColeTrickle I just spoke withe Dick, the owner of Foreign Affairs and he notes oil seepage appears to be coming from the speedo cable in picture 200. Top off's should be every couple years. He's had the car in shop on multiple occasions and notes it's never been a leaker. Regarding your observed idle issue neither Dick or I see any reason for concern -- it dips slightly for a moment but never below 1K RPM but doesn't appear to exhibit any other issues. Feel free to reach out me directly and I will put you in touch with the photographer who shot the video and can give you another perspective of the car.
@cultcars, thanks for your response! I have two mechanical questions for you.... photo #199 shows what appears to be an engine oil leak, photo #200 appears to show a leak from the transaxle. I agree, leaks are a normal part of owning an older car but I'm hoping the seller can advise how much they leak. Are we talking fluid top-offs every week or once per season? Any spots show up on the garage floor? Lastly, can you or seller comment on the unstable idle that starts around the 4:15 mark of the first video? Has this been addressed with any mechanics previously? I'm not versed in these cars and am not sure if this is a sign of a larger issue or just a minor annoyance.
Bid in the amount of $2,500
@ColeTrickle thanks for your question. I spoke with the current owner who said he does not believe the car was ever fully repainted. The note about paint on the rear quarter was also there when he purchased the vehicle. Sorry I don't have more information for you
Hi Seller, beautiful car. I see the paint note about the rear quarter but I'm wondering if the rest of the car has had a repaint? Specifically looking at the masking around the door handle in photo #59 and the power antenna in photo #61. Thanks!
Bid in the amount of $2,239
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@fwdodgers0630 A previous owner in CA registered the car as mileage exempt, that would be the only reason I hesitate from offering my full confidence
Can you attest to the 44K miles being accurate?
Bid in the amount of $900
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