This issue, we are digging out trivia on the car which really put momentum behind Saab’s push upmarket – the 99 that they built from 1968 to 1987. Report: Simon Goldsworthy. Top Ten Trivia This issue we look at the gamechanging 99 (and 900) from Saab To really understand what a major role the Saab 99 played in the Swedish company’s development, we will have to take a few moments to whizz over their history.
From early days in school, I have been fascinated by the Abarth marque. Abarth was the first entry in my Observer’s Book of Automobiles and I was drawn to it almost hypnotically. The mother of my best friend at school had a Fiat-Abarth 595, and I remember thinking what a special little car that was. Whenever possible, I would persuade my father to stop for petrol at Anthony Crook’s Hersham Garage, which had the concession for Abarth, Bristol and Zagato-bodied cars in the late 1950s and ’60s.