These Are Your Favorite Swedish Cars

Volvo

I've precocious asked our beautiful readers to show maine astir their favourite French, Italian, and British cars, and earlier this week I turned our attraction to nan Swedes. After immoderate deliberation I picked nan Volvo 480 hatchback arsenic my favourite Swedish car earlier posing nan mobility to nan Jalops, and erstwhile again you batch delivered. There are measurement less Swedish car companies than location are automakers from different countries, and frankincense less different models to take from, but still we've sewage a batch of assortment to prime from here.

Of course, galore of you picked wagons, because the Swedes person astir apt made much iconic wagons than immoderate different state has. But successful this roundup we've besides sewage sports cars, hatchbacks, SUVs and rally cars. And arsenic usual, those of you who talked astir cars you've owned aliases driven get other points. Without further ado, support reference to spot nan Jalopnik audience's favourite Swedish cars.

Volvo 240 turbo. I want 1 of these truthful bad!

It's nan Volvo 240, because really couldn't it be. RWD, manual available, turbo available, bulletproof, nosy to drive, and affordable. you tin rally them, drift them, resistance them, aliases conscionable regular them to eternity, they're timeless, and perfectly clasp up. (I conscionable vanished a 1500km roadworthy travel successful my '79)

I thought everyone's favourite was nan Volvo 240 wagon.

Submitted by: Pabst302, 242_Flathood, Joe Stricker

If you don't emotion nan Volvo 240 there's astir apt thing incorrect pinch you.

Saab 9-3 Viggen. I miss Saab. I miss legendary torque steer. I miss a quirky, boosted to death, manual transmission only Swedish car that were somewhat uncommon connected these shores.

Created an relationship to reply this one.
1999-2002 Saab 9-3 for nan sole logic that it was my first car. Was it efficaciously conscionable a ray refresh of nan 900 NG? Yes, but I deliberation nan styling updates were immense improvements. It was comfortable, quick, and had awesome chassis and suspension tuning, moreover successful non-Aero trim. The hatchback was insanely practical, particularly successful nan 5-door. It was benignant of nan opening of nan extremity of Saab's uniqueness, but it still maintained respective quirks for illustration nan halfway console ignition, nighttime sheet button, and nan inability to region nan cardinal from nan ignition unless nan instrumentality was successful reverse. You'd look astir and observe small creation features that showed an uncommon attraction to detail, for illustration really nan exterior doorway handles fresh into your manus and opened. I learned really to thrust instrumentality successful mine. And since you person to mention information erstwhile talking astir Saabs, excavation was totaled erstwhile I deed a cervid going almost 60 mph. Most of nan effect was connected nan rider broadside and nan crumple zones did their occupation truthful good that I hardly felt nan deed and nary airbags deployed. The motor still ran and it drove onto nan flatbed that towed it away. It astir apt could person been saved if it wasn't weighted truthful debased by insurance. It's been complete 10 years since nan wreck and I still miss it. I support saying I'll get different 1 someday.
And if each that isn't enough, nan Viggen trim has to count for something, right?

I person 1999 Saab 9-3 convertible and its been a awesome car. At 185k miles, each its ever asked for is simply a caller radiator, caller beforehand struts, and nan occasional hydraulic fluid capable up for nan top. The driving acquisition is simply a benignant of magic trick... Its someway elemental and mechanical feeling, while being isolated and comfortable.
Sadly, excavation has had a unsmooth year. It was sideswiped while parked, and now nan apical isn't working. One of my friends is buying it, but I deliberation its successful its twilight years. :(

Submitted by: Xavier96, Frosteeman, Rapchat

Personally I'm partial to nan early-00s 9-3 convertible successful that limey greenish color.

if money nary entity (especially for moving costs and maintenance), it's decidedly Volvo Polestar 1

it's only 1500 made successful full world if I'm not wrong. For liking of comparison, USA's astir beloved iconic FnF Paul Walker Brian O'Connor "rare" Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 coupe is "only" 11.000 units. And of people it's decidedly much if you adhd full R34 coupe's cheaper trim specified arsenic GT-T, GT-Four and GT

That intends Volvo Polestar 1 is not moreover half of Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 coupe's full population

I already gushed astir nan Saab 900 Turbo SPG successful nan 80s car thread, truthful I'll alteration it up. How astir nan Polestar 1? I've only seen a fewer of those, but they are gorgeous.

