On The Up
by David Ross (08 Feb 06)

Saab is celebrating 20 years of Convertibles and the launch of its first diesel-engined version with an eye-catching anniversary model, the Cerulean, a special edition finished in a particularly "in-your-face" Electric Blue to commemorate two decades of "blue-sky" sensation.

The concept of a practical, all-year-round, "four season, four-seater" soft top was pioneered by Saab when sales of the first 900 Convertible began in January 1986. The idea of an open top car coming from the cold climes of Scandinavia, which was beyond the imagination of even the best-informed journalist, was born more than two years earlier when Saab took a bold decision to surprise the automotive world by unveiling its first Convertible at the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show.

A limited production run of 400 units for the US market with 175bhp, two-litre turbo engines was an immediate success and the following year the Saab Convertible was put into full global production. Since then, more than 240,000 have been sold.

In some European markets, such as the UK, Sweden and Holland, the Saab Convertible has accounted for as much as 50% of sales in its segment and today global volumes continue to show a strong upward trend. The latest Convertibles go on sale in February in Cerulean and Aero specification, the latter with Saab's turbine-smooth 250bhp 2.8-litre V6 petrol unit and the former with the full range of Saab power units including the 1.9 TiD.

For Saab, the diesel engine has been a godsend. Sales of Saabs hadn't exactly hit a brick wall but the 1.9TiD unit was exactly what was needed and sales of Saab tin-tops have rocketed ever since. With an output of 150bhp, high for a 1.9-litre unit, the TiD is torquey, responsive and economical. So why not pop it into the convertible?

At the press test base, just outside Verona, the highly conspicuous Cerulean blue Saabs waited alongside the 2.8-litre V6 petrol-engined Aero Convertibles. But, knowing the diesel would be available for a longer run the following day, acclaimed Historic car racer Tony Dron and I opted for an Aero and set off north via Autostrada and twisty A road.

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