Cars - Saab 900

	Cars - Saab 900

:See Saab 900 (NG)
for the 1994–1997 Saab 900 model. The 900, an automobile from Saab, was released in 1978 for the 1979 model year. It was based on the Saab 99 chassis, but longer. The drag coefficient value was 0.34. The 900 was produced in 2, 3, 4 and 5 door versions, with a low or high pressure turbocharger, and a convertible version.

Overview

The Saab 900 could be ordered with different options. One highly sought-after option is called the Aero. It incorporated (depending on the market) a body skirt, sport-suspension, 172 hp/129 kW 16-valve turbocharged engine, leather seats, and air conditioning. All these could of course be ordered independently. The Aero version was marketed as the SPG (Special Performance Group) in the US.

The 900 was slightly redesigned for 1987. The front of the car was restyled, although the metal body parts were not changed. Only the grille, headlights and bumpers were changed. Being a small car factory, Saab kept the basic undercarriage fairly unchanged until the end. Also in 1987, the 900 shared the same wheel hubs and brakes with the Saab 9000 and the hand brake only affected the rear wheels.

History

The 1979 900 was available in three versions: The GL had the single-carb 99 hp/73.5 kW engine, the GLS had twin carburetors for 106 hp/79.5 kW, the EMS and GLE had fuel injection for 116 hp/87 kW, and the 900 Turbo produced 143 hp/107 kW. A five-speed transmission was introduced in the EMS and Turbo for 1980.

The 900 sedan was introduced in 1981 along with the phase-out of the old Saab B engine in favor of the lighter Saab H engine.

A big change for 1982 was Saab's Automatic Performance Control (APC) turbocharger computer. It employed a knock sensor, allowing the engine to use different grades of gasoline without engine damage. Another new feature that year was the introduction of central locking doors on the GLE and Turbo). Asbestos-free brakes were introduced in 1983, an industry first. A new model also appeared that year in Sweden — the GLi, which used the fuel injected engine.

1984 saw the introduction of the 16-valve DOHC B202 engine. With a turbocharger and intercooler, it could produce 172 hp/129 kW in the Turbo 16 model. The Turbo 16 Aero had a body kit allowing the car to reach 210 km/h (130 mph). A different grille and 3-spoke steering wheel appeared across all models.

The dual-carb model (and "GL" nomenclature) was gone for 1985. Now, the base 900 had the single-carb engine, while the 900i added fuel injection. Two turbocharged models were offered: The 900 Turbo had the 8-valve engine, while the T16S had the 16-valve intercooled unit. The 8-valve turbo had the intercooler the next year, while the 16-valve cars had hydraulic engine mounts.

A new grille, headlights, and bumpers made the 900 look fresh for 1987, though the sheet metal was unchanged. The 900 convertible was introduced as well, making a major splash in the United States market. Common parts for the 900 and 9000 were introduced for 1987, including the brakes and wheel hubs.

The 8-valve engines were phased out in 1989 and 1990, with the turbo versions disappearing first. A non-turbo 16-valve engine replaced the 8-valve FI unit in the 900i (900S in North America) as well, while the carbureted engines were dropped. Anti-lock brakes were introduced on all models, and were standard on the turbo cars. A light-pressure turbo engine was added in 1990 as well.

A 2.1 L (2119 cc/129 in³) (B212) engine was introduced in 1991. This engine was available in the United States until the end of the original 900, but in most of Europe, this engine was replaced a year later with the earlier B202 because of tax regulations in some European countries for engines with a displacement of more than 2000 cc.

Front seats (from the 9000) were standard as from 1991 on and electronically-adjustable ones available as an option.

"Classic" 900 production ended on March 26, 1993, with a new Opel Vectra-based 900 entering production shortly afterwards. The final classic convertibles were still sold in 1994, with the Special Edition commanding top dollar in the resale market even today.

In all, 908,817 Saab 900s were built, including 48,888 convertibles.

Convertible

In the mid 1980s, the president of Saab-Scania of America, Robert J. Sinclair, suggested a convertible version to increase sales. The first prototype was built by ASC, American Sunroof Company (now American Specialty Cars).

The Trollhättan design department, headed by Björn Envall, based its version on the 3-door hatchback and the Finnish plant used a sturdier 2-door version, which also looked better and was selected for production. The initial production was not planned to be large but the orders kept coming in and a classic was born.

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Cars - Saab 900

Overview

History

Convertible

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