The say somethings are as easy as falling off a bike. Today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Saab is a special edition honoring mountain biking legend Gary Fisher. It’s lost its accompanying bike and roof rack, but will it’s price make it an easy decision?
There’s a threshold, sometime in the early-nineties I think, when trucks transitioned from parsimonious and utilitarian workhorses to fashionable and luxury-laden driving accessories. That division means that anything lacking niceties like power windows and top-grain leather should be considered the former and hence should also be priced as such.
Yesterday’s 1970 GMC Jimmy wasn’t so priced and hence it proved a bit of an enigma, leaving many unable to decide what exactly to make of it. Its price also proved to be Crack Pipe, falling in a massive 78% vote.
That dichotomy of trucks could, if you think about it, also apply to the products of the Swedish car maker Saab. When they first started constructing cars the results were utilitarian and embodied engineering that evidenced the company’s aviation background. The last of the company’s products however were luxury rides, aimed at competing with the likes of Volvo, Audi, and BMW.
This 2000 Saab 95 is just so richly appointed, although with a nod to the working man in its inclusion of a five-speed manual transmission. It’s also a Gary Fisher Edition, so it carries some unique kit as well. Fisher if you don’t know, is a biker. No, not Hell’s Angels, V-Twin kind of biker, he’s the guy that’s generally credited with creating the modern mountain bike. You know, with fat tires... and pedals?
When introduced, the special Fisher Edition Saab in fact came with a bike and standard roof rake upon which to carry it. Also differentiating the car were special bumpers, side skirts and 17-inch wheels. Inside, a leather-wrapped steering wheel completed the Fisher-ing trip. The cars promoted the partnership between Saab and Fisher in the creation of the Gary Fisher Saab Mountain Bike Racing Team or GFSMBRT for short.
This one appears to be missing the bike, as well as the rack. It does have the wheels, bumpers, and spats, and the steering wheel does seem to be covered in perforated cow as well. The loss of the two-wheeler and accompanying rack, while sad, does at least improve the car’s garage-ability.
As noted, there’s a five-speed manual making this a fun wagon. That’s mated to a 2.3-litre turbo four offering 170-bhp and 207 lb-ft of torque. These early cars so fitted were known for engine failures owing to poor crankcase ventilation, but seeing as this one rocks a solid 145,000 miles, maybe it’s dodged that bullet. Or perhaps it’s ready to shit the bed at the earliest opportunity.
Whatever, the body and interior seem to have held up well, evidencing no obvious issues in the paint, and only some normal wear on the seat bolsters to call out. And yes, the key is between the seats, party people.
It’s kind of sad that the major features of this special edition—the bike an its rack—are missing, but there’s still a lot to like with this silver Swede. There’s that lively motor, the five-speed stick, and the cool wagon utility. What might one pay for all that?
The price tag here, from a Bay-Area dealer no less, is $3,995. You might find another big Saab wagon for less, but in this condition and rocking a stick? What do you think, does this Fisher Edition feel like it’s worth that kind of cash? Or is that too much to stray into the bike lane?
You decide!
The Car Finder out of Pleasanton, CA, or go here if the ad disappears.
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