I don’t think I can make a more Swedish-looking picture than an Astral Blue Saab in a snowy setting on a foggy day. Never mind the junkyard bit. Or perhaps some impolite souls would say that’s even more perfect. In any case, this was a pleasant sight on a frosty morning a few weeks ago.
During the summer I got passed in town by a running 99 but that was a two door with a trunk. This one is the two door with the new for ’74 hatch, and this shape is what the majority of people generally first think of when they hear “Saab”, being as it continued well into the 90’s with the 900 and then was significantly restyled but still recognizably used even beyond the turn of the century as the 9-3 until GM finally had its way with Saab and pounded it into submission and then oblivion. But let’s celebrate 1977 instead for now!
Saab called this variant the “Combi Coupe” which is a term I had never heard of until I saw this one and then did a little search. Now, in Europe, the term “Combi”, short for combination, is a term often used instead of wagon and the “Coupe” part, well, it’s a two door so that’s probably that. In the US, initially this version was known as the WagonBack but none carried badging to that effect as far as I am aware of. Combi Coupe has a much better ring to it anyway. Curiously though, my research indicates that there were also 5-door hatches labeled as Combi Coupe so I don’t know, maybe this was the first four door coupe (or five door as it were)?
Of course it wouldn’t be a real Saab with a reverse hinged bonnet; this is actually exactly how I found it. Slight pressure on it caused it to tilt back as designed with the rearmost part slotting onto little runners and then the whole thing sliding back and into place, closed.
When I was a little kid in the ’70’s in Europe, we had several carnivals with bumper cars in town (ok, village) every year. Of those bumper cars, there were two front end designs that imprinted themselves on my little brain back then. The first was obviously a clone of the BMW 2002 (or 1602) but the other was a Saab 99. It had four headlights, a grille that was very similar to this and the large marker lights/turn signals. Since then I’ve always been favorably disposed towards both.
Remarkably complete (shocker!) here’s the 99’s naturally aspirated 2-liter OHC four cylinder engine. The first 99 Turbo model would not be built until the spring of 1977 and of course that made a huge splash.
Fuel Injection was first offered on the 99EMS model, but every US 99 was injected as well. My research indicates that the engine was good for 118hp and could push the car to 105mph. Stig Blomqvist drove a 99EMS to the win in the 1977 Swedish Rally, that car even had a 16-valve head, something that Saab wouldn’t use for more than another half-decade on production cars.
Saabs to me never looked really “finished” without a little wing on the back, but that’s due to me being infatuated with the Turbo models which all got one as standard. I can however look at this regular version nowadays with admiration as this was the pure form as originally penned by Sixten Sason in sedan form and then refined into the Combi Coupe hatchback version by Bjorn Envall before being minorly changed for the 900 etc. But let’s open that large hatch, shall we?
Ah yes, this is always the Saab hatchback’s party piece. Much larger inside than it appears on the outside, drop the rear seat and usually a refrigerator will fit in there with a wonderfully low lift over height (bumper height). Couches, TV’s, the equivalent of a New Jersey 14-body trunk. And there’s even storage under the floor. The spare is a Semperit, I can’t recall the last time I saw that brand over here, I couldn’t find a date code on it though.
Hey look, suddenly it’s 1978 in the junkyard with that 280 in the background! But let’s focus back on the Saab with those wonderfully period (faux) sheepskins on the seats. That steering wheel could only belong to one of the safety-obsessed Swede models, but just like every 900, the doors open with the sill wrapping below so one’s trousers don’t get muddied.
It wouldn’t be a Saab without the ignition between the seats and the key is even here. I didn’t try to remove it but know that the gear shift has to be in reverse to do so. I love the blue carpet in this one and the little triangle arrows on the shift pattern are vintage Scandinavian design.
