Minneapolis Street Sighting: Saab 900 Turbo

When enthusiasts think of performance cars of the 1980s,  especially European brands, images of the BMW E30 and E28 frequently come to mind; for Mercedes, the venerable 190E 2.3-16 and 560SEC spring to mind. Obviously, so do the stereotypical Porsches, Ferraris and what have you.

But there's another brand that's quickly forgotten. Well, two, really, but this post will focus on one of those two.  Introduced in 1978, the Saab 900 is the quessential "classic" Saab, as its the vehicle that draws up the most recognition--at least among non-Saabophiles. I am a "newbie" at Saabs, so admittedly, the 900 (especially the first generation) is the first car that springs to mind to me. And like Volvo 240s, I consider the Saab 900 to be somewhat of a timeless car.

In the 1980s, the first age of downsizing was at its finest; the popularity of forced induction was at its peak in the US, and would remain so for at least thirty years. Small displacement engines, coupled with turbochargers were the norm, and the result was good performance (for the time), combined with decent fuel economy (again, for the time), and Saab was still carving out their niche in the US.

Packing a turbocharged four cylinder that generates a fairly decent 143 horses, the Saab 900 has performance that is likely on par with a normally aspirated Ford Focus today; my how the times have changed. But since the Saab is lighter, and is marketed as a drivers' car, it probably would be more of a treat for someone behind the wheel--and obviously saying "I drive a Saab Turbo" sounds way cooler than saying "I drive a Focus." Right?

The Saab 900 would serve both the luxury, and sport niche fairly well, depending on which model you chose and what options were ordered; however, the 900s that still remain as survivors here in the rustbelt all seem to have one thing in common-- they're forced induction models, and they're slowly appreciating.

 

This particular car is a neighborhood fixture, as its been spotted outside of several local businesses; I waited until I saw the vehicle with no distraction beside it, and this photoset is the result. Okay, in hindsight, the pictures could be a little bit better, but there's no going back.

I would've really liked to find a green or perhaps a dark blue one, but the light gunmetal example I found is nice, especially for a car that calls the rustbelt home; complimenting the paint color are a variation of the popular Saab three-spoke them, and I happen to like these wheels slightly better than the other version offered on the 900.

Inside, the typical Saabness shown through in oh-so-1980s tan leather; if I remember correctly, this vehicle was indeed equipped with a 5 spd, which is probably the best idea for the 900 yet. I don't recall any other details about this particular car's interior, unfortunately, as I was in a bit of a hurry.

I would love to shoot another 900 again; maybe I'll opt for a four-door or a convertible next?

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Buick Grand National

Now, to bring back proper GM performance; in the introduction of the 1980s, performance was still on its edge. Ford had just reintroduced the 5.0 for the Mustang, and the Camaro and Firebird still had a V8 option; but there was a new--and growing-- trend: forced induction. GM implemented turbo technology in the late 1970s on a Pontiac V8 with just over three hundred cubes of displacement and from what I understand, this was a terrible decision at best; lousy power figures, and the reliability for a 2.2L Ecotec four cylinder did a great combination not make. However, not one to give up, GM tried their luck again, and this time with much success.
Launched in 1982, the two-tone Grand National would be the turning point for a new point in GM performance history; with the 3.8 V6 and a turbo, a new phenomenon was born almost overnight; people found ways to easily tune these cars to almost double their stock power numbers and still be streetable. Although the first of these legends had a rather tame 125 horses from a nonturbo 4.1 V8 (yes, that 4100 disaster), the addition of a turbo the following year made people take notice. By 1987, the stock GN was capable of 245 horses, and 355 horses, more power than contemporary V8s; as far as performance legends go, think of the turbo Buicks as America's Skyline GTS. Corny, I know, but they're both rear wheel drive, turbo-powered six cylinder two doors.
After doing a fair amount of research, I am truly stunned that I saw this car; in 1982, the Regal Sport Coupe was the option with two tone paint; crystal black with gunmetal gray midsection, and 2022 of these were produced. Rare enough, right? Just 50 of these Sport Coupes were adittionally equipped with the Grand National package that includes badging, special seats and steering wheels, the turbine wheels, of course, the turbo'd 3.8. The following year, these two-tone Regals would be dubbed the T-Type, and were a regular, less-rare production option. That means, in the dead of winter, in one of the least car friendly states, I saw a one of fifty vehicle-- probably a once in a lifetime event.
And what a beauty this thing was; I mean, I've seen this around from time to time, but never really had that chance to photograph it, and I do realize this pictures aren't the greatest. It doesn't exhibit in rust, and aside from the minor gripes about the leading edge of the hood, this rare best was impeccably clean, especially for a car that appears to be driven all year round.
Major, major kudos to the owner for keeping such an awesome car alive and well in this hellish state, and I applaud him for driving it-- but I can only hope it doesn't suffer from one of our idiot drivers. If there's one thing I would do, is fix the little area by the drivers' side headlight. Other than that minor niggle, this is a great car that deserves to be preserved, but also driven.