Minnesota SAAB Club Newsletter
February 2004
 
    Hey, fellow SAABers!  Has everyone had enough snow yet?  Hopefully all have had the opportunity to snowmobile, ice-fish, make snowmen, and practice your left-foot braking......   Last month's meeting was a great one as all who attended had the pleasure to view two trays and twnty years of SAAB slides from Brian Berkey.  Because of all the great feedback, Brian is willing to present a modified encore presentation at some point in the future of his hilarious adventures with SAABs, art, paint, and photography. 
 
    This month we will have the pleasure of hearing from our friend Carol, who will tell us all about the Minnesota Department of Weights and Measures and how it affects us.  Not only is this agency responsible for the regulation of the entire fuel industry in Minnesota, but they have a much wider scope as well.  Be sure to get a good seat, and get ready to any questions you may have. 
 
2/04  2004 Saab Convention returns to Crystal Mountain

The board of the Saab Club of North America has approved the proposal by the Northwest Saab Owners Club to host the 2004 North American Owners Convention August 20-22 at the Crystal Mountain Resort. This was the location of the 1991 convention, and is located 76 miles southeast of Seattle overlooking Mt. Mount Rainier.

Stay tuned for more details in future issues of NINES. The official convention Web site will also be up and running in the near future. Other updates will be posted on The Saab Network and on SaabClub.com.

The Saab Network's Saab Owner Convention Discussion Bulletin Board can be found here:

http://www.saabnet.com/tsn/bb/SOC/  

   
 

California International Auto Show - 10/29 - 11/2

Boston - 11/1 - 11/9

Seattle - 11/5 - 11/9

South Florida (Miami) - 11/7 - 11/16

Tampa - 11/13 - 11/16

Connecticut - 11/20 - 11/23

San Francisco - 11/23 - 11/30

Indianapolis - 12/26 - 1/4

Washington DC - 12/26 - 1/4

San Diego - 12/31 - 1/4

Los Angeles - 1/2 - 1/11

San Jose - 1/7 - 1/11

Detroit - 1/10 - 1/19

Baltimore - 1/15 - 1/18

Saint Louis - 1/21 - 1/25

Providence, RI - 1/29 - 2/01

Philadelphia - 1/31 - 2/08

Portland - 2/5 - 2/8

Chicago - 2/6 - 2/15

Pittsburgh - 2/14 - 2/22

Milwaukee - 2/21 - 2/29

Cincinnati - 2/25 - 2/29

Cleveland - 2/28 - 3/7

Dallas - 3/3 - 3/7

Denver - 3/3 - 3/7

Kansas City - 3/4 - 3/7

Atlanta - 3/10 - 3/14

Saint Paul/Minneapolis - 3/13 - 3/21

Houston - 4/3 - 4/11

New York - 4/9 - 4/18

Saab sets records in all areas of business

- All-time record new car sales of 47,914 units up 27 percent over 2002.
- All-time record certified pre-owned sales of 9,580 up 124 percent.
- All-time record parts & accessories sales up 10 percent over 2002. Norcross, GA - Saab Cars USA's December new car sales of 3,506 represent a 28 percent increase over 2002 and helped complete a history-making year for Saab in the U.S. market.

Calendar year 2003 new car sales reached 47,914 units, a 27 percent increase over last year's 37,805, and surpassed Saab's previous best year of 47,414 units set back in 1986. This is Saab's highest annual sales result in its 47-year history in the U.S. market.

"Our retail network and our own Saab Cars USA team worked exceptionally hard all year long to achieve this historic sales result for Saab," said Debra Kelly-Ennis, President of Saab Cars USA. "This strong sales result is particularly gratifying considering we've achieved this growth in our business without yet entering new products into new segments. We've done it with our two-car lineup, relying heavily on the tremendous success of the new Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan and Convertible."

Recently, Saab has shown two new vehicles; the 2005 Saab 9-2X and the 2005 Saab 9-7X, that will soon broaden its product portfolio beyond the two-car lineup Saab has had since 1986. "As we begin to launch new products in new segments, starting with the 9-2X in the summer of 2004, we'll continue to set new records for Saab in the U.S., Saab's most important global market," added Kelly-Ennis.

Saab's tremendous momentum in the U.S. can be found in all areas of its business. Saab Certified Pre-Owned Sales for December were up 83 percent over 2002, with 757 sales. This brought Saab's 2003 CPO sales total to 9,580 - 124 percent growth versus last year.

Saab also achieved a new high water mark for parts & accessories sales in the U.S. in 2003 with sales up a full 10 percent over 2002.

        New Iowa City SAAB location opening soon!  Marty and Annette Adams of Meyer SAAB have been working hard ever since last fall on their brand new building going up in Iowa City, IA.  This new facility will allow them to better serve (is that possible?) their customers in the quad city region, and should be fully up and running to coincide with the launch of the new 9-2 this June/July.  Do you need any Velentine's gift ideas for your Swedee?  Check out the current inventory at www.meyersaab.com to select a quality SAAB for the one who is closest to you. 

    Free SAAB car wash this February 21!  Andrews of Princeton is holding a free SAAB car wash, car tour 101, free lunch, and free door prizes this Saturday, February 21 from 9:00 AM-3:00 PM.  There will also be the opportunity to test drive a brand new SAAB 9-3 convertible, courtesy of our friends at Meyer SAAB.  Come and take the short drive to Princeton early to take advantage of this great opportunity! 

    Glassyeyeds: 

-Quality road tested SAAB parts for your stroker,     
V4, Sonett, 99, 900, or 9000 at reasonable prices. 
Call 612-250-6788 to place your order today! 
 
 
See you all at the meeting! 
 
Chris Luick
President and Editor,
The Minnesota SAAB Club