Again, a clock as opposed to an RPM gauge, but a 120mph speedometer and then temperature and fuel gauges. The triple dial ventilation controls as copied the world over (this was a Saab-first, right?) and a few rocker switches with some wood-look trim make this look fairly modern, certainly for the ’70s. The 67,280 mileage figure is disconcerting, but it’s also a VDO gauge so could be broken. But perhaps something else sadly broke instead and this car may have been sitting around for a very long time.
A slightly better view of the whole front cabin from the passenger side. One-piece molded door panels with a pull strap and window winder, both mounted high up for minimal strain. And the windshield has the well-known Saab wrap around as well as being almost vertical.
Checking out the back reveals a roomy bench but we also get a great view of Saab’s unique spindly seatbelt latches. And the belts themselves disappear into the rear passengers’ armrest binnacle. Saab seats are usually supremely comfortable even if at first glance they appear like padded dining room chairs.
Built in October 1976 when I turned seven, this was marked as a 1976 model by the yard but the VIN indicates it is in fact a 1977 (First two numbers are the model, then the year). I didn’t realize prior to writing this but Saabs were not just built in Trollhattan, Sweden, but also in Uusikaupunki (Finland) at Valmet Automotive who also built the later Saab Cabrio and concurrently with 99 production also built some Talbot Horizons with very similar (same?) velour upholstery. Mechelen and Arlov were two other locations building Saabs (they were also still building the 95 and 96 for select markets at this time). In calendar year 1976 (as this one was built), Saab produced a total of 95,927 cars. 72,819 of those being 99 models.
Somebody pinched the emblem before I visited this day but it was on there long enough to remain in spirit. I can’t recall seeing another one in this color and it appears that it was a one year only hue. On this day it just stood out in the mass of white on the ground and gray in the sky and air.
But I decided to take a souvenir home for the garage wall so the car’s spirit will live on, not just on these pages but also with me.
Related Reading:
Vintage R&T Review: 1974 Saab 99 Wagonback – The First Hatchback Saab by PN
Curbside Classic: 1971 Saab 99 – Do You Remember Something Called Variety by Roger Carr
I don’t recall seeing the CombiCoupé badging here in the US … could that have been an add-on someone got from Europe? I certainly recall the WagonBack name. By the way, here are the most frequently seen 99’s or 900’s in my town, down at the Boardwalk amusement park.
Edit: wouldn’t load the picture. I’ll try again.
Edit #2: Paul’s posting of the R&T test of the WagonBack mentions the CombiCoupé as the European name for the same version. https://www.curbsideclassic.com/vintage-review/vintage-rt-review-1974-saab-99-wagonback-the-first-hatchback-saab/
I guess these are strictly speaking 900’s, as they’re convertibles.
Yes, those are the updated design, the German ones were still metal with real chrome trim etc. back in the day…
I also don’t think the CombiCoupe badge was used in the US, but it sure is neat. Incidentally, the US-market Saab brochure (below) did feature this illustration with the CombiCoupe badging, but Saab used a lot of their brochure images worldwide.
And I love the two-tone beige/blue upholstery in this one.
I’m trying hard not to be sad that this example has met its end at a junkyard, after surviving all these years.
Nice Saab, I have been working on Saabs for over thirty years. You should checkout our place, we fix and sell Saabs. We have over 100 Saabs for parts. We are an independent shop in Denver, Colorado. My boss and owner is the president of Rocky Mountain Saab club, they just hosted this years Saab convention in Loveland. Members also collect vintage Saabs. Check out our website, Milehiautomotive.com
Hard to believe it has less than 100k miles on the clock. Yet, I get the impression that this has been sitting in someone’s yard or barn for an extended period of time. I see some type of inspection sticker on the driver’s side of the windshield. Was there a date, state, or town on the sticker??
Also, didn’t realize 70’s SAABs were available sans turbo chargers. That was half the marketing push, safety was the other shoe.
Yes, the 99 didn’t introduce the turbo until the 1978 model year. And then the 900 and 900 turbo were available as of 1979.
What a find! It looks a used up but remarkably solid. Could be saved if someone had cared enough.
