Filed under: Etc., Hatchbacks, Saab
Saab 900 passes one-million mile mark
This isn't exactly new news since it happened back in September, but a search of our archives shows that we didn't cover the fact that in a little over 17 years, traveling salesman Peter Gilbert racked up 1,001,385 miles, a distance equal to 40 times around the Earth, in his 1989 Saab 900 SPG.
Amazingly, other than a hood replacement and a "few other parts" due to eight deer collisions and a transmission overhaul at 200,000 miles, the vehicle still wears most of its original equipment. Gilbert states that at the 600,000-mile mark it wasn't using any oil, which he attributes to meticulous maintenance using synthetic fluids. It was then that he thought it might just go a million miles, and it did. In fact, Gilbert thinks it might go a million more if it weren't for the harsh Wisconsin winters that have taken their toll on the frame and body.
After mileage verification from Saab, the vehicle was donated to the Wisconsin Automotive Museum, which is home to a number of rare vehicles. Since then, Gilbert has purchased another Saab, with just a few less miles.
Interestingly enough, while a handful of vehicles have reached the million-mile mark, including this Dodge Ram, only one has been officially recorded as reaching two million miles... a Volvo P1800.
[Source: Saabnet.com
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
gary 3:53PM (12/06/2006)
Gee, I spell it SOB and if anyone wants to pay towing charges they can have my somewhat less than million mile 1989 900S for free.
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tsimmersjr 4:15PM (12/06/2006)
The Earth is only ~250 miles around?!?!
I think someone forgot to put in a couple zeroes; should be ~40 times round the planet.
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PeterFig 4:39PM (12/06/2006)
The story needs to be corrected. He would have only gone around the earth 40 times, NOT 4000 times.
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Bob 4:45PM (12/06/2006)
Hmm, 4,000 trips around the earth in 17 years. That means he drove about around the globe about 4 times a week. Wonder how many tickets he has!
(Yeah, I had to make fun of the math, too, deal with it!)
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Richard Warren 4:50PM (12/06/2006)
That would be 40.21626506 trips figuring 24,900 miles at the equator.
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BCM 8:45PM (12/06/2006)
Geez. I've been driving for 30 years now, and there's still less than 300,000 mi on me.
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Brandegee 1:10PM (12/07/2006)
#1. I second that. I guess this Saab got all the build quality that my 1996 900S lacked. Replaced clutch, alternator, belt pulleys twice, clutch cable twice and CVs all before 65K. And it started rusting badly...they must not use salt in Wisconsin.
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beken 1:35PM (12/07/2006)
It had eight deer collisions? I was wondering what happened to Santa's reindeer.
Hey...waitaminute. 40 times around the world, eight deer...Christmas is coming....is there a connection somewhere?
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bow 1:53PM (12/07/2006)
yeah right,
when you do the math as someone alrady pointed out:
1,001,385mi/24500mi = 40.8 time around
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Wade 3:11PM (12/07/2006)
You'd think Saab would give him a new car, on the house. That's pretty good PR. Didn't the guy that ran the Volvo 1800 2 million miles get a new Volvo for free??
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Dave 3:42PM (12/07/2006)
Well.... that's Swedish cars for you!!! I wish that Saab and Volvo has made as good now-a-days.. but no... it's owned by Ford and GM *LOL*!!
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Chris B. 8:59PM (12/07/2006)
Dave, GM has owned at least half of Saab since 1990. It's good to see some Classic 900's getting some love on Autoblog though. I absolutely love my '86, but it's got a ways to go before it hits a million with only 85k on the clock.
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Matt 8:00PM (12/08/2006)
Er, is this significant then?
Go to london and check out the thousands of cabs and buses with well over a million on them.
Hell even my Audi A6 has 300,000+ on it without anything more than regular oil changes, let alone any work on the transmission.
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Jonathan S 10:15AM (12/14/2006)
That is a pretty good run, but not uncommon for that series, I had an '86 900 that ran to over 360,000 miles before i sold it. It had most major parts, orig trans, engine. The first clutch lasted to 186k. New SAABs are not made nearly as well.
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Elizabeth Garner 12:19PM (12/25/2006)
I have had two Saabs. Lost one in a divorce and it was eventually wrecked by new wife. The other I bought used and ran into the ground. If I count the number of miles plus the joy of huggin the road with those two, I personally think you should send me one of those new
ones. You probably aren't going to find many people who drive around the globe several times, so go ahead.
Find your humanitarian side and send one to Nashville.
(I prefer subdued colors). Thanks and I look forward to receiving it. Elizabeth
me one of those new beauties.
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Peter Gilbert 9:22PM (10/26/2007)
If you Google my name: Peter Gilbert Saab There is so much New Info. I have also been from Earth to the Moon, and back twice!
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mark hilton 6:56AM (11/15/2007)
my saab has only done 80,000 and needs anew transmission
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