Category: Features

A Tribute To The Subaru Brumby Ute

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A funny thing happened the other day: Mrs Swade actually asked me to NOT sell one of my cars.

I’ve been thinking about selling my Subaru Brumby for a while now, primarily because I’ve got a little Italian project* in mind and in a perfect world, the Brumby would free up both the space and funds I need to make a start on it. It looks like that project might have to wait, however, and I have to say that I don’t mind that one little bit.

I have to correct this website’s record on the Brumby. I saw, just a few days ago, an entry on this site talking about all the problems I had with the car when I first got it. Yes, the water pump carked it. Yes, there were some starting issues in the cold weather when I first brought it home. But those are but distant memories now.

I own two red, two-door vehicles right now – the Brumby and the 968 – and I have absolutely no idea which one I’ll own for longer. The Brumby is that good.

And yet many consider the Brumby to be a little less than manly. I had a mate have a quiet giggle at it compared to his Ranger (g’day Chris!). I don’t mind, though. To me, Brumbys are more like the farmers that buy them and keep them for years, sometimes decades – humble, unassuming, but surprisingly capable, Tonka tough and more reliable than death or taxes.

The Brumby has been 100% trouble-free since those early issues. It starts every morning and runs without fuss all day. Yes, the interior’s a bit spartan. A bit 80’s. But it’s got uber-rare power steering, air conditioning (that works!) and a recent ugly-as-a-bashed-crab stereo installation that not only plays the one CD I keep in the car (Dinosaur Jr), but will also drive my iPod if I tell it to. Everything works except for the driver’s door lock, which you have to fiddle with. That was source of frustration last year but is now considered a beauty spot rather than a blemish.

You know where you stand with a Brumby. It’s not a show pony. It has no pedigree. The Brumby is a mutt that’s been robbed, stoned, beat up and broken boned. The Brumby gives me the comfort of knowing that I can scrape a shovel blade in the rear tray as I’m scooping up my pine bark and the car won’t complain. It won’t lose any value. It might even gain value! The only type of wash it knows is from the rain and it rarely gets so much as a fresh drop of oil**.

And yet, it just keeps on going.

Six days a week I rarely ever think about the Brumby. On that one day I need it, however, it’s the greatest little car in the world. The little car that could. I’m no fan of boring automotive appliances but there IS something to be said for reliability. Combine it with utility and character and you’ve got a recipe for one hell of a good car.

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* The little Italian project: an Alfasud Sprint combined with the running gear of a 16V Alfa 33. Mmmmmmmm.

** That situation will be rectified over the Christmas break, with some oil, plugs and filters coming the Brumby’s way. It’ll feel like a new car!

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Weekend Video: Porsche 356 Made By Hand

If you’ve been on a tour of a modern car factory, this old video about Porsche is going to make you giggle. If you’ve got even a basic awareness of modern health and safety protocols, it’ll blow your mind. Either way, it’s super-interesting and a great look into quality car building in yesterday’s world.

This is a video tour showing the build process for the Porsche 356. Think Megafactories, 1950’s style. While everything’s basically done by hand there are still some extraordinary machines and the commitment to quality is evident throughout.

Continue reading Weekend Video: Porsche 356 Made By Hand

Fantasy Friday (On Tuesday) – Lancia Fulvia HF 1600

Let it be known I have no buyer’s remorse. I love my 968CS and hope to keep it (or a car like it) for a long, long time. That said, I spent a LOT of 2013 looking for a Lancia Fulvia and still have a deep affection for the little Italian. Even my wife loves them!

If this Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF were advertised a few months ago instead of just coming on the market this week, I would have taken a very close look. If it checked out, there’s a distinct possibility I would have bought it.

Continue reading Fantasy Friday (On Tuesday) – Lancia Fulvia HF 1600

How I’d Launch Saab’s EV

I’ve had this plan in my head for a while. In fact, when NEVS first took over Saab I had some contact with one of their officers and I shared the bare bones of this idea with her. Despite the idea having crossed NEVS’s desk some time ago, I don’t think it’ll ever happen, which is why I’ll share it here.

I think that if NEVS want to capitalise on Saab’s traditional markets, they’ll need to tie the company’s future to its past. There will have to be some continuity there, otherwise it’s just another car company. Why negotiate use of the Saab name if you don’t want to build on it? Why build in a relatively expensive country like Sweden if the origin means nothing to you?

Therefore, I think it’s logical to link Saab’s future technology with cars from its past. I’d use two cars to do this – the Saab 96 and the classic Saab 900.