No parts.
That’s a remarkable find. Saabs are getting more obscure by the day. A lady in my town drives an 80s white convertible, and it’s still kicking along.
The ones from the 70s are very rare to see in the flesh; I’ve never seen one like this before. It’s too bad it reached the end here. I wonder when it last ran. The low miles on the odo and the period pieces like the sheepskin seatcovers make me wonder if it died an early death and then sat outdoors for many years.
Whenever I see an old SAAB like this, I too wonder when it was last on the road. Clues like the roots and/or sod hanging from the beneath the front bumper (in photo #5) suggest it may have been driven into a ditch. Possibly with some help from the Michelob Ultra seen in photo #11. Either way, it’s hard to see such a cool car in that state. After the crusher, it’s on to Valhalla.
I went through a SAAB 96 phase back in the day, but stick to old Volvos now.
(Last comment here, I promise, but your post has triggered some good memories). I graduated from college in 1977 and spent many weekends that summer shopping for my first new car, to replace my Vega GT. In the end I bought used, and kept the Vega as a backup for three more years. Anyway, the cars I remember driving that summer included a 99, as well as its compatriot a Volvo 242, and a V8 Monza Spyder. Honestly, I didn’t find the Saab very appealing; it felt heavy and sluggish, even compared to the 240. Both were base model 2 doors in almost identical tones of beige. I still remember the Saab salesman looking over my clean green four year old Vega and making it clear to me that they would NOT be interested in taking it for trade.
These were terrific cars at the time, especially in terms of their versatility. I would have been a potential customer in the early-mid ’70s, if I’d had the money. But my sister in Alaska did; she bought one in ’74 or ’75, and loved it, for its superb traction in the snow and the huge rear cargo area. It wasn’t exactly a paragon of reliability, though.
A diesel Dasher wagon eventually replaced it.
So what was the natural competition for these as considered by a typical up-and-coming yuppie-to-be in the US? Audi 100? BMW Bavaria or 2002? Surely not the Volvo or perhaps yes?
A bit hard to say, as Saab still had a pretty strong image back then, meaning a bit fringe and quirky. It hadn’t yet gone very mainstream. It wasn’t really a Yuppie-mobile yet. But then I’m not sure yuppies had been invented yet. That term was first used in 1980.
Saab buyers back then tended to rattle off the inherent unique qualities of their cars then, which was of course FWD and the exceptional space back there as well as a few other things. I doubt it was much cross-shopped with the 2002. The Bavaria was in a different league. Audi 100 was dead by then; the new 5000 maybe. Volvo for sure, and most likely.
Definitely Volvo over here too – they both seemed to benefit from each other’s emphasis on safety to make it a national characteristic. That is, until the Turbo and then the long nose and then the vert kicked the Saab into the yups.
There was also a small subclass who were downsizing from a 504 or moving across from a Renault into a 99. Or at least were considering it.
Well, I suppose I was a yuppie-to-be in 1977 and as I wrote, I looked at the 99, Volvo 240 … but also Chevy Monza V8. I ended up buying a used Alfetta, but BMW was out of my price range and Audi was pretty dull. A year later, a young colleague bought a 99 Turbo to replace his Datsun 620 pickup. I remember in California that although Saab’s were popular, the perception was that they were more prevalent in Vermont or Colorado, because we didn’t need FWD here without snow. Sort of the Subaru of the 1970’s.
We lived in Vermont in the 70’s (initially moved there in 1965, away for 5 years and moved back in 1975)….Though my Dad didn’t ever own a Saab (they were really popular in VT) he did own a ’76 Subaru (FWD only) he bought in Winooski new.
I really liked Saabs, but never got to own one…though my brother in law (born and bred in Vt, like my niece (who still lives there) and nephews) had a 900. I never rode in it, but he said changing the clutch was really easy on it. As a hatchback fan, how could I not admire the huge cargo area these things had? I guess these were a bit out of my price range and by the time I could have bought one, the hatchbacks were gone..and the reason (for me) owning one. Seem to remember that a place called PJ’s used to deal with Saabs up there.
