Saab 900 Convertible - has quirky ever been so cool?

Somehow, the arrival of a drop-top Saab always seemed a bit unlikely.

It was a car that seemed too frivolous for this eccentric but sober manufacturer, despite the company's aircraft engineering roots, its adventures with turbochargers and its manufacture of a strange little coupe called the Sonnett - which had a brief early life as Saab’s first drop-head.

Distinctive design

Although it sat on a wheelbase that formed too short a proportion of the car’s overall length - those substantial impact bumpers didn’t help - the clam-shell bonnet, the boot’s curious droop and a strange, collar-like spoiler at the base of the roof all gelled in a package that was rather appealing.

Well-equipped interior

The distinctiveness continued inside with Saab’s trademark tombstone seats, the famous gear-lever that had to be locked into reverse before you could remove the key, a wraparound screen and a dashboard that looked intriguingly well-stocked, making this a cabin in which you’d like to spend time, rain or shine.

Torque-steering turbo

It could be had with either a 2.0-litre 16 valve motor or a turbocharged version of the same twin cam producing 175bhp - enough to generate some of the fearsome torque-steer with which blown 900s sometimes frightened their drivers, though the Convertible’s extra weight meant that it weaved a little less when you stoked it to full boost.

Laid-back nature

In any case, hard-charging roads resembling an abdominal tract weren’t what this car was about. The 900 always had plenty of grip, but it was not a willing weapon for the driver intent on spearing apexes, preferring to travel at the slightly more sedate pace that suits drop-top tourers like this.

That way you could enjoy its relative solidity, the seeping comfort of heated seats and that important-looking dashboard.

Price

The 900 Convertible is now quite a rare sight, and one that looks even more distinctive, reinforcing my thought that it would make a fine set of slightly eccentric summer wheels.

But you must pay for the privilege - these first-generation 900 Convertibles often cost substantially more than you’ll pay for the Vauxhall Calibra-based 900 that succeeded it. 

And finally...

Reasons to want one: It’s a comfortable, slightly eccentric way to go roofless.

Why you’ll run a mile: You get full, 360 degree vision of the location of your breakdown.