1 of 1600? 1980 Saab 99 GLi Survivor
The Saab 99 was an upgrade in size and performance from the 96 before it and was in production from 1968 to 1984. Saabs were known for their build quality, though the Swedish company discontinued assembling automobiles after 2016. Located in Orange, Massachusetts, this 1980 edition is said to be the GLi model which sources indicate was only sold in Northern Europe. And maybe only 1,600 were produced. In good condition, this survivor is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $9,500.
Though marketed as a family car on its home turf, the Saab 99 was positioned as an executive car in markets like the U.S. The GL model stood for Grand Luxe, suggesting it was a more upscale automobile. The seller’s is a GLi which sources indicate was not sold in North America, so we’re not sure how the seller’s car came to be. They were noted for their velour upholstery (that was such an ‘80s thing) and some other touches perhaps not found on other Saabs.
Though the engine in the 99 only displaced 121 cubic inches, it was powerful for its size at 109 hp. This edition is said to have 92,000 miles, which is not a lot for a car like the Saab. This car is finished in Alabaster Yellow which is said to be the original paint though the body is largely rust-free. Only a little is starting to peek through in a few places. The vehicle’s last two owners account for 35 of its 44 years. We’re told the Saab has received numerous upgrades but hasn’t listed them. He/she wants to discuss these directly with would-be buyers.
Some work is needed as the headlights are burned out (why?) and upper control arm bushings are worn and making noises. The seller has a soft spot for this car and wants the next owner to be someone who will act as a “steward of this great Saab.” No trades will be considered and anyone who has ever owned one of these cars would probably have good things to say about them.
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Comments
I remember when a friend owned a SAAB and constantly calling the car ‘persnickety’.
I also had my Humanites 102 professor that loved his new 1994 all black 900 Turbo. We would see him buzzing up the circle drive to the Student Union on Fridays to pick up his paycheck. We thought he was cool….
“They weren’t supposed to start everytime”. Does anyone remember the movie “Crazy People”, with Dudley Moore? In the insane asylum he’s committed to, naturally there are an eclectic mix of people, and one guy is enamored with the Saab 99. He wanders around muttering its praises. It was a powerfully perceptive movie, unlike most Hollywood schlock, and I recommend it be seen.
I think it was these cars that really turned the tide for Saab, kind of like the Volvo “brick”( 140). Even though Saab went with 4 cycle engines, memories die hard and visions of following slow, smoking Saabs, this finally put that to rest. I think these were some of the nicest imports we could have bought.
Saab used engines from Triumph, or at least engines derived from an engine from Triumph. Arguable they did more with those engines than Triumph did.
They had some decent performance for the day.
Actually, only the first ones (’68-’69) used the 1.7L Triumph Stanpart engine (also used in the TR7). It was a terrible engine -prone to blowing head gaskets. The engine was slanted to one side, with the cylinder head retained by bolts along the higher side and studs/nuts along the lower side. When the gasket blew, coolant would leak down the threads of the studs, the engine would over heat and the studs would seize into their threaded holes. Also, since the stud bores were skew at an angle to the surface of the block, you couldn’t remove the hesd with the studs in place. Fortunately, around 1970 or 1971, SAAB replaced that engine with a similar but much better in-house design that eliminated that problem. I worked in a SAAB dealership at the time and grew to love the cars, until they replaced them with the gawdawfull 900 model.
Holy cow, that’s frightening about the early ones! Thanks for the tip.
There was a SAAB dealership in Northwest Indiana where I grew up…Flikkema Saab “home of the SAAB story”…you knew that was coming.
There was dark metallic blue Saab 96 in that neck of the woods that was gutted and came up to Ionia Mi to run an autocross there back in the early 80’s and it was called the “Saab Story’… The tweaked 2 stroke screamed.. Had to have 2 “seats” to be legal in the class they wanted to run so they bolted a toilet seat to the floor and they passed tech with it..