Valmet also built the SAAB 90, a curious mix of the 99 and the 900 as a price leader model.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_90
Cool colour. Great find. Down here, we use Kombi as a catchall for the VW T1/2 vans and pickups.
where is this vehicle? what junkyard?
The author lives in or near Fort Collins Colorado, but he’s been known to explore junkyards as far away as Cheyenne Wyoming (about an hour away). D/S
This one is in Greeley, CO. It’s a pick and pull only.
I always liked this car, was it that windshield? Saabs were practical, versatile, no nonsense, yet quirky. Did not know that ‘70’s Saab’s had reliability problems.
The successor model the Saab 900 Turbo was one of top yuppie cars in the eighties – they were everywhere and almost always in black.
A truly great find. Thank you. One of the best early hatchback designs, with a very low lift over height. And plenty of depth and usable space, allowed by the vertical spare.
My uncle drove a Saab 99 sedan as a taxi in Washington in the early 1980s. It was quite unique in taxi dress and stood out among all the Fords and Checkers. I too saved an emblem from that car and still have it somewhere.
Wow — I’ve never seen a Saab taxi. From several respects, it would be a good choice: Roomy, comfortable, space for luggage, maneuverable. From from a reliability/operational cost perspective… eek!
The oddest (for North America) taxis that I remember were when I lived in Philadelphia in the 1980s, one of the cab companies bought a fleet of Peugeot 505 diesels. They were in service from a fairly long time.
There were a few Peugeot 505 taxis around the San Francisco area, at least one in my town when we moved here in 2011. It along with the biodiesel Mercedes W123’s have finally disappeared, but still some taxi Crown Vics roaming here.
Love these, such practical eccentrics. Aerodynamic, roomy, small, good handling. And this one in a sweet color befittingly Euro.
The mileage is probably right. Likely something too hard broke once too often too many years ago. I have come to believe SAAB reliability is largely a myth, retold around dark Scando tables in midwinter by hardy folk who are cheerfully prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice – their wallets. It can’t even be said the fundamentals are sound, as the gearboxes were never strong enough. The engine, maybe, once they’d engineered out the last of the Triumph ghosts. I say this with knowledge from a very honest guy here who repaired them for a living, an enthusiast and specialist, no less. He loved them, but was blunt about what it took to keep them going in one piece.
I wonder if the Blomquist 16 valver had the head from a triumph Dolomite Sprint? The standard Dolomite used essentially the same engine as the SAAB, the Sprint a really clever but unreliable single-cam 16v.
(Incidentally, loving the frost and blueness, because as I type this, there’s a similar haze here, but it’s smoke and it’s literally 110F).
I like how people still blame GM for “killing” SAAB, when in reality all they did was delay SAAB’s inevitable death by about 10 years.
Fellow at U. of Wis. had one exactly like this in 1990 or so, same color iirc. We loaded it up with passengers and their ski gear & had a long weekend in northern Wisconsin. Amazed at the space inside, not so much with the acceleration.
I am confused – what, exactly, is glinjection? 🙂
I love my Saab. 14 years later and still getting compliments.
We lived in Vermont in the 70’s (initially moved there in 1965, away for 5 years and moved back in 1975)….Though my Dad didn’t ever own a Saab (they were really popular in VT) he did own a ’76 Subaru (FWD only) he bought in Winooski new.
I really liked Saabs, but never got to own one…though my brother in law (born and bred in Vt, like my niece (who still lives there) and nephews) had a 900. I never rode in it, but he said changing the clutch was really easy on it. As a hatchback fan, how could I not admire the huge cargo area these things had? I guess these were a bit out of my price range and by the time I could have bought one, the hatchbacks were gone..and the reason (for me) owning one. Seem to remember that a place called PJ’s used to deal with Saabs up there.