Saturday Saab – the debut for Per Eklund’s Saab 93

In May 2005 Per Eklund took his brand new Saab 93 to France for the first round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship. This was six years before the Swedish manufacturer ceased production of cars and when the 93 saloon, or sedan, was the great hope for the company.

After returning to rallycross full time in 1993, Eklund replaced his Subarus with a Saab for the 1997 season. The high point of the relationship was the 1999 European Rallycross title, and success at Pikes Peak hillclimb in the US. The 93 saloon would be Eklund’s last Saab, and also the last car that he would race regularly himself. Additionally it was the car with which Eklund turned his team from being the operation that facilitated his own racing to one that provided cars for customers. The stable of 93s used by a wide range of drivers before they were retired in favour of a VW Beetle Supercar.

But back to France in 2005 as this is an up close look at the first of those last Saabs, on day one of a ten-year journey in which it outlasted the company that originally designed and built it.