The Saab 99 Turbo and 900 Turbo were Swedish Crystal B***s: they more accurately foretold the future of automotive powertrains better than perhaps any other car until Tesla’s EVs.
The similarities are many: Saab wasn’t a car company; it was an airplane manufacturer, so it did things differently than other automakers. Saab was obsessed with safety. And Saab was concerned about real-world speed and efficiency rather than looking just at numbers.
And as a result, Saabs were bought by non-mainstream buyers. Just like today’s EVs.
In this episode, Jason Cammisa explains why the 99 and 900, which were effectively the same car, were revelations. They included a handful of world-firsts, including low-boost-pressure, high compression-ratio four-cylinders that more closely resemble today’s turbos than anything else of the era.
===
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for new videos every day!
Visit our website for daily automotive news, cars stories, reviews, and opinion:
Stay up to date by signing up for our email newsletters here:
Talk to other car people on our community:
Follow us on social media:
Facebook |
Instagram |
Twitter |
If you love cars, you belong with us. Hagerty Drivers Club is the world’s largest community for automotive enthusiasts. Members enjoy valuable automotive discounts, exclusive events and experiences, roadside service created specifically for collector vehicles, and a subscription to the bimonthly Hagerty Drivers Club magazine. Join Hagerty Drivers Club here:
Like what you see? Watch our other series including:
Redline Rebuild | Engine Time-lapse videos from start to finish
Barn Find Hunter | Tom Cotter searches the country for abandoned cars
Chip Foose Draws a Car | Reimagining popular cars with new designs
Contact us:
Suggest and feedback – tips@hagerty.com
Press inquiries – press@hagerty.com
Partnership requests – partnerships@hagerty.com
source
