Since the discontinuation of the Saab car brand in 2014, there remained one new, unsold example of the Swedish carmaker's final product: the 9-3. Reportedly built to undergo crash testing, that test never ended up happening, so the 2014 Saab 9-3 Aero Turbo 4 sat unused for half a decade before finally auctioning this month.
The lucky winner of this piece of automotive history was one Claus Spanggaard, who paid 465,000 Swedish krona - about $48,300 U.S. at the current exchange rate. According to Motor1 , the winning bid was 15,000 krona - roughly $1,560 U.S. - more than the car's previously assessed value. The sum will go toward NEVS's "sustainability award with the University of West," according to Facebook update[/URL] from NEVS.
NEVS - or National Electric Vehicle Sweden - is the successor to Saab's shuttered car business. The company has started production of the brand new Saab-based NEVS 9-3 electric sedan, with plans to launch several additional models next year.
The 2014 Saab 9-3 Aero Turbo 4 that auctioned this month is powered by a turbocharged 2.0L EcoTec four-cylinder with an output peak of 220 horsepower, turning the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The car managed to rack up 41 miles prior to its sale, mostly in the course of running on a Swedish test track for promotional photography purposes.
While not the most popular or influential of car brands, Saab occupied a unique place within the global automotive landscape, maintaining a sterling reputation for safety and driver focus with a range of beautifully engineered models spanning more than six decades. Although the brand is now defunct, that spirit lives on with NEVS - and within Mr. Spanggaard's shiny new Saab 9-3 Aero Turbo 4.
The lucky winner of this piece of automotive history was one Claus Spanggaard, who paid 465,000 Swedish krona - about $48,300 U.S. at the current exchange rate. According to Motor1 , the winning bid was 15,000 krona - roughly $1,560 U.S. - more than the car's previously assessed value. The sum will go toward NEVS's "sustainability award with the University of West," according to Facebook update[/URL] from NEVS.
NEVS - or National Electric Vehicle Sweden - is the successor to Saab's shuttered car business. The company has started production of the brand new Saab-based NEVS 9-3 electric sedan, with plans to launch several additional models next year.
The 2014 Saab 9-3 Aero Turbo 4 that auctioned this month is powered by a turbocharged 2.0L EcoTec four-cylinder with an output peak of 220 horsepower, turning the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. The car managed to rack up 41 miles prior to its sale, mostly in the course of running on a Swedish test track for promotional photography purposes.
While not the most popular or influential of car brands, Saab occupied a unique place within the global automotive landscape, maintaining a sterling reputation for safety and driver focus with a range of beautifully engineered models spanning more than six decades. Although the brand is now defunct, that spirit lives on with NEVS - and within Mr. Spanggaard's shiny new Saab 9-3 Aero Turbo 4.
