Saab 99 SSE

I stumbled across this car on Flickr today, a Saab 99 model variant that I'd never heard of: the Saab 99 SSE.

There's not much written about it anywhere. Do a Google search and all you get is a Wikipedia entry and a bunch of scraper sites that contain the same info:

SSE - Sold in the US to satisfy demand while the EMS was not yet available there. The SSE had a black vinyl roof cover and a BorgWarner automatic transmission.

Here the shot I saw this morning:

And another from the same account, though taken by someone else. It gives a much better view of the roof, which is something I hadn't seen on a Saab before.

It seems the black vinyl might have been replaced by owners over the years.

Interestingly, this car spawned at least one Saab dealership in the US:

One winter in the early 1970's, a district representative of Saab-Scania of America was looking for a new distributor. He came upon a small garage on Portsmouth Avenue in Exeter, New Hampshire where a young man was just closing up shop for the evening.
He asked the young mechanic if he was interested in buying a Saab franchise. Full of skepticism, the young man graciously declined the offer and went home for the evening. The next night, the representative showed up again and tossed the keys to a 1972 Saab 99 SSE to the young mechanic... "Take this to the mountains for the weekend, Gary... you'll love it!" The young mechanic was used to the cumbersome rear-wheel drive configuration of Volkswagen Beetles, so the front-wheel drive Saab was simply amazing in comparison. It wasn't long until a young Gary Blake opened what we know today as Gary Blake Saab.

Another Saab story. It's amazing what one car can do, eh?

And by the way, check that Flickr link to see some Saab 9000 Aero seats crammed into a Saab Sonett II. Squeezy.

10 Comments

David Blumberg | March 5, 2009 12:29 PM | Reply

I love the 99... What an amazing car. Look at that design! I must have one, one day. But I'm gonna go for the pre-rubber-bumper 99. Those crome bumpers are so sweet! It makes the 99 look like a real awesome classic =)

Ted Y | March 5, 2009 1:07 PM | Reply

Never heard of the SSE either. If, as stated on the Flickr image, it was applied on entry to the USA, Saab must have liked it and added a 73 LE model with the vinyl top. I uploaded a scan from my 73 Saab brochure here.
Bit absurd, and so 70'ish, to my eyes.

Jesse | March 5, 2009 1:49 PM | Reply

"SSE - Sold in the US to satisfy demand while the EMS was not yet available there. The SSE had a black vinyl roof cover and a BorgWarner automatic transmission."

Haha.. wasn't the EMS basically the SPG of 99s?

How does a car with a slushbox and a vinyl roof satisfy that demand?

Markac replied to comment from Jesse | March 5, 2009 3:51 PM | Reply

You're right. As a former 99EMS owner, I suggest the SSE was more of a stopgap for the 99GLE although GLEs were all 4 doors and 5 door hatches: http://www.saab99.org/brochures/1975gle/75gle-03.jpg

SaabKen | March 5, 2009 4:06 PM | Reply

Hmmm, never heard of it. Then again I'm no 99 expert.

Only other "SSEi" I know is the (shudders) bloated boat of a Pontiac Bonneville SSEi:

http://photos2.ebizautos.com/3819/308240_1.jpg

Which strangely featured seats that resembled those of the 9000 Aero:

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d61/bon2k/00parts/IMG_6514.jpg

Markac | March 5, 2009 4:46 PM | Reply

Gary Blake Motors: http://garyblakemotorcars.com/history.php

Simon | March 5, 2009 4:52 PM | Reply

Swade, one of my early cars was a 99 combi coupe, gold with a black vinyl roof. That was an Adelaide car here in Australia while I was at uni, I wonder if it's still about?!

Eagle63 | March 5, 2009 10:30 PM | Reply

That 'other' SSEi (the Pontiac) did have a very torque Supercharged V6 AND a HUD (Head Up Display)..
With their aircraft heritage Saabs should have had HUDs many years ago; it would have been great in the 9000 Aero ! Unfortunately just a few cars had HUDs, like the Corvette, some newer BMWs, the Pontiac GrandPrix and the Bonneville..

Carl | March 6, 2009 1:35 AM | Reply

Gary Blake Saab is the dealership I used to work for -- in fact, that historical vignette was written by me about 8 years ago when we were working to revamp the website. One of the last truly independent dealers left in the country.

George M | June 4, 2009 1:06 AM | Reply

That Wiki is at least partially wrong. MY SSE came with a "Burled Walnut" vinyl roof. In fact all 3 I know of came with Burled Walnut. All SSE's came in Copper Coral Metalic. It was specifically in response to the US not being allowed to have any EMS equipped cars until 1973. There were 99's with white vinyl that I've seen, but I don't know if they were SSE's - I don't think they were. I've never seen a 99 with a black vinyl roof.
The SSE's were hidden from the guys at Sweden. It was definitely a case of ask forgiveness, not permission. Sweden discovered the US program when a representative stumbled across one during an inspection in New Haven. As to the rubber bumpers, my SSE had a sticker across the back window
"Bumper are Back!". A VERY 1970's car.