1977 SAAB 99 GL review from UK and Ireland

Exhaust fell off almost immediately after purchase. However this was due to having been sitting around in the garage that I bought it from for a couple of months.

A certain amount of rust which required bodywork repair.

Losing a little coolant.

The Saab 99 is undoubtedly built to an extremely high standard and is a very solid car indeed. In fact my brother drove the car into a nissan micra which was written off and there was not a mark on the Saab, helped by it's huge bumpers. However due to the weight of the solid body the fuel consumption is rather poor.

Also the weight of the car makes performance a little sluggish, but the 2.0L Triumph derived engine is smooth and completely unburstable.

The rust on the car is only to be expected considering I original paid £800 and also considering the year of manufacture.

The steering is not assisted and is excruciatingly heavy during parking, but lightens up at speed and makes the car very relaxing to drive on fast A roads.

The suspension is firm and provides a well controlled ride although outright grip is a little low, but this is more to do with the 70s style of tyre than anything else.

Overall these old Saabs are stronger than any other car of the era except perhaps the old Mercs and if you want a classic looking continental cruiser look no further. There is of course the rare and collectable turbo version if you want truly brisk performance.