Meet the Owner - David Henderson and his Saab 99 GL
By Andrew Roberts |
25th November, 2020
The Turbo almost inevitably dominates the Saab 99 story, but during the 1980s you were far more likely to encounter the cheaper but equally appealing GL. In June 1978 Car praised its ‘unexpectedly lively performance’, ‘crisp handling’, ‘good riding comfort’ plus the Saab’s ‘solidity and roadworthiness’. Few could ask for more in a family saloon – especially one equipped with a heated driver’s seat.
Today, any 99 is an unusual sight, and the Hendersons came by their 1982-model GL ‘in April 2014 from a fellow Saab enthusiast - the car had sat on his driveway for over ten years, as one of those projects he never got round to. 99s in good condition are getting rare, so I bought it on the basis it looked solid enough’.
Fortunately, the Saab required only ‘a small patch of welding on the rear offside sill to get through the MOT, and with a carb rebuild and a new ball joint, it passed at the second attempt’. In 2015 David took the 99 off the road to cure a sticking driver side brake calliper - ‘and whilst in the wheel arch made the mistake of picking at a little spot of surface corrosion...’.
The result of that investigation was ‘a prolonged five year period of bodywork restoration, on every corner of the car’ and GNH 145 X finally returned to the road in October of this year.
On the road, David finds the 99 ‘surprisingly light and responsive for a nearly 40-year-old car’. The GL trim level had few pretensions towards luxury, and the Henderson Saab is devoid of ‘power steering or any creature comforts the modern driver might expect’.
As for the performance ‘with 100bhp in single carburettor spec and a heavy body shell, it isn’t going to set any land speed records’.
What the 99 did offer the discerning motorist was that air of solidity and safety. There were also those idiosyncrasies familiar to many a Saab aficionado. David points out the ‘key between the seats, longitudinal engine with a transaxle for front-wheel-drive’.
Not to mention the fact that the handbrake on the front wheels often catches out MOT testers.
Another advantage of 99 ownership is the extremely comfortable seats, upholstered in velour – ‘although at nearly 40 years old the rubber webbing is feeling it’s age’. Fortunately, rebuild kits may be sourced via specialist parts suppliers such as Saabits - https://www.saabits.com/.
As for the public reaction to GNH, David observes that ‘it varies greatly - back in 2014 when it was first back on the road, interest was minimal as it was just an ‘old car’.
However, six years later, ‘there is much more interest from the general public. When out and about we get thumbs up and waved at’.
And such a reaction is to be expected, for the 99 always was a cut above the average medium-sized saloon. To quote that Car road test ‘it is not easily confused with its rivals’ - and Saab enthusiasts would not have it any other way.
With Thanks To – David Henderson
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