Now on the Repco Garage some obscure subjects have been covered and here is another story to add to the list.
Former Swedish manufacturer Saab continues to enjoy a loyal if not small following these days, more than a decade since the company went bankrupt. The legendary 99 Turbo kickstarted this as one of the first mainstream models to feature a turbo, but prior to its launch Saab enjoyed a strong pedigree in rallying, which carried through to the early-1980s.
During the late-1970s, Swedish rally ace Stig Blomqvist came out to Australia multiple time to contest the legendary Southern Cross Rally in a factory supported 99EMS.
In the early-1990s, a Saab Dealer Team 9000 CSS finished third in the second James Hardie Bathurst 12 Hour shared by Colin Bond and Glenn Seton, while orchestrated by car dealer turned touring car privateer Ken Matthews.
These two motorsport programs came on either side of a special project commissioned by Saab Automobiles Australia based on the Saab 900 Turbo called the Enduro.
Just 12 of the Enduro specials were built, with one believed to be written off by an over exuberant journalist and just five are said to survive today.
An eye-catching exterior featured flared fibreglass wheel arches, front air dam, rear spoiler, Enduro signage, blue stripes, and big turbo decals. Inside extra gauges for oil pressure, battery voltage and an ammeter were mounted in the usual position for the radio.
Matthews’ Sydney prestige car dealership was believed to be commissioned by Saab Automobiles Australia to develop the Enduro by designing and engineering the limited edition model. Australian company Purvis shaped and manufactured the body kit while it was also building its Eureka sports car.
To finish off the exterior, the Enduro was fitted with Simmons P-4 three-piece alloy wheels wrapped in 7.5×15” tyres.
Performance was increased to a claimed 175bhp thanks to the turbo wastegate being set at 17psi or 1.2 bar with water injection standard as the engine was the B201 eight-valve slant-four.
An extremely rare model, none were sent overseas making this a truly Australian rarity and one many enthusiasts have no knowledge of.