A Rainy Saab Meet

It rained through the entire event, but still 50 or so cars—evenly split between Saab and Volvo—showed up for the Swedish-themed FCP Euro Sunday Motoring Meet at Lime Rock Park in Salisbury, Connecticut on April 23.

FCP Euro sells a lot of performance parts (its “ultimate track wagon,” a Volvo 850, bought for just $850, was a crowd pleaser), so perhaps that’s why the field had so many cars modified to go just that much faster. The crowd was mainly young, giving credence to Hagerty’s claim for the classic 900 as a Bull Market pick. “Increasingly owned by next-generation enthusiasts, the Saab 900 Turbo appears to be spooling up for faster appreciation. Owners under age 40 have tripled since 2019 from a share of 7 percent to 22.”

There were three or four classic Saab 900s on the soggy field, and a big run of late-period 9-5 wagons, at least one with the coveted manual transmission. Most unusual was a 2001 9-5 “Viggen” wagon. Saab didn’t build a performance version of the wagon, but the New York-based owner said, “It’s a loose interpretation of what a Viggen wagon would be like if Saab had built one.”

The “New Generation” Saab 900s (1994 to 1998) also got their due, with a 1997 900 SE displaying a placard of every performance mod, and a giant Saab logo on the inside of the hood. The Volvos were mainly newer models, though a 1971 1800E minus its bumpers was a standout.

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