June 6, 2007 - Svenska Aeroplan Aktie(B)olaget was established in 1937 primarily to build planes for the Swedish Air Force.

Realizing the demand for military aircraft would decline with the end of World War II, Saab wisely decided to get into the car business, and pronto.

By 1947, the company was ready with its first production car, the 92.

An aero-shaped two-door car with its two-cylinder, two-stroke gasoline engine powering the front wheels with an independent suspension front and back; after 91 aircraft designs, the next Saab design project didn’t exactly follow post-war car design convention.



Recent  ‘Saabaru’ 9-2X compact and ‘TrollBlazer’ 9-7X sports-utility-vehicle aside, like Porsche with its 911, Saab hasn’t strayed too far from their original 92’s design philosophy. So much so that today one can easily find tangible links between that first ’47 Saab and this $56,675 2007 Saab 9-3 Convertible 60th Anniversary Edition.

Not to be confused with last year’s 20th anniversary special edition 9-3 Aero Convertible, the ’07 Anniversary Edition package is available as a $2,045 option on 9-3 Convertibles and SportCombis; $3,395 on the Sedan. (This celebratory package is only available with the 210 hp 221 pound-feet of torque 2.0-litre inline-four cylinder engine; not the 250 hp 258 lb-ft of torque turbocharged 2.8L V6 Aero models.)

Checking off the Anniversary Edition limits one to the test car’s Ice Blue, or Jet Black or Steel Gray metallic exterior colours. There are also new 17-inch wheels sporting 235/45 R17 all-season rubber, front fog lamps and a rear deck lid spoiler.

Inside, the dual power front seats and black leather interior receive special stitching, dark walnut interior trim and a premium sound system.



The last major 9-3 redo was in 2004 when it moved to parent General Motors’ front-wheel-drive Epsilon platform it shares with the Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura.

This year, Saab is paying attention to the 9-3’s cockpit.

In addition to new body-colour panels that surround all four passengers, an all-new dashboard design arrives with the removal of the often-distracting centre mounted Saab Information Display. The new design incorporates the climate control system used in the larger 9-5, with three knobs in lieu of a myriad of buttons, all framed with a distinctive, thin bead of aluminum trim.

What hasn’t changed are the quirky 9-3 bits. The ignition on the floor, the grid-style air vents, the ‘night panel’ switch that kills all the instrumentation except the speedo and the cup holder that pops out of the front dash like a hungry alligator; all here and accounted for.

Eschewing the folding metal origami tops from newer coupe/convertible rivals boast, the 9-3 Convertible’s electrically operated canvas roof drops under a hard tonneau cover that includes two aerodynamic humps mounted directly behind the rear seats.



The Saab roof may retract quickly in about 20 seconds, weigh less and take up less precious trunk space than its heavy metal competitors, but there’s plenty of road and wind noise intruding as well.

While the 9-3’s blown 2.0L mill shares little with the 764 cc, 25 hp unit from the earliest Saabs, it does continue the tradition of getting the most from the least established by the company’s first turbocharged engine that debuted in the 1978 99 Turbo.

It’s the equal of an Audi A4 2.0T or Volvo C70 T5 in accelerating the 9-3 from naught to 100 km/h.

A six-speed manual transmission is standard, but the test car’s $1,500 five-speed automatic with a manual mode is well suited to the turbo four’s behaviour. Both are smooth operators, and the transmission reacts quickly when called upon.

Obedient also describes the overall driving nature of this sun seeking Saab.

Unlike some of its more aggressive German adversaries that have stiffer bodies, initially, the 9-3’s softer suspension setup seems better suited to the type of relaxed driving a convertible encourages.



The 9-3 certainly won’t beat you up on our Canadian winter beaten roads. But similar to one of Erik “On The Roof” Carlsson’s  Monte Carlo Rally-winning early ‘60’s Saab 96s, the 9-3 Convertible may roll, bounce and weave. But by gum, the 9-3 hangs on in the twisties like melted mozzarella cheese to a pizza crust.

It does help that where rivals are heavy with kit, the 9-3 is relatively light. The steering, if not that quick, is at least accurate. And the car’s passive rear-wheel steering coaches the Saab through the tighter corners in an unflustered manner.

In the face of sharing bits with more plebian GM vehicles, the 9-3 still stands out.

With inimitable ergonomics, quirky exterior looks, an efficient drivetrain and a never-say-die chassis, the 2007 9-3 Convertible 60th Anniversary Edition can still be considered a direct descendent of Saab’s of old.

- John LeBlanc, Publisher, www.straight-six.com



Just the facts...
Build quality
Features 
Performance
Fun-to-drive
Overall value

Price: base/as tested $52,135/$56,675
Federal rebate/penalty: No
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline
Power/torque: 210 hp/221 lb.-ft.
Fuel consumption: (L/100 km) city 11.6, hwy 7.3, as tested 10.6
Competition: Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz CLK Class, Volvo C70

- John LeBlanc, Publisher, www.straight-six.com

This article originally appeared in The Toronto Star's Wheels.