Continue reading How I’d Launch Saab’s EV

Victor Muller on Swedish TV – Skavlan

Friday’s episode of Skavlan is now available online at SVTPlay.

Click here to watch the episode. The section of the show with Victor Muller starts at 38:40 and is in English.

It’s a very candid interview and well worth watching. Victor is asked about the current situation, what the difficulties are with selling Saab and the possibility of salary payments for Christmas. He also covers some of his business background and his relationship with Russian banker, Vladimir Antonov.

And if you enjoy excellent vocal performances, make sure you watch the last 4 minutes after the VM interview 🙂

Victor Muller on Swedish television this evening

For those who aren’t aware yet……

Our Chairman and CEO, Victor Muller, will be appearing on Swedish television this evening, on an interview program called Skavlan.

The program – recorded yesterday – will air on SVT1 at 9pm and it should be available online after the broadcast via SVT Play. I was able to access SVT Play from Australia today, so other countries should hopefully be able to access it, too.

As Victor doesn’t speak Swedish, the interview will be in English.

A few of the Swedish newspapers had people in the audience and they have prepared news stories based on the interview already. If you don’t want to wait for the show, you can get their reports at DI.se, Ttela, Expressen (all in Swedish).

We’ll insert a link, or embed the show, when the online replay becomes available.

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Saab wheels: 1998-today

The wheels maketh the car.

I’ve been writing that line for years and it’s as true today as it was years ago. If you’ve got a plain looking car, you’ll be amazed at how much better it could look with the right wheels.

Saab have provided a lot of different wheels on their options list over the years. I used to have an entry online with all of them showing, but I got an email from a European Saab fan earlier this week, stating that they couldn’t find it. I had a look around and I couldn’t find it either, so I figured it might be good to do it over again.

This collection only shows wheels from the original Saab 9-5 and 9-3 onwards (i.e around 1998 until now). I’ve tried to make sure the collection is complete, but I know there will be some missing.

If you want to see wheels from earlier Saabs, I’d recommend you check out Peacetek.net’s page on Saab wheels. There’s also my photos of Saab Wheels at Intsaab, from earlier this year (pictorial only, no info).

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The following images are taken from the Saab Global Accessories page.

The image title contains the Saab part number for the wheel, where it is known to me. I don’t have the dealer codes that were used for the wheels (ALU #).

The common model (9-3 or 9-5) for which the wheel was used is shown in the photo.

Click images to enlarge.

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Saab 9-3 TTiD vs the Top 10 green cars in Sweden

I’ve talked a little bit over the last few months about what Saab engineers were able to do with the Saab 9-3 in terms of reducing emissions. Today, you can order a Saab 9-3 TTiD with a full 180hp (or 160, or 130) that emits only 119g of CO2 per kilometer.

The powers-that-be didn’t think that was possible with the 9-3, and yet Saab achieved this figure, first with the Sport Sedan and then with the SportCombi, in just a matter of months after being freed to pursue this goal. It’s a prime example of the engineering expertise that exists here at Saab Automobile.

Some of you, like me, may not come from a country where vehicle taxes are based on emissions and the significance of this might be lost on you. Others will understand a bit better right from the get-go.

In Sweden, a ‘green’ car is referred to as a miljöbil and this vehicle class attracts quite a few benefits. Firstly, a new car that is compliant with Euro5 and has CO2 emissions of max 120g/km attracts zero vehicle tax for its first five years. Company car drivers who choose a miljöbil for their company vehicle may also benefit from reduced fringe benefits tax rates compared to non-miljöbil choices (which would be a massive drawcard for Saab).

There are other benefits, too, which some will make use of more than others. In Stockholm, for example, miljöbil drivers pay no congestion charge and there are parking zones in many cities around Sweden that miljöbil drivers can use for free.

So, some significant benefits are there if you’re driving the right sort of car. It’s not just tax benefits and parking convenience, though.

A car has to fit in with your lifestyle. One of the biggest criticisms of a vehicle like the Nissan Leaf, for example, is range anxiety. That is, the car might be able to run on pennies per day, but if it can’t get you where you need to go (and back) without running out of battery power, then it’s not really suitable for anything other than a short commute.

Some of the cars you’ll see on the list below have wonderful emissions figures and prices, but do they allow the average family to live their normal lifestyle, to travel with comfort, performance, safety and adequate space – AND accrue the various benefits of a miljöbil?

