The Saab 9-3 has been extensively documented over the years, from the first-generation Viggen and its chassis modifications to the introduction of the Sport Sedan, the development of XWD, and the final cars assembled before Saab Automobile’s bankruptcy. Finding fresh material about a model so familiar to its owners is therefore a challenge for anyone attempting to write its complete history.
British automotive journalist and historian Johnny Tipler approaches the subject from a different direction in his new book, Saab 9-3: The Complete Story, published by The Crowood Press. Alongside the familiar chronology of model developments and technical specifications, he introduces the people who designed, promoted, tested, and raced the 9-3, including several individuals whose contributions have rarely received the same attention as the cars themselves.
The 176-page hardback contains over 250 photographs, including material from Kenneth Olausson‘s archive, period publicity images, engineering illustrations, and photographs taken by Tipler during his own automotive journalism career. Its six chapters cover Saab’s earlier history, both generations of the 9-3, competition activities, the electric NEVS continuation, and practical considerations for prospective owners.
However, several of the book’s most interesting passages have little to do with horsepower figures or production totals.
One of the most revealing contributions comes from Nigel Lloyd-Jones, the British creative director whose agency worked with General Motors Europe and became closely involved in Saab’s international product launches.
Lloyd-Jones recalls that GM had instructed Saab to incorporate approximately 70 percent shared GM components into its new models. According to his account, Saab engineers frequently challenged those instructions, developing alternative components when they believed they could improve upon the existing solution.
He offers a particularly memorable example from the 2002 launch of the second-generation Saab 9-3.
Saab had been instructed to use the Opel-Vauxhall navigation system, but its engineering team decided to develop its own. When the new 9-3 was presented to journalists, the navigation system was not working properly.
Fortunately, Lloyd-Jones and Saab creative director Joran Andersson had anticipated the possibility of trouble. They prepared a traditional tulip-style roadbook as a backup, which was ultimately used during the launch.
The irony is that the improvised solution fitted Saab’s rallying heritage rather well. But Lloyd-Jones also remembers the incident as evidence of the difficulties created when Saab’s determination to develop its own technology collided with the financial and organizational constraints imposed by GM.
It is this combination of personal recollection and the circumstances surrounding an otherwise familiar car that makes his interview particularly interesting.
How the Saab 9-3 SportCombi Helped Transform the Saab Museum
Another story from Lloyd-Jones concerns the introduction of the Saab 9-3 SportCombi in 2005.
With a limited budget available for the launch, Andersson proposed an alternative to spending the money entirely on a temporary promotional event.
He suggested transforming an industrial exhibition space in Trollhättan into a permanent home for Saab’s historic collection that could also serve as the location for the new model’s presentation.
The agency accepted the challenge, and the resulting venue was used for the SportCombi launch. Lloyd-Jones recalls the project as an opportunity to create something that would remain useful after the journalists and invited guests had departed.
The Saab Car Museum’s official history confirms that the museum, originally established in 1975 and relocated to the former NOHAB industrial complex in 1987, underwent a major interior redesign for the 2005 SportCombi presentation. The exhibition layout created for that occasion remained in use for many years.
The book accompanies this account with photographs of the presentation, showing classic Saabs displayed alongside contemporary models inside the industrial building.
The subsequent driving presentation was organized at the former Säve Air Base near Gothenburg, using an underground aircraft shelter as its starting point.
The two locations reveal how carefully Saab’s marketing team considered the settings in which it presented its cars, even when the available resources were limited.
The Viggen, Pikes Peak, and the Man Riding on the Floor
Tipler also devotes considerable attention to the 9-3’s competition history, particularly Per Eklund’s extraordinary rallycross and Pikes Peak machines.
The familiar photographs of Eklund’s red, heavily modified 9-3 Viggen tell only part of the story. In the book, Kenneth Olausson contributes his recollections of accompanying the Swedish driver during the Pikes Peak project.
