1990 SAAB 900S LPT Aero

You might think that a thirty-year-old family car isn’t the stuff of which we’re made but when you find out that it’s a Saab 900S hatchback fitted with an Aero body kit and the much-lauded three-spoke alloy wheels then you, like us, will probably find your pulse has quickened just a little.

Having covered only 125,000 miles since 1990, it is finished in black over black velour and fitted with the automatic gearbox, a ‘box that suits the car’s nature much better than you might think.

Built in Finland and offered with a complete service history, all of its books, and a fresh MOT, this is a Saab you can buy with your head AND your heart.

Few cars look as aerodynamic and ageless as these, especially when it is fitted with the Aero body kit and three-spoke alloy wheels - and this delightfully well-preserved number is no different. As classless and timeless as the little black dress with which it shares a colour, the shape could be only half-a-dozen years old rather than having first broken cover in the seventies.

Its condition is pretty damned good for a car that’ll never see 30 again, too. As so many newly divorced dads prove, black is a tough colour to pull off in early middle-age and yet this one manages it with ease. Of course, the famously tight shutlines and Swedish build quality the cars are known for helps, but careful ownership and what was almost certainly a (for the model) run-of-the-mill fanaticism in its previous owners has helped.

The electrically operated sunroof fits as well now as it ever did. It opens and closes easily too, and seals tightly. The boot spoiler is in great shape, as is the lower body cladding, discreet chin spoiler, glazing, badges and light lenses.

The all-important three-spoke alloy wheels are present and correct and still in a fabulous condition. They’re shod with Nexen CP641 tyres on the rear and General Altimax on the front, all in the correct 195/60R15 size and all still having plenty of tread.

Blemishes? Well, the lower trim panels that comprise a large part of the Aero body kit haven’t aged quite as well as the painted metal panels but what little sun-fading, scuffs and scratches there are could easily be chalked up to a developing patina and left well alone.

The interior, with its quirky transmission tunnel-mounted ignition key, has matured nicely. Impressively well constructed at the factory, few interiors could shrug off three decades as easily as this.

The tombstone velour front seats are also in great shape. With only a couple of rubbing points on the outer edge of the driver’s seat to detract from their appearance, they’re still very comfortable and as supportive of you’d expect of a company with Saab’s heritage.

The rear seats are in an even better condition, and the matching door cards are nothing short of excellent. The same is true of the headlining and boot trim, all of which are still in good shape.

(Incidentally, the hatchback boot is every bit as vast as urban legend would have you believe and lifting the floor reveals the space-saver spare wheel, tool kit and a few servicing spares such as a set of NGK spark plugs, an oil filter, sump plug and seals, and a used distributor cap and rotor arm.)

The automatic gearbox has been made as simple as possible: with none of your fancy (and largely unnecessary) ‘sport’ or ‘eco’ modes, it has drive and reverse plus the option of being able to select and hold first and second gear. Simple, straightforward and highly effective, it’s all the gearbox you’ll ever need.

It works well too, and because the 900 was always more of a fast touring car than an out-and-out sports car, the auto ‘box allows the owner to rely on the 900’s vast reserve of torque to propel them past inferior cars safely and quickly without the excess wand-waving that is necessary on the (sometimes recalcitrant) manual ‘box you think you want.

The rest of the switchgear and dials are similarly straightforward. Taking a no-nonsense approach to their roles, they all work as well now as they ever did, something that can be said of everything else, including the door mirrors (although the nearside one has some tape on it…) and windows.

As you might expect of a car designed to keep its occupants snug in the Arctic, the Saab’s heater is impressively powerful.

A modern Sony headunit has been fitted, and the car bears witness to a previous owner(s) who was/were a member of the Saab Owners’ Club GB and the lesser known ‘Saab Nuts’.

Faults? Well, the passenger window doesn't go up and down and the dashboard is aging and cracked. The carpets, especially that in the nearside rear and the driver’s footwell, have seen better days too, so we can see the next fastidious owner might like to consider replacing it in its entirety. That said, the Saab does come with a set of rubber mats which could be used to hide the discolouration while you decide whether to splash out on a new set or track down good second-hand items.

The engine bay is neat without being prissy, so is completely in keeping with the car’s engineering and character.

As you can see from our video, it starts very well, settles into a steady tickover and revs beautifully. The engine doesn’t make any odd noises either, and the exhaust has a beautiful burble to it. It drives well and we didn’t identify any faults or issues with it during our brief test drive.

The underside is solid but would benefit from a session with a wire brush and a pot of decent underseal to enable it to fulfill its potential and to weather the next thirty years with the same equanimity as it has the previous decades.

The Saab’s MOT certificate is valid until January 2022.

It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years. Recent work includes:

• 08.03.2011 and 100,457 miles – service including brake work and fresh gearbox and differential oils by Broadstairs MOT Centre

• 07.03.2012 and 105,826 miles – minor service, gearbox oil change and minor fettling by Broadstairs MOT Centre

• 29.07.2014 and 115,204 miles – oil change by South Wales Saab and Mini

• 17.04.2015 and 116,471 miles – new front brake discs and pads by Llanishen Garage

• 15.06.2016 and 117,411 miles – new CV boot, steering rack gaiter and miscellaneous fettling by Llanishen Garage

• 26.10.2016 and 119,263 miles – fresh engine oil and coolant following flushing of both by Chris Dennis

• 21.12.2018 and (unknown) miles – new rear brake pads by Llanishen Garage

• 24.02.2019 and (unknown) miles – new exhaust mount, anti-roll bar bush, and rear brake hose

• 21.03.2019 and (unknown) miles – new exhaust mount, anti-roll bar bush, alternator drive belt, vacuum hose, and steering rack bushes

• 03.05.2019 and 122,060 miles – new front dampers, anti-roll bar ends, exhaust rubbers, and engine oil and filter by Ring Road Garage

• 15.05.2019 and (unknown) miles – new steering column lower bearing

• 21.08.2019 and (unknown) miles – new rotor arm and distributor cap

• 08.01.2020 123,920 miles – two new General Altimax tyres

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, the original service history booklet with 13 stamps in it, book pack and storage wallet.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

These have a cult following for a reason and that reason is largely because they’re so impeccably engineered. A huge benefit in its own right, it also means that most have been owned by folk who appreciated the thought and care that went into their car’s design, which in turn means they generally took the time and trouble to maintain them properly.

Thus, the Saab 900 entered something of a virtuous circle in that its high-quality engineering was serviced and maintained diligently, which meant its reliability was further enhanced, which means that its owners took even better care of it, ad infinitum.

This means that there are tens of thousands of 30-year-old Saabs like this one continuing to provide daily transport for enthusiasts who like to drive the path less trodden.

Rock-solid residuals further sweeten the deal, so if the thought of paying anywhere from £11,000 to £15,000 for a car that’s just entered its fourth decade is off-putting, please do bear in mind its likely future value…

Inspection is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.