For Sale: 1988 Saab 900 Turbo in Morgantown, Pennsylvania

1988 Saab 900 Turbo Convertible

"What made the 900 unique was its engine, which was installed backwards, and its distinctive hatchback shape. Saabs were considered safe and reliable, and the introduction of their turbocharged engine gave them a bit of a performance edge. With "the most intelligent car ever built" as their tagline for most of the '80s, the brand knew exactly who it was targeting. Insidehook.com, June 2019

For consignment, a 1988 Saab 900 Turbo convertible showing 210,643 miles, but the true miles are unknown. Much loved by its one owner, this Saab has been well preserved and the revolutionary design continues to be unique and eye-catching more than 40 years after originally hitting the American roads.

Exterior
This one comes in a desirable flavor, two stage Cherry Red with black canvas top that shortens the fastback design of the coupe and accentuates the line with a black rubber wing, the bookends of which wrap around the rear of the cabin. Black plays an important role in design and contrast here with a bold side molding that visually connects the extended, wrap-around black bumpers, a pinstripe that runs under a character line, and the darkened latch panel at the base of the sloping deck lid. Up front, pure Saab with the distinctive grille, composite headlights, two color markers, and foglights for those misty Swedish mornings. Overall, the exterior is in nice shape with imperfections noted as some love taps and scratches on the bumpers, rust through on the body at bumper line, cracked tail lens, fading emblems, curb rash and other blemishes on the wheels.

Interior
The handsomely appointed interior is accomplished with saddle leather beginning on the door panels with a tan, cloth insert and both doors present with some light patina but fully intact with a noticeable lack of hardware and switches. Leather bucket seats up front and the two person bench in back are all in remarkably good condition and so is the rubberized steering wheel which is marked by a fading Saab emblem. It leads to the infamous efficient and simple instrument cluster that includes a boost gauge for the turbo and black plastic switchgear throughout, including the center stack with A/C dials and other functional buttons. A Kenwood AM/FM/CD with AUX and USB now resides high in the stack while an electronic EQ and cassette holder is found lower. We notice some dash pad cracks while reviewing this part of the car. A simple automatic shifter is in the center console just ahead of the ignition port, and tan carpet covers the floor below. Our trunk is lined with gray cloth panels and houses a spare.

Drivetrain
The hood pivots forward which is a pretty cool look, and reveals the driver quality 2.0 liter DOHC turbocharged four cylinder. It's fuel injected and rated at 138 horsepower, mated to a Borg Warner T37 3-speed automatic transmission that keeps power up front, routed through 4.22 gearing.

Undercarriage
No surprises for a car with higher mileage, we observe some typical surface rust, oil on and around the engine bottom, clear knuckles, and intact belly pans. The 900 is equipped with four wheel power disc brakes and a single exhaust that travels a center tunnel to meet a stock style muffler before exiting via an oval pipe. Suspension consists of double wishbones up front and beam axle in the back.

Drive-Ability
This topless Swede starts right up and pushes out onto the test loop with fine acceleration piloted from a comfortable cabin. The car is surefooted and stable, handles well, and with the top up, visibility is good, but you'll rely on the right side mirror to overcome the C-pillar blind spot. We note the left rear power window is not working and the clock stands still. Beyond that, all functions on this well engineered car work as intended. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.

This may be Sweden's most impressive red import since Ann Margaret. And like Ms. Margaret, this Swede has aged gracefully and still looks amazingly relevant and cool all these years later. Thank you, Sweden, for two iconic legends, both of which can dance and turn heads at the same time!

Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price.

With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy listening. You can also watch on YouTube!