Saab 99 ‘Finlandia’

Grab the tissues, this is a long Saab story.

This website may be about weird cars, but for a very short production run and with very limited numbers, Saab really did build a few dozen normal cars. 

I’ll argue until I cry; yes, even more normal than the GM Saabs.

Originally intended to be bought in the service of government officials, executives, emergency response, and livery fleets that needed more space for rear passengers, three distinct generations of these exceptional Saabs are some of the most straightforward cars the brand ever produced.

Stretched, massaged, and extended where it counts most, girth — the first series based off of the 99 Saab 99 GLE-L, nicknamed both ‘Finlandia’ and ‘Sauna window’ is where our flight of Saabs begin.

Thanks to the work of a dedicated community of enthusiasts who pine for Saabs long, gone, it’s remarkable to learn how much effort went into building a vehicle that would blend effortlessly into contemporary traffic as “that slow old car” now holding people up in the right lane.

Like our favourite snacks, Saab had envisioned the 99 to be offered in multiple varieties and portions, quite literally from Coupe to King Size.