Craig's C900 Workshop

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In 1986 three of the then recently released SAAB 9000 turbos were run non-stop around a race track in Talledega, covering 100,000 kilometers in less than twenty days, driving with the speedo constantly on the 230 KPH mark. It was one of the most successful automotive promotions in modern history, and showcased the very fine engineering that went into producing these amazing motor cars...

	In 1989, to celebrate the event (and sell cars of course) SAAB Australia released a limited edition special 9000 that they called the 'Super Swede', designed by a Swedish engineer living in Australia. The Super Swede came with a full body kit, suspension tuning kit, and engine tuning kit, (all original SAAB components), making it a very fast, very refined high speed tourer, that was also acceptable to insurance companies. It's believed only six of these were sold, and the one pictured here was the second off the line. It might well be the only one still in existence!
This particular Super Swede was sold to the owner of Northshore SAAB, and was featured in the the July 1989 edition of Modern Motor. Its original number plate was BMW-ETA. And indeed it did, and still would give most BMW's a surprise or two on the highway. In July/August 2005 it was put up for sale by the then-current owner (a SCCA member!), when the pictures on this page and featured in this gallery were captured. The following text came from the Ebay listing for the car:
The first owner cared for the vehicle with all the attention a SAAB dealership could offer and it was constantly garaged. BMW-ETA, unfortunately minus the very cool number plate, was then sold to a businessman collector who kept the car in a garage, running it only occasionally, and faithfully keeping up the services, replacing clean oil with clean oil. The result is a car that's 16 years old but runs and looks like the day it rolled out of the showroom. The original paint is nearly flawless, with deep gloss. The car has never been scraped or banged or bent. And the mileage--wait for it--93,000 kilometers. No misprint--93,000 kilometers, and 10,000 of those in the last year since I bought the car.I knew I had something special, and I wasn't about to run it into the ground. I did run it though, mostly day trips, and occasionally briskly, and it's a keen pleasure every time I get behind the wheel.But I can't care for this gem the way it deserves. It mostly sleeps under a cover, and I hack about in my trusty old automatic SAAB 900. I'd like to see the Super Swede go to a collector, a SAAB aficionado who'll preserve and enjoy it. Let me repeat: this car is not for everyone. It's fast, but a bit edgy. The gear shift is quick, but requires a confident hand to operate well. This is a driver's car. If you want daily transport to get to work and back, this will certainly do it, but what a waste. You'd be better off with an automatic Falcon or Toyota. And you could get one of those only four years old for the same money. And if you're a young bloke looking to compete with WRXs at the traffic lights, better look elsewhere. The front wheel drive doesn't lend itself well to drag racing, and you will be blown off by WRXs and Nissan turbos and the like. But drive from Sydney to Melbourne, and my money will be on the Super Swede to get there first, and have the more relaxed driver.
The car's impressive array of features included: - Turbocharged 16 valve Saab engine, - Matched 5-speed manual transmission, - 16 inch sport rims with Goodyear low-profile tyres, - Leather trim on the doors, - Wood veneer dash trim, - Iconic Saab 9000 automatic climate control, - Cruise control, - Power windows, - Powered and heated mirrors, - Heated leather seats, - Alpine/Saab CD player + cassette/tuner (remember this was the 1980's!), - Power steering, - ABS braking, - Trip computer, - Map-reading lights both front and rear.

If you can provide information about what happened to the other SuperSwede's that were sold in Australia (perhaps you own one of them!), and/or provide more technical information or pictures, please get in touch!