1991 SAAB 900 TURBO CARLSSON

KEY FACTS

• A special edition 900 Turbo, produced as a tribute to the marque’s famed Swedish rally driver, Erik Carlsson.
• 185bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged engine with the upgraded red box APC system, coupled to a five-speed manual transmission with the ‘Type 8’ primary gear set.
• The car was delivered to, and serviced at Bell and Colvill up to 87,000 miles, and by a Saab specialist since then.
• Only available in the UK, 600 examples of the Carlsson were sold between 1990 and 1992.

EQUIPMENT AND FEATURES

• The 900 Turbo Carlsson is a three-door hatchback with a body coloured Aero kit, upgraded suspension, twin chrome exhausts and the ‘whale tail’ rear spoiler, and this has been carefully replaced with a high-quality replica.
• Dove Grey leather upholstery with Carlsson Alcantara inserts, original working cassette player and a three-spoke Momo steering wheel featuring the signature of Erik Carlsson who also gifted the previous owner an engraved plaque which now sits on the glovebox lid.
• This car has retained the very rare Carlsson fog light covers, which are missing on many examples.
• The previous owner occasionally fitted a 12-volt fridge in the boot which required a small vent in the passenger shelf - this now has a cover plate.
• Its original owner’s manuals, service book and dealer-supplied leather-bound A4 folder will be included, containing a raft of maintenance invoices, MOT certificates, handover letters and tax discs, alongside four keys and the original dealership keyrings.
• Also included will be correspondence from Sir Stirling Moss to the former keeper regarding a ‘round the UK’ lap record, and a photo of the previous owner with Stirling Moss and Erik Carlsson.

CONDITION

• The rear bumper was lightly damaged some years ago in a car park scrape, which was repaired at the time, but the body has since been fully restored.
• Black paintwork has recently been resprayed, now presenting with a glossy shine across the panels.
• Inside, the seller has indicated a small tear in the passenger-side Alcantara insert and a very small amount of age related wear to the outer driver’s bolster, but the upholstery is otherwise in excellent condition.
• A small stain can be seen in the passenger rear footwell.
• No electrical faults have been detected.
• The most recent MOT test was on 7 April 2021 at 167,623 miles, which was a clean pass with no advisories or defects.

SERVICE HISTORY

• At its most recent service, technicians replaced the engine oil, filter, distributor cap, rotor arm, spark plugs, brake fluid, accumulator ball, rear shock absorbers, rear springs, rear exhaust, rocker cover gasket, heater hoses and heater matrix valve.
• The bodywork has undergone a total restoration and any corrosion was removed.
• The decals and interior headlining were replaced, and the wheels were refurbished.

SUMMARY

One of 600 of the special edition Saab 900 Turbo Carlsson, this car presents very well indeed and has a strong maintenance history. While a small number of standard Turbo cars have been made into Carlsson replicas, this is the genuine article, and it would make a discerning choice for any collector of modern classics or a die-hard Saab enthusiast.

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All UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Collecting Cars are run through an online HPI check. On the HPI report, this vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft, and has no finance owing.