My mother had Crayola crayon green Saab 99 GL with dark green interior stick shift . It was a good car and her favorite car she owned. My father sold it without her permission. I remember it had frequent thermostat issues but overall ran well. I love the look of these cars! I have many memories of riding in it as a little boy.
Great little cars. This one looks fantastic. I had a ’90 900 Turbo, other than having to put a new 5 spd trans in it a month before my wedding, it was one of my favorites I’ve ever owned.
Lovely looking car. It’s always nice to see an original survivor still drivable and still being driven. I hope it goes to a good owner, someone who will enjoy it and care for it for years to come.
I bought a 900 Turbo in. `85 and got my wife a 900S in `86, both with manual transmissions and both great cars. I put over 160K on mine in about five years and, with the exception of normal wear items, it cost me nothing. My wife kept hers a little longer and traded it with around 120K on it – same story, no issues. Those were both very comfortable and, in my opinion, safe cars to own – of all the cars that we have owned, those two are among the favorites. Our oldest daughter became a Saab fan and she and her husband bought one of the last ones available when the company went under – great price, but no warranty and no guarantee of parts availability. They are still using it as a commuter car with 200K plus on it – still going strong.
There is a broken “something” in the 4th pic. Look at the beigh colored thing at the bottom of the pic.
The GLi was indeed aavailable in the US….the I usually meant a four speed instead of the excreble Borg Warner slushbox that Saab used until the NewGen 900 arrived in 1994 with an Opel gearbox.
That “broken” thing in the last photo is just a seam on the shock tower.
I have two 99s….a ’77 GL five door and. ’78 Turbo. Both are a blast to drive….especially the Turbo, ancester of the future 900 Turbos to come…..
Those Federal bumpers….a European version, really?
A few things. I have had Saab 99s I’m my ownership since 1978, so if you want an unbiased opinion you’d best skip this. The Saab 99 was incredibly durable but not so reliable. Mostly little things, the basic mechanicals by 1980 were bulletproof (but please do change the coolant every couple of years and save yourself the stress of finding someone who knows how to fix the water pump). I think the seller is optimistic about the price, especially if I have to weld the door bottom patch panels. I’m more concerned about the gizmo attached to the PCV hose, what the heck is that? Control arm bushings are not a big deal, just some work. They are same as 900 so they are available. The headlights not working is probably a typical 99 electrical gremlin (see my durability/reliability comment) but as a seller asking for more than all the money, why wouldn’t you fix that first? Finally about the bumpers – all Saabs worldwide got the same bumper, so there’s no US vs Euro bumper thing here, they are all the same. This one is missing the chrome strip on both fronts and rear bumpers.
I wouldn’t touch this thing with a ten foot pole unless they solved the leaking transmission seals by ’80. I had a ’76 that I traded a Toyota Corolla in on and should’ve kept the Corolla. The GL (Wagonback I think they were called) ran ok during the year I had it, but when I went to sell it so I could buy a Toyota 4×4 pickup a potential buyer came to check it out and the first thing he did was pull the dipstick and smell it. Turns out the seals between the engine and trans (mine was an automatic) would leak tranny fluid into the crankcase and it was a big job to replace it.
The early Bog Warner 35 automatic trans would leak oil between the trans (ATF)and the diff (gear oil). Not an issue with this car as it’s a manual. And no way for trans oil and engine oil to leak into each other. The BW35 automatic was pretty miserable, sorry you had that as you’d be a 99 fan of your ’76 had been a manual!
Thanks for the info Gary, I appreciate it.. and for jogging my memory. It’s been 40 plus years and my memory isn’t what it used to be. I’m with you on the manual too btw, I had a ’94 900 convertible with a manual and it was a total blast to drive.. especially up in the Rockies outside of Denver.
We ad an early one, possibly 1970 from Stillmans in Pennsylvania. It was a great car, but overheating issues, and poor engine design, caused us a lot of heartache.
Sorry to be a pain, Russ, but a single car is not an “edition”.