Submitted by: Derry, dire wolf

One of nan champion modern car designs, and a very cool powertrain. I deliberation these are underrated, and they're starting to get beautiful cheap...

Shout-out to nan P1800ES 1972-1973; increasing up my dada had two, 1 complete and nan different for parts. Unfortunately some were sold earlier I sewage my driver's licence.

This. The P1800 was gorgeous. Just classical lines and proprtions. The 2 doorway property aliases shooting break was besides conscionable arsenic beautiful. I lust aft these, but precocious prices support maine everlastingly connected nan sidelines. My existent regular is simply a 2015 XC70 T6, and it's nan champion regular driver I person ever had.

My grandfather had 1 of these. He saved complete a agelong clip and erstwhile nan location became an quiet nest, he bought one. He had it little than a twelvemonth erstwhile he was astatine a extremity motion and personification not paying attraction slammed into nan backmost of it astatine a reasonably precocious speed. In nan days earlier airbags and everyone wearing spot belts, nan feline who slammed into him didn't survive. My grandfather was sitting connected nan curb waiting for nan constabulary and ambulance, a small rattled, looking complete nan remains of nan car. The car gave its life to prevention his. That started a streak of him buying ample GM coupes, particularly Monte Carlos. I tin still perceive him kick astir those damn Chevys!

I ain a Gold 1973 P1800e. It's sewage Bosch D-Jetronic injection and overdrive connected nan 4 velocity manual. Very cool coupe. Swedish Vette. Funny point is we some migrated from Canada and ended up successful Perth Australia. Still has nan "Lifetime Undercoat Guarantee" from an Ottawa dealership. Still mostly intact. Also person a C30 and a poo brownish XC60. Bragging, I know.

Volvo 1800ES, are you kidding me? One of nan sweetest cars ever made anywhere.

Submitted by: KLRMN, J Wins, Xavier96, Déesse, DieselOx

I conscionable adore these cars, particularly nan ES.

I person owned much Swedish rust than astir anyone extracurricular of Sweden. Volvo 144, 164, S80, SAAB 93, 95, 96, 99, 99 turbo EMS, 900, 9000, and nan 1 still successful my garage, 1973 Sonett III. They each are a symptom to support moving arsenic parts are difficult to find. But my favourite is nan Sonett. I utilized to bask taking it to section car shows and parking it adjacent to nan nicest Mustang successful nan show. It would tie each nan attraction distant from nan "just different bully Mustang" and get tons of "what nan heck is this? A SAAB?" crowd of onlookers. The Mustang owners would ever opportunity they will ne'er parkland adjacent my Sonett again...

The SAAB Sonnett III, and for other nosy switch nan V4 pinch a V6. Come to deliberation of it a, V6 engined SAAB 95 would beryllium an absorbing sleeper

Sonnett 2. Hands down.

Submitted by: Ted Blumenstein, Slow Joe Crow, LBJsPNS

It's difficult to take a favourite Sonett arsenic they're each truthful cool. I mightiness person to spell pinch nan Sonett I, not conscionable because only a fistful were made.

Jösse Car Indigo 3000. Built pinch a Volvo engine, Volvo gearbox, Volvo rear suspension, Volvo steering column, and a substance vessel from...Saab.

Submitted by: Giantsgiants

I emotion erstwhile you guys bring up a car I've ne'er heard of, because that doesn't hap often. This point looks great, for illustration a TVR and Bristol had a baby.

Keeping it elemental – Saab 900 Turbo convertible, because this is nan only Saab one ever sewage a chance to drive.

mid 80s Saab 900 Turbo Convertible successful black. In a cleanable world, this would beryllium nan Batmobile. I person wanted 1 of these since I first saw 1 successful precocious school. In a pinch nan reddish 1 would besides beryllium acceptable.

Submitted by: Earthbound Misfit I, Buckfiddious

A yellowish 900 Turbo convertible would beryllium successful my dream car shed for sure.

1998 V70R. Mine was achromatic connected tan pinch tinted windows and tile spoiler. It was a stealth mobile that gobbled up nan road miles and tons of wannabee sports cars. All while hauling nan family and belongings connected galore roadworthy trips. 

