Saab culture thrives in Finland as enthusiasts keep the brand alive

Fourteen years after Saab went bankrupt, the Swedish car brand remains popular in Finland, especially in Ostrobothnia, Yle reports. About 40,000 Saabs are registered in the country, including 15,000 in active use.

Saab Club ry has 3,500 members, and Swedish-speaking Ostrobothnia is one of Finland’s areas with the highest concentration of Saabs. Mustasaari in Ostrobothnia and Uusikaupunki in southwest Finland lead the figures at municipality level.

Saab’s story began in 1947 and ended in 2012, when its factory in Trollhättan went bankrupt. Production has not resumed despite several rescue attempts, but the Saab enthusiast culture, known in Finnish as saabismi, has continued.

The Uusikaupunki Car Museum has Finland’s largest Saab collection. Nearly one million Saabs were once assembled in the city.

The country’s largest private Saab collection belongs to Sami Plussaari in Kruunupyy, who has gathered more than 100 cars on his property. His collection also includes a Saab limousine from the 1980s that, according to oral tradition, was used to transport Olof Palme and the Swedish royal family. Plussaari runs a private Saab museum.

A close-knit community

Saab Club ry was once Finland’s largest motoring association. Its magazine, Saabisti, is published three times a year and features Saabs and their owners.

The club holds two larger events, as well as local gatherings throughout the year. The events include summer and winter meetings, according to Miikka Riissanen of Vaasa, a member of the association’s board.

Participants inspect cars, exchange maintenance tips and share information about spare parts. Track days allow members to drive their cars, while other gatherings are more relaxed.

Many enthusiasts in Ostrobothnia are Swedish-speaking and belong to both Swedish and Finnish Saab clubs.

“Saabism is a disease, and turbo Saabism is a mental illness,” Riissanen jokes.

Kristian Salonen from Kurikka is another passionate Saab enthusiast. His garage contains several Saabs, including a 2006 V6 Aero that has been extensively modified.

“All of Saab’s technical solutions were made sensibly. Saab’s design department was ahead of its time,” Salonen says.

He describes the Saab community as relaxed and straightforward, with little jealousy over other people’s cars.

“Saabism only becomes a disease when Kela pays for the spare parts,” Salonen says, referring to Finland’s social insurance institution.

Popular with tuning enthusiasts

Saabs are also popular among car tuners. A software modification alone can make the wheels spin, Salonen says, adding that such a change can produce 100 extra horsepower.

Maintenance is also relatively affordable compared with other brands. Salonen works on all makes of car and estimates that rebuilding the engine of a BMW could cost 18,000 euros, compared with about 4,500 euros for the engine of a Saab 9-5.

Spare parts are still readily available. New parts are manufactured in Sweden, while basic supplies remain widely available.

Salonen says Saab has gained popularity among younger people in recent years. He has sold many cars brought from Sweden specifically to young buyers.