Every so often, a new Saab-related project appears online that is not about auctions, horsepower figures, or restoration diaries. Instead, it uses a Saab as a setting – a deliberate environment for something larger.
That is exactly what Chris Curtin has launched on his YouTube channel, The Connected Approach. The new series is called SAAB Stories.The concept is straightforward but unusually thoughtful: leadership conversations conducted during a drive in an iconic Saab. No studio. No staged office backdrop. Just a manual gearbox, a turbocharged engine, and two people talking about purpose and identity while the road unfolds ahead of them.
The first episode takes place inside a Saab 9-3 Viggen.
And that choice is not accidental.
A Viggen as a Conversation Space
The opening lines of the episode immediately resonate with anyone who has owned a Saab: “There is not a single Saab owner out there that’s not authentically in love with their vehicle.”
It is delivered half playfully, half knowingly. Because the second half of that truth is equally familiar – the car does not always love you back. Curtin frames the Viggen not simply as a performance model, but as a symbol. Saab’s most focused late-1990s sport compact. Turbocharged. Five-speed manual. Front-wheel drive with all the torque steer that implies. Named after the AJ 37 Viggen fighter jet.
A machine built with intent. That word – intent – becomes the undercurrent of the entire episode.
The Viggen cockpit, driver-oriented and slightly unconventional, feels like an intentional place to talk about leadership. The center console wraps around you. The ignition sits between the seats. The Night Panel button waits quietly on the dash.
At one point, Rob Armstrong, Curtin’s guest, notices it. “What’s with the Night Panel?”
Curtin explains how pressing it leaves only the speedometer illuminated – an aerospace-inspired reduction of distraction. It is one of those uniquely Saab features that outsiders find odd and insiders immediately understand. Remove what you do not need. Focus on what matters. It is difficult not to see the metaphor.
The Guest – Rob Armstrong
The inaugural guest is Rob Armstrong, Managing Director at Dylan’s Wings of Change. He and Curtin have worked together extensively, particularly in educational and leadership settings.
The conversation does not begin with leadership frameworks or corporate jargon. It begins with smell. “Can you smell that?” Curtin asks as they settle into the Viggen. “Smells very Saab-ish,” Rob replies.
From there, the talk drifts naturally into Saab origin stories. Rob describes himself as a former Volvo loyalist. The turning point in his family came after an icy winter incident involving his sister’s Toyota and a guardrail. The aftermath led to the purchase of a Saab 900.
That 900 became the start of his father’s long-standing attachment to the brand. More Saabs followed. One was converted from automatic to manual. There were ski trips to Vermont. Regular drives north. A sense that this was not just transportation, but something chosen deliberately.
It is a familiar arc to many Saab owners. The brand rarely enters someone’s life casually. It is inherited, introduced, or advocated for by someone who already believes in it.
A 216,000-Mile Viggen With a Story
Curtin’s Viggen is not a garage queen. It has over 216,000 miles on it. He bought it from a meticulous California owner who kept a service book “this thick,” as he describes it. Suspension work has been done. The intercooler upgraded. Springs lowered. The exhaust refined. It is a car maintained by someone who understood what they had.
Curtin jokes that his own contribution to the car’s upkeep is largely cosmetic – new shift knob, fresh floor mats, careful cleaning. But that self-awareness adds to the tone of the series. The car is respected, not idolized.
There is something refreshingly honest about watching two people have a meaningful conversation in a high-mileage Viggen that has clearly lived a full life.
From Cars to Culture
The real substance of the episode centers on Rob’s leadership journey. He joined Dylan’s Wings of Change in 2015, initially in a different organizational phase. Over time, the mission evolved from structured training toward empowerment – particularly among students navigating difficult circumstances.
One of the most compelling parts of the conversation is Rob’s reflection on authenticity. He speaks openly about impostor syndrome. About stepping into managerial roles and not always feeling like he belonged. About recognizing that his perspective and motivations were not universal.
What changed, he explains, was learning that the more he shared of himself, the easier it became for others to engage with him. When people understand who you are and how you show up, they stop guessing. They can participate more fully.
Curtin observes that Rob’s authenticity is visible whether he is working with high school juniors at 7:20 in the morning or senior executives at major corporations in the afternoon. The setting amplifies that theme.
Inside a Saab, authenticity is unavoidable. The car does not smooth over every sensation. You feel the boost. You feel the steering input. You feel the mechanical nature of the machine. It asks you to engage honestly.
That parallel quietly reinforces the discussion.
“Find What Works – Until It Doesn’t”
Near the end of the drive, Curtin asks Rob for a favorite piece of advice about leadership. Rob’s answer is deceptively simple: Find what works and keep doing that until it doesn’t. Then do not be afraid to shift.
In a Viggen, that line carries literal and symbolic weight. You shift gears. You adjust. You respond to the road. What works at 30 mph is not what works at 70. The car demands attention and adaptation.
For Saab owners, that mindset is second nature.
A Different Kind of Saab Content
SAAB Stories is not a review channel. It is not concerned with acceleration times or market values. Instead, it positions Saab as a space for reflection. That makes it different. For years, most Saab content online has revolved around:
- Rare listings
- Restoration projects
- Technical troubleshooting
- Historical retrospectives
Curtin’s approach adds something else – a human layer. The car is not the subject of the conversation. It is the container. And in that container, something interesting happens. The combination of movement, mechanical engagement, and shared space creates a tone that feels natural rather than staged. The Viggen is not treated as a prop. It is acknowledged, joked about, referenced. It becomes part of the rhythm of the dialogue.
Why This Matters to the Saab Community
Saab has always attracted people who value individuality. Not in a loud way, but in a deliberate one. Owners choose Saab knowing there are easier options. Simpler options. More mainstream options. That intentional choice aligns surprisingly well with conversations about leadership and identity.
Curtin closes the episode by asking viewers a simple question: What’s your Saab story?
The first turbo pull. The winter drive home. The repair that turned into a friendship. The family member who introduced you to the brand. Now, those stories may also become backdrops for conversations about who we are and how we lead.
The first episode of SAAB Stories sets the tone effectively. It introduces a new channel to the Saab ecosystem – one that treats the car not only as an engineering artifact, but as a meaningful environment for human dialogue. The full episode is embedded below, and it is worth watching in its entirety. Not for specs. Not for rarity.
But for the reminder that sometimes, between second and third gear, the best conversations happen.
Dear Mr. Jokić,
Chris Curtin here.
Thank you for your very thoughtful review of SAAB Stories. Indeed, our goal with SAAB Stories is that the SAAB becomes the container for an authentic discussion by, for, and about leaders. When we filmed this pilot episode, we were not sure that it would resonate as the proper “vehicle” for human-based connection. To the points you make in your article, it looks like we are hitting the mark.
Once again, thank you, Konstantin, for this generous endorsement. Being the surprising subject of an article on SAAB Planet is a dream come true. And now, we have to get going on Episode 2!
Thank you again for your appreciation and support.