As we all know, old is the traditional gift for a 50th anniversary. Despite that, today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe 9000 anniversary edition is black on black. We’ll just have to see if the real gold comes with the price.
Have you ever stopped to consider the fact that stereotypes are most often perpetuated, not by their targets, but by obtuse adherents to the status quo. You never hear any particular group avow ‘you know us, we’re the (insert derogatory term here.) people’ Nope, it’s always someone else making the indictment, and that’s usually born out of ignorance and anxiety.
Now, I’m not accusing any of you of ignorance, nor of being particularly anxious. The thing of it was, your take on yesterday’s 2002 Lexus SC430 did perpetuate the stereotype of the car being one of the universe’s less attractive models. Hell, I guess I was guilty too. Un-stereotypically, the convertible’s $9,900 price—which is not chicken feed mind you—came away as quite an appealing sum, earning the Lexus a tidy 55-percent Nice Price win.
That was our second plus column check of the week. Now let’s see if we can go for a three-peat.
‘Hi, my name is Sven and I’m a Saab-oholic.’ ‘Hi Sven, welcome. We’re here to help. There’s coffee, cookies and a copy of Satch Carlson’s Running on Empty on the table in back. Don’t worry, you’re in a safe space.’
It goes without saying that the love, and ownership of the products of a defunct brand are demonstration of a level of loyalty and perseverance that would make the Three Billboards lady look like a slacker. Getting your Saab on today isn’t as Sisyphean a task as say keeping your Borgward happy or finding a source for blank 8-track tapes (don’t ask), but eventually it will be.
That’s why if you’ve ever wanted to get into the Saab lifestyle, now’s the time to do so. And if you’re going to go full Saab, you might as well get one that’s already had some love rather than a car that’s ready to bite even a loving new owner in payment for years of neglect from previous custodians. You might in fact want to have a car like this 1997 Saab 9000 CSE Turbo 50th Anniversary Edition.
Saab built 300 special edition 9000s for the American market in 1997 to celebrate the marque’s 50-years as a car maker. The anniversary models received body cladding and three spoke 16-inch Super Aero wheels to set them apart externally. Inside, the cars were denoted by special two-tone sand beige and alpaca seats with embossed airplanes on the backrests and a heavy load of comfort and convenience features because who doesn’t like those? Motivational force for the 50th Anniversary cars came from a 200-horsepower 2.3-litre turbocharged four, and those ponies went to the front wheels via either a five-speed stick or four-cog automatic.
This car has the slusher, which is claimed to have been been refreshed. That’s bolted to what’s also described as a rebuilt B234L four. Rounding out all the in, the ad notes that the ancillaries have been upgraded or replaced and with an updated ECU the DOHC engine now pulls around 270-280 horses.
The fun doesn’t stop there either. The suspension has been Bilstein’d (and please, people, learn how to spell Bilstein) while the brakes are new from rotor to line. The Aeros on the car have been ill-advisably painted matte black but a second set comes with the car and are wrapped in winter tires.
Paint is said to be newish and is black as night. Strangely enough so are the seats inside. The seller notes that the first thing that caught his eye when finding the car was its two-tone interior and here we see in the pics pretty much just one tone, that being black. If this car were a rapper it’s stage name could be Tone-Loss. Everything else inside looks decent, however a carpet dash cover is present, and as every toupee-wearer can confirm, those cap rugs never look good.
The seller claims of the car ‘She is rebuilt titled, the car is in tip-top shape, runs perfectly and has had almost everything replaced, restored/repaired or enhanced. You can own a piece of history!’ Yep, you saw that too, it has a rebuilt, or salvage title. That’s a total black flag for many as a lot of insurers won’t touch a salvage title car with a ten-foot actuarial. Maybe this car’s old enough and interesting enough to warrant a classic car insurer like Hagerty?
Before we can get to ruminating on the how we’ll have to get past the should. To do so, we now need to consider this car’s $13,500 asking price. That’s the Buy It Now on the eBay auction with a starting bid of $4,995 and no bites even at that as yet.
What do you think, is this 50th year Saab worth that $13,500 asking? Or, for that much is this one anniversary you’d just have to miss?
You decide!
eBay out of New York, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to my SaabSister for the hookup!
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