In 1991 Saab introduced a naturally aspirated 16-valve version of their previous engine. 900 turbos with this engine are often more sought after due to their more exhilarating driving experience. The later versions of the 16 valve are said to be a bit more powerful, but the 1991 is their origin which is neat. This example has just 81k miles and is listed on eBay for $8,450 or best offer.
The exterior is finished in black with a color-matched convertible top. The wheels appear to be stock and are also in good condition. The headlights are free of fog or fade, possibly due to their headlight washers. The Saab is said to also have no rust and no blemishes are reported. I’ve always had a soft spot for these quirky little cars. They’re so unique looking and their design deviates heavily from American “norms”.
The interior is finished in what is assumed to be tan leather. There are some minor age-related blemishes throughout, but nothing that couldn’t be fairly easily attended to. The factory floor mats are still equipped which is a bonus. This car was designed with safety in mind. It is equipped with a telescopically collapsible steering column and the ignition keyhole is between the front seats.
A 2.1-liter B212 engine sends 140 horsepower to the front wheels via an automatic transmission. The engine bay looks well-kept and the car is said to drive great. The 900 recently received an oil change, a new starter, an ignition system, and an alternator. This is an extremely well-cared-for example of a cult-favorite. Despite the car’s lack of horsepower, these cars are said to be very fun to drive. They’re growing in popularity, so the next owner could potentially be able to sell this car for a lot more down the line. If you are interested in owning this 1991 Saab 900 turbo contact the seller on eBay.
Nice car, but if I were to look at it I would inspect the automatic transmission, which is a weak point on these. I’d prefer the manual (if it was offered). Nice engine though, at half the size of the Cadillac 4.1 pushing those land barges around, this engine makes more power!
In the 90s into the early 2000s, as these cars became used up and were about to head for the junkyard, many to most for sale ads mentioned transmission problems…both manual and automatic.
I had a carbon copy of this vehicle, except mine had a manual transmission. I bought it at a charity car auction for $2,100 (I believe that it was $40 K+ new). It was one of the best cars that I have owned. It saved my life once when I came into a long sweeping curve on an unfamiliar road at a much higher speed than posted. I just held on, thinking that I was about to experience my first high speed crash, but the car performed amazingly and I lived to talk about it. I wish now that I had kept it. Laughably, the only time that I put the top down, my wife said, “I hate this- look at my hair!” This was a good thing, as I was just getting ready to say that I was getting burned to a crisp by the sun and wanted to put the top up. SAABs are great cars, possibly a little difficult to find people who know what they’re doing when working on them. With the Bentley manual, you can perform many repairs yourself. If you can overlook the automatic, this looks like a great car at a reasonable price. These will only continue to appreciate in my opinion.
P.S.- possibly the most comfortable seats of any car that I have owned, with Volvo a close second.
“In 1991 Saab introduced a naturally aspirated 16-valve version of their previous engine.”
Actually Saab introduced their 16-valve naturally aspirated engine in 1986, in the “900S” model. A friend of mine has one.
I bought a white one in 1989. Turbo/manual. Loved the look. Carson-like blind rear quarters and the interior fit and finish sold me. Lots of cowl shake and somewhat under powered dispite what the insurance company thought. That didn’t deter the nanny from blowing up the transmission. The same nanny was able to cook the overdrive in a series 3 Land Rover I owned at the time. After reading the reliability remarks here perhaps I shouldn’t have been so hard on her after all…
Well hoi polloi! The nanny cooked not one but two cars? She shouldn’t have been driving after she cooked the first transmission. Seems like you have more money than common sense. Merry Xmas.
Loved my ’91 turbo hatchback. Incredible amount of usable space, great handling, ride and traction in the snow. Mine had a manual trans and it took a dump a month before my wedding. $4k if I remember correctly. That was 30 years ago. It took 25 for my marriage to fail. That cost a lot more than $4K
IMO, just another bad SAAB 😢 😭 story! 😅 🤣. As usual, to me it’s REVOLTING, so I’m on to VERSAILLES! In my LAND YACHT 🚢 for a smooth cruise!
Actually, the 16 valve engine debuted in 1985, in both Turbo and naturally aspirated form. The 8 valve engine was still available as a special order up until 1990, if I recall. A friend of mine had an ’88 900 Sedan with the 8 valve and a slushbox, and it was, hands down, one of the slowest cars I’ve ever driven.
I would dump the autobox as soon as this car hit my driveway. The torque converters are known problems with this gearbox, and adding the torque of the turbocharger to the mix doesn’t do it any favors. They usually start to whine at or near the 100K mark and fail shortly thereafter. My ’90 Turbo ‘vert suffered a catastrophic gearbox failure which nearly ended her life. We swapped in a five speed, and Fiona is currently sleeping in the barn, waiting for spring.
I would not call these cars underpowered at all…..they may not be as fast as a Viggen, but they more than hold their own on the highway and are so much fun to drive, you will want to drive them all day.