To give us all a better picture of what Saab have been able to do, of what Saab can offer in this segment of the Swedish market (and some others that incentivise the same way), I thought I’d put together this table.

The following table shows the Saab 9-3 TTiD range as well as the current top 10 selling miljöbil offerings in the Swedish market.

[table “26” not found /]

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So what’s the point?

The Saab 9-3 TTiD involves no sacrifices. Some cars on the table have equal (or better) cargo capacity, but the driving experience will be compromised due to much low power and torque.

Others lose out on the driving experience as well as the storage capability, relying on their small engine size and weight to get under the emissions limits.

Saab engineers re-worked the 9-3 TTiD SportCombi so that owners can have a complete vehicle experience – all the comfort, performance, safety and amenity that the car offers in its normal configuration – PLUS the benefits of a miljöbil.

Bottom line: You don’t have to drive an underpowered rollerskate to get the benefits of driving ‘green’.

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"Snap up a Saab" – semi-finals

Saab of North Olmsted’s competition – Snap up a Saab – is now at the quarter final stage. In just days from now, someone is going to walk away the proud owner of a new Saab of their choice to the value of $50,000.

To recap the competition so far:

Over the last 4 weeks, groups of drivers have been driving vehicles supplied by Saab of North Olmsted. 4 weeks, 4 groups. Their task, during their week with the vehicle, was to show it to as many people as possible, gathering fans, shares (and points) via QR codes, facebook, twitter or on the competition homepage.

The six top point-gatherers from each week are now at the semi-final stage and have less than 48 hours to gather as many points as possible.

Someone’s going to win a new Saab!!

The Snap up a Saab competition webpage now lists the finalists for each week. You can click on a finalist’s individual page, watch their video, check out their pictures and most importantly – cast your vote.

The 5 top semi-finalists will go into the final, where they’ll have a 1-in-5 chance of unlocking the doors to a new Saab, thereby giving them the win, and the Saab of their choice.

Make sure you head over to the competition page, support your favourite entrant and help them to spread the word about Saab – and win a new one of their own!!!

Saab’s A-to-Z Winter Driving Tips

This is not the first time this guide has been published. Perhaps we need to update it?

It’s still good advice and good reading, though, for those settling into the northern winter. Make sure that both you and your Saab are ready to take on what Mother Nature throws at you. Your Saab is designed for these conditions and should handle them well, but you still need to pay attention to its condition and make your preparations.

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Winter Driving – an A to Z Guide from Saab

For drivers and their vehicles alike, winter is the most testing time of the year. Difficult driving conditions greatly increase the risk of an accident and even routine journeys can become hazardous experiences. As a result, it seems imperative to drive carefully during the winter. The fact remains that accidents can still occur due to the negligence or irresponsibility of other drivers. When in such a situation, it is recommended that you contact an auto accident lawyer Las Vegas (or wherever you live) so that you can file a lawsuit against the driver and receive compensation.

Scandinavian winters are among the most severe in Europe and place extreme demands on the abilities of cars and their drivers to perform reliably and safely at all times. For those who wish to escape the winter chills and would rather go dune-riding (those interested may click to see sandrail for sale), safety tips must still be followed! Remember though, safe driving for desert and summer roads is different from those for winter roads. Saab Automobile of Sweden is used to designing and building cars for extreme winter conditions and here Chief Test Engineer Torbjörn Christensson gives a seasonal A to Z guide of simple “do’s” and “don’ts” that will be useful to all car drivers.

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A
Anti-freeze is the engine’s first line of defence against sub-zero conditions. But how often do you check it? For it to remain effective, the recommended strength must be at least 50%. Topping up your coolant with water only, for example, will gradually dilute the mixture. To be sure of maximum protection, do ensure the anti-freeze is checked each year, regardless of mileage, as part of the car’s service.

B
Black ice. Whilst ice and snow are obvious hazards, black ice is an almost invisible threat, especially during the onset of freezing temperatures. Beware when driving round sheltered bends or corners which are shaded from the sun, because this is where black ice is most likely to catch out the unsuspecting. A tell-tale clue you are on black ice is when all goes quiet in the car and you cannot hear any tire noise. Do not brake or make any sudden steering inputs but do ease off the accelerator and proceed slowly and smoothly.

C
Car batteries are put to a severe test in winter due to the extra demands of running heating fans and lights. Most are now maintenance-free but do have the voltage checked, especially if the car is repeatedly used for short journeys. Consider charging the battery overnight or try to plan a longer run occasionally.

Continue reading Saab’s A-to-Z Winter Driving Tips

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