The introduction of Saab’s 900 convertible electrified the automotive industry in the mid-1980s. Here was an engineered-from-the-ground-up, fully equipped, four-seat, four-season soft top from a tiny Swedish car company, arriving at a time when precious few automakers even sold an open body style. This car offered practicality, performance, and prestige in equal measure, and it immediately became a must-have accessory for a forward-thinking, well-heeled motoring clientele. Thirty years after their production ended, and 12 since Saab Automobile itself went under, first-generation 900 S (1991-’94) and 900 Turbo (1986-’94) convertibles remain coveted by enthusiasts and continue to draw newcomers into the global Saab-sphere.
The “Classic” 900—as the brand’s fans have dubbed the 1979-’93 (plus 1994 convertibles, all built in 1993) model, distinguishing it from the wholly different “New-Gen” 900 of 1994-’98—was this company’s best-seller of all time, at nearly 909,000 units. Out of that total, 48,894 were convertibles that rolled out of Saab-Valmet in Uusikaupunki, Finland. They were products of the plant that started assembling Saab 96s in 1969 and would later, as Valmet Automotive, contract-build cars for Porsche (Boxster), Mercedes-Benz (A-Class), and Fisker (Karma), among others. The soft-top 900 was a halo model, positioned and priced at the top of the range and selling as quickly as it could be produced. Saab’s original 900 convertible arguably had the broadest appeal of any car the company