At one point, Olausson describes riding in Eklund’s approximately 800-hp competition Saab while lying on the passenger-side floor, his feet raised as the car accelerated over the demanding mountain course.
His account provides a distinctly personal perspective on a machine that shared its basic visual identity with the production Viggen but had been extensively modified for competition.
The chapter also revisits Eklund’s 2000 Pikes Peak victory, when his four-wheel-drive Saab completed the ascent in 11 minutes and 21.58 seconds, improving upon the time set shortly beforehand by Paul Choinière.
The accompanying photographs place the reader alongside the people involved in the project rather than presenting the car simply as another entry in Saab’s motorsport record. Those interested in the competition car’s engineering can also consult the period Saab press release on Eklund’s 2002 Pikes Peak victory, which includes technical specifications for the later 750-hp Unlimited Class machine.
A History That Continues Beyond Saab Automobile
The book’s final historical chapter follows the 9-3 beyond the closure of Saab Automobile and into the complicated NEVS period.
Tipler examines the limited restart of gasoline-powered 9-3 Aero production in Trollhättan, the transition toward electric propulsion, and the subsequent development of the NEVS 9-3 EV.
Among the more interesting details are the small numbers of electric prototypes and pre-production vehicles developed at Trollhättan’s Frickeboa facility, followed by vehicles assembled in Tianjin and subsequently brought back to Sweden.
The book also addresses the distinction between a car retaining the appearance and basic architecture of the Saab 9-3 and one continuing Saab’s original engineering identity. Tipler makes clear that he views the electric continuation differently from the gasoline-powered cars built under Saab Automobile.
His account then extends to the Emily GT project, bringing the narrative considerably closer to the present than a conventional model history ending in 2011 would allow. Readers interested in what happened to the engineering expertise behind the NEVS projects can find additional context in our coverage of Trollhattan Mobility and the former Saab and NEVS engineers continuing their work in Trollhättan.
What Does the Book Offer Experienced Saab Enthusiasts?
The book’s principal attraction is the combination of period material and first-hand accounts. The interviews with people involved in Saab’s marketing and product launches provide context that cannot be obtained from technical specifications alone, while the motorsport chapters benefit from the personal involvement of individuals such as Olausson.
Tipler also revisits the more familiar engineering developments, from the first-generation Viggen and its handling characteristics to the introduction of the Turbo X and Saab’s XWD all-wheel-drive system. These sections help connect the individual models with the broader development of the 9-3, although experienced owners may already know much of the technical background.
There are, however, occasional technical and editorial inaccuracies. The specification appendix, for example, identifies a 2.3-liter Turbo V6 B235 among the first-generation 9-3 engines, an incorrect combination of engine configuration and designation. Experienced owners should therefore regard the specification tables as supplementary material rather than a definitive technical reference.
Tipler’s writing is also distinctly personal. His own experiences with Saab, his enthusiasm for particular models, and his opinions on General Motors’ ownership are woven into the historical narrative. Readers should distinguish those assessments from the documented engineering and production history.
For Saab enthusiasts who already know the differences between a B204 and a B235, or who have spent years following the development of the second-generation 9-3, the interviews, archive photography, and accounts of events behind the public launches offer reasons to spend time with this book.
The stories behind the decisions, compromises, and people involved in creating the Saab 9-3 are where Tipler’s book becomes particularly rewarding.
Where to Get Saab 9-3: The Complete Story
Saab 9-3: The Complete Story by Johnny Tipler was published by The Crowood Press on May 12, 2026. The 176-page book is available in hardcover and digital editions, with more than 250 photographs documenting the development of the model and the people involved in its history.
Readers can find further information, view the available editions, and order the book directly through The Crowood Press’s official Saab 9-3 book page.
Editorial disclosure: SaabPlanet received a digital review copy of the book from The Crowood Press.
Wish the author would know the differences between the NG900 and OG9-3, and the OG9-3 with the OG9-5 – some of the captions are completely incorrect. Too many people have rose-tinted memories of their own Saab experiences, articles in ‘Driver’ full of holes as well!