A dark blue 2002 Saab 9-3 Aero Cabriolet with visible Italian registration – CE 202GF, with “MI” appearing on the right-hand plate band – has appeared on AutoScout24 Switzerland with an asking price of CHF 24,900. The mileage is stated in two slightly different ways: 28,000 km in the listing headline and 29,000 km in the technical summary. Either number places this car far outside the normal mileage range for a 24-year-old OG 9-3 Convertible.
The car is offered by Enrico Gobino in Switzerland, who describes the sale as reluctant rather than speculative: “I’m a Saab lover, but I need to sell it unfortunately.” That line is useful context, but the car still has to stand on the listing itself: specification, documents, photographs, service history, and the final condition check.
The advertised specification is the one that makes the car interesting. This is a 2002 Saab 9-3 Aero Cabriolet with the B205R 2.0-liter turbo engine, listed at 205 PS / 151 kW, paired with a five-speed manual gearbox. The seller describes the car as original, unmodified, preserved rather than restored, and registered with ASI historic documentation in Italy before being imported into Switzerland.
The ASI part needs careful wording. The listing mentions certificate number 466540 from 2022 and refers to Targa Oro eligibility or selection, but it does not clearly show whether the car holds only a CRS, Certificato di Rilevanza Storica, or the fuller ASI Certificato d’Identità associated with Targa Oro status. That distinction matters at this price, because the paperwork is part of the value.
Table of Contents
What the Photos Show
The five supplied listing images are more useful than the seller’s description. The engine bay shows a B205-generation Saab four-cylinder with the “2.0 turbo / EcoPower” cam cover markings used on late first-generation 9-3 full-pressure turbo cars. Nothing obvious in the photo suggests aftermarket boost hardware, which fits the seller’s claim that the car is unmodified.
The engine bay also shows an Exide battery, clearly a later replacement. That is normal on a car from 2002 and not a negative point. More important is that the bay looks tidy without appearing artificially prepared for sale. The cam cover area, yellow caps, firewall plastics, strut-tower area, and intake layout appear consistent with a carefully kept car.
The interior photo supports the low-mileage story without proving it by itself. The black Aero leather seats show minimal visible wear, especially around the driver’s outer bolster. The steering wheel, manual gear lever, dashboard, and center stack also look consistent with a car that has seen limited use. Saab leather can age well if garaged, so the odometer still needs to be backed by records.
The exterior shots show the car both with the roof down and with the roof closed. The dark navy soft top works well with the blue body and appears clean in the images, with no obvious sagging or discoloration visible. On an OG 9-3 Cabriolet, roof condition matters as much as paint gloss. A buyer should still test the full hydraulic cycle, latches, seals, rear glass area, and side-window alignment.
Where This Aero Cabriolet Fits
This car belongs to the late OG 9-3 period, when the high-output 2.0-liter turbo cars had moved into the B205 and Trionic 7 era rather than the earlier B204 and Trionic 5 setup. In the 9-3 Convertible range, the Aero badge placed this car above the ordinary 2.0t versions and below the Viggen in displacement, torque character, and reputation.
That distinction matters because “Aero” and “Viggen” are often blurred in casual listing language. The Viggen used the larger B235R 2.3-liter engine and built its reputation around a very different torque delivery. The B205R Aero is not a substitute Viggen. It is the late OG 9-3’s more measured full-pressure turbo specification, with its own appeal and fewer inflated expectations.
In cabriolet form, the B205R also sits behind a different ownership question. A hatchback or coupé Aero is usually judged first through engine, gearbox, rust, suspension, and service history. A Cabriolet adds roof hydraulics, seals, reinforced structure, water ingress points, and trim parts that are harder to find in excellent condition. Low mileage helps, but age still affects rubber, fluids, relays, and hydraulic components.
The manual gearbox strengthens this listing. Many buyers looking at a preserved Aero Cabriolet will care as much about specification as mileage, and the five-speed manual makes the car easier to place as an enthusiast-owned example rather than a purely cosmetic collector piece. It also makes originality more important. A heavily modified B205R might be more entertaining, but that would weaken the argument for this particular asking price.
Reading the Listing Carefully
There are a few data points in the AutoScout24 fields that deserve attention. The body style is logged as “Berlina,” although the car is clearly a Cabriolet in every image. The supplied data also lists three doors and five seats, which does not match how Saab people normally describe an OG 9-3 Convertible. These are most likely template or categorization errors, not problems with the car.
The listing also states direct or parallel import status. Combined with the Italian plate and ASI paperwork, that suggests the car was registered and documented in Italy before being brought into Switzerland. That is plausible, but any buyer should confirm the Swiss import situation, registration status, and whether any additional duties or compliance steps remain.
The seller-stated original price is CHF 50,300. The current asking price of CHF 24,900 is therefore not being pitched as a cheap summer convertible. It is collector-level pricing for a late OG 9-3 Aero Cabriolet with unusually low mileage and historic paperwork. That can make sense, but only if the records, inspection, roof operation, paint condition, and mechanical health match the story told by the photographs.
The mileage discrepancy is small, but it should still be clarified. A rounded headline of 28,000 km and a technical table showing 29,000 km may simply reflect how the advert was entered. For a normal used car, that would hardly matter. For a low-mileage 2002 Saab being sold at this level, the odometer reading should match service stamps, inspection records, ownership documents, and ASI paperwork.
What Makes This Listing Worth Watching
Most OG 9-3 Convertibles have lived normal open-car lives: summer use, outdoor storage, worn bolsters, tired roof seals, missing trim, light modifications, or repairs made according to market value rather than long-term preservation. This car is being presented differently. The combination of B205R power, manual gearbox, dark blue paint, navy soft top, black Aero leather, ASI paperwork, and roughly 29,000 km puts it into a narrower group.
That does not mean the price proves the market. One asking price on AutoScout24 does not reset values for all late OG 9-3 Aero Cabriolets. It does, however, show where the best-preserved examples are now being positioned when mileage, originality, and documentation are all part of the pitch.
The strongest case for this car is not emotional. It is factual: visible condition, low odometer reading, correct late Aero mechanical specification, manual transmission, and Italian historic documentation. The open questions are also factual: exact ASI status, VIN match, service trail, roof operation, import status, and whether the body and underside support the same preservation claim.
At CHF 24,900, this 9-3 is no longer being judged as a pleasant old Saab Cabriolet. It has to prove itself as a preserved Aero. If the paperwork, mechanical inspection, roof function, and paint condition all line up, this Swiss listing becomes a useful marker for the top end of the OG 9-3 Aero Cabriolet market.
One of the best cars
I cooked 2 engines in mine. Buyer beware! I upgraded to the next-gen 2011 which was the best car I have ever owned!
Which car
Saab the beautiful Swedish woman