GM FYI Blog

By Peter Gilbert
Guest Blogger

Editor’s note: You might remember Peter from previous entries on FYI. We’ve been following Peter as he celebrates his million-mile Saab — here’s the latest update. Make sure to check back tomorrow for Part 2.

Forty years ago, I disembarked from the all-day voyage from Hull, England, to the impressively clean port of Gothenburg, Sweden. That was the last time I had visited Sweden, and I was so impressed with how advanced the country had become. I arrived by ship with my 1966 Saab 96 2-stroke, which to me seemed so ahead in automotive design at the time.

Now, I was retuning by air, wondering what advancements were awaiting for me this time. I breezed through customs and onto the shuttle bus to take me to Avis at Arlanda Airport.

I cannot thank Avis enough, for not only arranging to have a 2007 9-5 Combi available to me, but for ordering a “Titan Grey” car for me. This was to make my Swedish experience as close to bringing my own car with me!

What I was not expecting was this brand-new Saab 9-5, the BioPower 2.0t. Until now I could only read about this car. As I looked down at the odometer, there were only 9 kilometers displayed, and the impending sense of adventure, made me anxious to commence my upcoming week of adventure.

I got down to business in the cockpit, noticing the differences with my own vehicle. The main differences were the angled tip to the driver’s side mirror, no miles on the clock to give me reference and no talk radio!

The first thing to make me chuckle was that this was going to be the third brand-new Saab engine that I would be breaking in during the last several months! This was not too difficult, as the respect for lower speed limits and not using the cruise control made this a breeze.

Unlike my own Combi, the rental was a 5-speed, just like my Viggen. However, this BioPower was full of power and torque. This first tank full of E-85 was certainly making me stand up and take notice. As I drove toward Linkoping (home of the Saab Aircraft Division), I could not help but notice how many Combis were on the road. I found out later that the 9-5 Combi BioPower is now the best selling car in Sweden.

I was on my way to the Swedish Air Force Museum, for a private tour, and to fulfill my other passion, airplanes. One of my goals was to see if one of the last Viggen fighters could be sent to a museum in the U.S. One of the enjoyable features of Linkoping, was seeing Saab aircraft being displayed on pedestals at each exit on the Motorvag (freeway).

Another surprise awaited me as I went to my room in The Good Evening Hotel, in the heart of Linkoping. Not only were the corridor walls decorated with murals of Saab planes, but the walls of my room were displaying framed photographs of Saab aircraft!