Here’s the kind of image Saab fans can only expect from Valmet Automotive.
After designing, engineering and manufacturing extended versions of the Saab 99 and Saab 900 models in Uusikaupunki, Finns had plans for a Saab 9000 limousine, but these were never realized and all they have left are designs, now in Valmet Automotive’s archives.
Saab 99 GLE-L
This is the first extended Saab model made in Valmet Autoomotive in Uusikaupunki (Finland) – Saab 99 GLE-L from 1976. The front part comes from the Saab 99, the rear from the future Saab 900…
Very rare extended Saab 99 Finlandia, made as a car for statemen – Electric mirrors with power-assisted automatic gearbox and special interior design… Manufactured at Saab’s factory in Finland, and this model – a total of 23 Finlandias were made.
The model quickly got the nickname “saunanikkuna” (“sauna window”) because of the small extra window between doors. The production of the lengthened SAAB 99 started in 1977 when a total of 23 Finlandias were made.
From the Unrealized Valmet 9000 Limousine to a Six-Door Saab 9000 CD in Germany
The idea of a stretched Saab did not end with the 99 GLE-L or the 900 Finlandia. Valmet also had plans for a Saab 9000 limousine, but those designs were never turned into a regular production project and remained part of Valmet Automotive’s archives.
That makes the later appearance of six-door Saab 9000 conversions even more interesting. They followed the same logic: take a serious Saab sedan, keep its functional character, and adapt it for formal transport, rear-seat comfort, and official use.
A striking example has now surfaced in Germany. Autohaus Lafrentz GmbH in Kiel is offering a 1989 Saab 9000 CD Turbo six-door long version, finished in Ambassador Blue, with blue cloth interior, seven seats, automatic transmission, and a seller-described history as a former Saab Automobile AB VIP vehicle. The car is listed with 98,050 km and a price of €19,499.
Unlike the unrealized Valmet 9000 limousine project, this one exists as a complete, road-going car. It also shows how naturally the 9000 CD shape could be stretched without turning into a typical show limousine. The added doors are the obvious talking point, but the more important detail is how Saab-like the whole car still feels.
We covered this rare six-door 9000 CD in detail here: Six Doors, Seven Seats, Saab Museum History: This 1989 Saab 9000 CD Turbo Is Listed in Germany.
The 99 was available as a combi-coupe from 1974 onwards so the rear is not from a 900 (introduced in 1978). Also, you have a typo in Valmet name.