Never registered, these three pre-production models are technically new cars to be sold by a long-dead company. Perhaps no other defunct automaker inspires more fond nostalgia than Saab. Its cars were quirky and characterful, at their best when there was a turbocharger providing some boost under the hood, and interesting to drive.
Sure, Volvo is still around to carry the Swedish flag, but a Volvo tends to be more sensible. If the two brands were brothers, Volvo would be an accountant and Saab a turtleneck-wearing avant-garde architect. So, we're a little sad that the last Saab has left the factory, and all the showrooms have closed.
But wait, what's this? There's actually a brand new Saab up for auction, one that's never been registered? It's true, there's a brand-new 9-3 for sale, and what's more, it's accompanied by six other Saab-infused prototypes.
View Price on AmazonStill sitting at an idled production facility in Trollhättan, seven pre-production Saabs have emerged as part of an auction that will be held in Sweden next week. Three of the cars are gasoline-powered 9-3s, while the other four are EV prototypes from when the NEVS consortium bought up Saab's assets after bankruptcy proceedings.
The auction is basically the curtain call for the Trollhättan factory, which dates all the way back to 1947, two years before Saab's first production model was released. As a last hurrah, those who are bidding at the auction or wish to merely attend the facility will get a guided tour on May 30 to say goodbye.
The pre-production cars are the last Saabs ever built, meant to be used in crash testing before a planned 2014 production run. All have a considerable amount of testing mileage on them, but no one ever got around to crashing them.
National character is something we see less and less of from car companies these days. At one time, you'd expect a French car to be weird and wonderful, a German car to be serious and over-engineered, and a Swedish car to be an acquired taste like smoked fish paste on crispbread. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.
As they represent the last death throes of a beloved company, these Saabs are properly historic. You half expect Indiana Jones to stand up during the auction and yell, “That belongs in a museum!” Which these cars do. It's a bit of a sad moment. Possibly a saad one.
Source: caranddriver.com
