1994 SAAB 9000 CDE Turbo Griffin

Apart from its beautiful condition, one of the features that draws you to this smart 1994 Saab 9000 CDE ‘Griffin’ saloon is a typed service record compiled by the previous keeper (who owned the car all the way from 1998 to 2016). It’s as much a journal as it is a service record, and alongside most every instance of work the car had done, in it you will find comments and anecdotes from his life with the motor. Comments on spec and performance; ‘Turbo Four-cylinder (proper Turbo 200bhp), five-speed anti-lock brakes cruise control, electric glass sun roof, wooden dash, rear sun blind, Cobra alarm’, exasperating occurrences; ‘28/05/12 clutch failure in Northwich with trailer attached’ - or simply a short paragraph about who he bought the car from and its life previous to his ownership.

As well as giving you faith in his stewardship, it also lets you know the car had the front wheel arches and the metal under the rear light cluster replaced and repainted in 2014, as well as a more general fettling (new hoses/fuel pump) in 2010.

The Saab was kept in excellent condition, which is what attracted the present owners - Nathan and his father - to the car.

‘’It was just such a tidy car,’ he explains. ‘We wanted something we could take on days out or to local shows. And it’s still a quick car.’

With several other classic and modern cars on hand, the Saab was never going to be overworked.

‘In fact,’ Nathan adds, ‘we haven’t used the car as much as we thought we would, so we think it’s time to let it go to someone who will.’

Even so, the way he looks at the Saab as he says this - probably thinking about the performance - suggests he’s almost ready to take it back. So you may want to bid early on this one. 

A very understated saloon, this Turbo presents well in its sober yet smouldering shade of ‘Ruby Red’. The paintwork looks good across the car; a nice gloss all round, with few real blemishes and nothing that spoils the overall effect. There are some pinprick chips along the leading edge of the bonnet if you look closely, though the chrome grill is looking very presentable. As stated in the ‘journal’ the wings were repainted and the finish blends well with the rest of the bodywork, there is a tiny bubble coming on top of the wheel arch on the driver’s side and a hairline scratch there too. Also, the lacquer is peeling in a small area along the (rear) edge of the roof on the same side.

The fit of all those rather square edges is excellent. Looking obliquely down the flanks, you will see no ripples, and shut lines around the doors, bonnet and boot lid are consistent and symmetrical. All the doors open without sagging and close with a smart click. Open the fuel filler flap and you will see clean paint below.

The Saab also scores well in the details. Badges look good - those on the boot looking slightly weathered perhaps - but you have to look very closely - and the paint just below there has a couple of tiny chips. There are no rough edges around door handle or trim mountings, and the bright metal inserts to the black side strips look very smart. Everything lines up properly when the doors are closed. Apart from a couple of very small nicks, the rubbers and plastic around the boot and door seals, and around the (glass) sun roof, all look very healthy indeed.

All in all, a very tidy-looking car. 

The car has obviously been looked after as carefully on the inside as it has on the outside. It’s quite a surprise that a (perhaps once) family saloon has got away with as few marks as it has. The leather seats display only a fairly gentle creasing and patina. (Note the ‘Bridge of Weir’ Scottish leather tag). All retain their mid to dark grey colour well, while the suede panels (for teh Griffin) still make for a nice contrast. Those on the driver’s side show a split on one side and perhaps a restitching on the other. Even so, the overall impression is very good. The hides are clean and the seat cushions and bolsters themselves firm and supportive. The carpets too are clean and retain a good pile to the material. Understandably, the steering wheel shows a little more wear where the rim has faded slightly in places.

Like most luxury saloons the 9000 Griffin boasts its fair share of woodwork, with both capping to all four doors (another Griffin feature, we understand) and a fair amount of good quality veneer across the dash. All retain a deep rich grain (with especially nice figuring on the centre console behind the gear stick, between the seats), and a good gloss to the lacquer, with a distinct lack of chips from fingernails or keys. It’s also a nice surprise to see that potentially ‘high risk’ areas of trim - around switches and door pulls - are all in very good shape. Again, the stitching is all intact, with no fading or scuffing to leather or plastic.

There are plenty of small details and layering of materials in the Saab’s cabin and it’s good to see how precisely everything lines up, with no discolouring, warping or misalignments. The (light coloured) headlining is similarly neat, with no marks around light or sun roof controls. This is a very smart cabin. 

The Saab appears to show its age a little more when you lift the bonnet, but this is really just a case of general weathering rather than deterioration. A look at the crud-free bolts, clean jubilee clips and generally supple hoses with tell you that the four-pot has been regularly attended to. Fluids are all clean and at the levels they should be, and there are no signs of leaks around the block. The rocker cover of the engine has lost some of its finish and there is oxidation on some components, but there is a distinct lack of surface rust throughout the engine bay. The wiring and smaller components look to be all present and correct - and very serviceable. Everything looks pretty healthy.

The paint on the inner wings looks good and the heat/soundproofing at the bulkhead looks very much intact. The battery looks pretty new.

The underside of the car appears largely sound, with a good deal of the undersealing intact. The larger, flat (painted) surfaces are pretty good, but there is however more surface rust under here - on brackets, some edges and on suspension parts, though no more than you would expect for the mileage. The suspension components themselves, as well as their supporting bolts and brackets, appear sound and serviceable. The exhaust shows surface corrosion in places but appears to be pretty robust and firmly mounted.

Fuel and brake lines look fine while the brake callipers (seen through those very clean and smart alloys) show a light speckling of rust in places. Tyres appear to have plenty of life left in them. 

There isn’t a huge amount of paperwork to verify what is in the typed service record, but there are a number of sundry ‘ongoing care’ invoices. The report also says the alternator pulley and power steering pump were replaced in 2014. Bills or not, it’s worth going back to that report as its wording and - as previously mentioned - its observations give a clue as to how the owner went about maintaining the car.

There are several mentions of how something would remind him to check the sunroof drain holes (so often overlooked), or how when the gear lever top came off it was ‘refixed with body tape as original’ and should be ‘good for another 20 years’. Similarly, the hose clips (in the general fettling of 2010) were replaced with non OEM parts. Other remarks explain about tyre repairs and costs or note that the ECU upgrade should add 30-40bhp.

There is very much a sense of a keen awareness of the car’s condition and needs throughout the document.

You will also see from the MOT pass certificates, that the Saab’s mileage has dropped from around 3000 a year to less than 200. During its time with the present owner (and probably the former) it has been garaged.

Always a tough, fast and durable driver’s car, few 9000 Turbos have survived in this condition. Very few right hand-drive top-of-the-line Griffin models were ever imported into the UK. The Saab remains a quick and practical express; understated, but something a little different - with a few nice touches of luxury. It’s ideal for a long drive out with friends or a week or weekend away. It’s a car you can take and drive now, or perhaps spend the Winter brushing up the underside ready for next year. We feel this smart example of a near legendary saloon will be an exceptionally popular No Reserve listing, and should command a result of between £3,000 – £6,000. 

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located in Chesterfield; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.