2006-7 Volvo V70R successful Barents Blue metallic

Submitted by: Speedie One, JaredOfLondon

I'm much partial to nan later-gen V70 R, but some are awesome

As a aged geezer I'll opportunity a vintage Sabb 93 pinch 3-cyl 2-stroke motor rally car. These were built to last, erstwhile rolled successful a rally, they'd upright this beast and support connected racing.

Submitted by: George Z

One of nan astir adorable cars of each time.

When I was younger, I was proud that I was a "car guy" and could spot uncommon and exotic cars. Trouble was, I lived successful a moving people municipality and nan rarest car I ever saw was nan 262 Coupe Bertone. The proportions are each incorrect (unlike nan iconic 780) and it was slow and boring...but it was my favourite Swedish car astatine nan time.

The Bertone 780 coupe is really a masterpiece. It's a car that you don't announcement until you do, and past you ne'er hide it. It is simply a disappointment that it was ne'er offered successful immoderate absorbing colors. Near arsenic I tin tell, black, blue, beige, red, and silver.

For maine it's either nan 480 you led with, aliases nan Volvo 780 Bertone. It has nan creation of a bigger, boxier BMW 3-series coupe AND it was really sold successful nan states. Check retired this civilization 1 pinch container flares and show maine it wouldn't person been wholly rad if Volvo built a constricted number of performance-tuned 780s to compete pinch nan Euro athletics coupes of nan day.

Loved nan 780 Bertone. The Italian creation houses really put an elegant and timeless rotation connected thing they touched.

Submitted by: PostOMatic2000, Steve65, HakosukaDreaming, Former Autoblog

I emotion some of these, but particularly nan 780. A stunning design.

All nan awesome answers person been fixed truthful I'll propulsion successful nan Koenigsegg Gemera. Their first effort astatine four-seat GT, they went all-in connected nan absurdity and made a plug-in hybrid powered by a 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-three motor and 4 electrical motors: 2 astatine nan backmost wheels and 1 astatine nan crankshaft. The mixed output is simply a genuine WTF astatine 1,677 horsepower and 2,581 pound-feet of torque. It retains nan ridiculous dihedral doors but longer, existent grown-up sized seating for four, and champion of each 8 (8!) cupholders.

Bonus fact, nan laminitis Christian von Koenigsegg made a genuine effort to support Saab from going extinct by trying to acquisition nan detritus scattered astir from GM's ownership. You person to respect that.

Submitted by: LarriveeC05

It's excessively bad Koenigsegg ditched nan three-cylinder powertrain successful favour of a hybrid V8, though nan car is still perfectly spectacular.

1978 Saab 99 EMS pinch nan shot ball wheels. Almost outcry erstwhile I deliberation that I had 1 successful 1990 that I sewage for $60 and sold 2 years later for $250.

Needed a h2o pump, which takes typical devices to replace. Could not spend nan other labour astatine nan fancy mechanic astatine nan time.

99 will ever beryllium superior to immoderate 900 for ever and ever.

Saab 99 Turbo 2 doorway sedan, painted a colour and rolling connected Incas. With a 900 centrifugal swapped successful truthful I ne'er person to woody pinch that infernal h2o pump that is integral to nan block. Over nan years I person tried to travel up pinch immoderate benignant of plausible conjecture arsenic to what nan hellhole Triumph was reasoning erstwhile they did that. Never came up pinch an answer.

Submitted by: DieselOx, Steve65

Is this Saab's astir iconic car? I consciousness for illustration it mightiness be.

The Uno 001. 1989 prototype only 1 made. As acold arsenic I tin find out, Uno produced 3 cars made. The Uno 001 was renamed Catlin, past location was Catlin 2 successful 2001, and Catlin 3 successful 2006. 001 utilized Saab parts, and a Saab motor mounted midships.

Submitted by: BlueSoap

Another car I've ne'er heard of that looks awesome! There's hardly thing connected YouTube aliases moreover nan net arsenic a full astir these, but one of nan prototypes did waste a fewer years ago.

Volvo 122

Simple, reliable and quirky

Love them too. Have owned 3, and nan 2nd 1 was really I met my wife.

She was trading it, asking $800. I could only scrounge up $500, and she said nary thanks.

Bet past she agreed to person coffee, and we've been together now 31 years.

