Saab 900 Enduro
Car of the Day #257: 1980 Saab 900 Enduro – Turbobloke
As wonderful as normal production Saabs are, they're just so…Swedish. Sure, the performance is there, the features are there, but with many models it’s as if they were forced to hold back.
You know who doesn't hold back when modifying cars? The Australians. I'm pretty sure that if you walked into an aftermarket shop asking for something batshit insane, they’d take a stab at making it happen.
As it turns out, Saab Australia had a few modifications in mind for the Saab 900 Turbo, modifications to turn it into a truly batshit car.
Saab Australia saw the potential in the standard 900 Turbo, but in 1980, potential buyers would be used to brawny V8s. What to do?
Build the 900 Enduro, naturally.
A dealer was commissioned to oversee developments to the car, changes that must have seemed like black magic to V8 enthusiasts used to bolt-ons such as new carbs, headers, and a free-flowing exhaust.
Saab's turbocharged 8-valve 4-cylinder engine was given a kick in the pants, with boost cranked up to 17 psi (1.17 bar). And — amazingly — a water injection system was fitted as standard.
A claimed 175 horsepower was on tap, not impressive these days, but was quite stout for 1980.
The car had other modifications to make use of the exotic motor: a fully revised suspension, with a wider track from meatier three-piece alloy wheels with low-profile rubber, and an outstanding body kit.
An Autospeed article from 1998 on one of the Enduros gives this tidbit: “[The owner] told us stories of massive wheelspin exiting corners at (get this!) around 160km/h in 4th gear - yeah!!!”
What’s more, the author drove the car 18 years after its construction — with more than 350,000 kms on its odometer (!!), apparently with only minor trouble along the way.
Even the Australians couldn’t kill this Swede.
The photographer for the Autospeed article? The author Julian Edgar, who has since gone on to write several essential books on car modifications, including one reviewed here. (If your holidays were a bust, there are worse ways to experience retail therapy.)
For all its appeal, the car remains somewhat of a mystery. I know of two survivors, but the Saab Salvage business that had them was winding down as of 2023.
What do you think about the 900 Enduro? A missed opportunity or a bullet dodged?
