Nines 350

As you read through this issue of NINES, I hope you enjoy reading about SOC 17, Saabs in the Sunshine, and seeing the many beautiful cars that turned out in Pomona for a memorable weekend. As usual, Saab’s arrived from all directions for the show. We had a nice collection of Vintage cars, with Jerry’s Concours winning 93B and Bud Clark’s Quantum III taking center stage both on the show eld and in the convention hall. At the Thursday drive, the Sonnet was well represented, with a range of models soaking up the Angeles Crest Highway for a spirited drive along with dozens of Saab’s spanning the model range. I enjoyed my ride behind a Turbo X, with that unique black paint winking at me in that California sun.

All told, we hosted over 120 vehicles and saw more than 200 visitors in Pomona. What Los Angeles area experience would be complete without a taste of the Hollywood scene? SOC attendees were surprised to see fiming crew arrive on Saturday with a bright yellow, newly restored 1973 Saab 96 V4. The cast members and crew from Wheeler Dealers had just completed this car for their upcoming season, so watch for the episode which may be airing around the time that this issue arrives at your home. This is the first season for the American version of the show that features two British car guys, Mike Brewer and Ant Anstead, who buy an old car, restore and sell it over the course of a show. It was my honor and pleasure to lm a scene with Mike and Ant since I owned a car the exact same year, model and color over twenty years ago. The opportunity to see a newly restored version of my old car really brought back to some happy times. It also made the additional effort to host a convention so far away feel more than worth it. Thank you to all the sponsors, board members and volunteers who made SOC 17 such an amazing convention.

In addition to SOC, I hope that SCNA can have a larger presence at more local events around the country. Since SOC, we have had Swedish Car Day in Boston and Crossway Saab in Vermont hosted a fun Saab show and Hirsch tuning promotion in September. I’m looking forward to attending the October Talimena drive for the first time as well as various local club events throughout the fall driving season. Hopefully, you have heard by now about SOC 2018. We have decided to come back to the east coast for our next convention, which will be held August 9-12 in Solomons, Maryland. We will be back with more information in future issues, and on line at saabconvention.com.