Got to thrust nan car too! It was my regular driver for 5 years.

Submitted by: rex, DieselOx

Now that's a meet-cute!

9-7X. Don't attraction astir it being badge engineered, it was awesome looking and could beryllium had pinch nan V8 successful Aero trim and I get to spot 1 almost each time connected my commute and want to spell bargain it from nan owner.

I americium besides a large instrumentality of nan S60R pinch nan play shot shifter.

Submitted by: cintocrunch1

One of nan weirdest, worst dates of my life was pinch a feline who had a 9-7X Aero.

Favorite? Probably my first: A 1985 Saab 900SE Turbo, which was a tank; indestructible. Wait, no, my 2nd: A 1989 9000SE Turbo 4-door. No, it was much apt my 3rd Saab, a 1995 NG 900SE Turbo convertible. No, I'd beryllium lying if I didn't deliberation my current, and 4th, Saab was nan fave: A 2006 day version 9-3 Aero convertible (#277/400).

Guess I'm thing of a suecophile, astatine slightest erstwhile it comes to cars. Despite Volvo refusing america a manual 850R present successful nan states, excavation was still a joyousness to drive. And nan kids loved nan rear-facing 3rd statement seat. While Volvo adjacent killed disconnected nan rear-facing spot (safety concerns?) for nan V70R, they did fig retired that mixed pinch its all-wheel thrust immoderate of america present would really take a manual. But champion of all, my existent rebel bluish (i.e., swedish racing green) V60 Polestar is surely my favorite. And that's contempt nan growl of my 2017's twin-charged 4 cyl being described location successful nan motoring property arsenic thing much akin to nan sound of an angry vacuum cleaner than an that of a car's engine. The Saab 9-5 Combi (pre-GM afloat wresting power earlier sidesplitting it off) was besides beautiful bully until caput gasket nonaccomplishment took it disconnected nan road.

I'm a Swedish car nut. Particularly Saabs (R.I.P.). I've owned 7 aliases 8 of Trollhatten's finest rolling iron. from an '85 non turbo 900 up done a 2006 9^3 Areo. My favourite has to beryllium my 1994 Saab 9000 CSE that I had upgrded to amended than 9000 Aero specs (minus nan beautiful Recaro seats). When vanished it made 275 HP. The rearseat legroom was erstwhile equated to a surviving room and it hauled ass pinch a afloat load. pinch nan rear seats level it was capable to haul almost thing I'd put successful it. made it awesome for car camping trips pinch my copy boys and telescope(s). Highway roadworthy trips were a blast and I sewage 30+ MPG. Tied for Second is 2001 Saab Viggen and my 2007 Volvo S60R. The Volvo was blast to thrust successful Southern California's mountians and canyons, and though nan rear spot was tight and it had nan turning radius of an water liner it was nosy and had nan astir comfortable seats I've ever sat in.

Venus Bilo, adjacent 2nd is simply a Volvo 365 GLT. Or possibly a Saab Sonett II, nan uncommon two-stroke model. Now I remembered nan JC Indigo, that's besides a must. The Ginetta G34 is really Swedish arsenic well, each 21 (or 16) examples that were built there. No, hold I changed my mind, I want a Tjorven. Or could I conscionable person my aged 240 Classic Wagon (maroon, five-speed) back?

OK, really, I support forgetting, person to alteration my reply again. In nan bid we had them:

1966 Saab 96 (mom and dad's) lasted 36,000 miles but we loved it (transmission died)

1968 Volvo 122 (Betty Boop, free car, automatic, nary reverse)

1978 Saab 99 EMS non-turbo shot ball wheels, $60

1967 122, Vo Vo (no L, free ish, came pinch my wife, really we met, yet had to switch successful Betty Boop's motor erstwhile original died)

1966 Volvo 122, had parts from some 122's above, immoderate had been rattling astir successful nan trunk for 20 years, aft I gave them to my friend. He made maine bargain nan car from him to dress up for listening to nan spare dual carbs rotation astir nan backmost each that time.

But I really wanted a Volvo 1800ES and a 240 Wagon.

I can't choose, I emotion each Swedish cars.

Submitted by: Video360, Bill Katz, Saabster, Mr. Choppers, DieselOx

Give yourselves a information of applause!