The Saab always used the GM chassis too. Vauxhall cavalier was running gear and chassis a big favourite under many Saab models.
96, 99, C900 and 9000 models used their own chassis and running gear, GM were later GM900, 9-3 and 9-5 as they bought into Saab in 1989, worsed thing that ever happened to Saab.
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Well, except they’d have gone bust 20 years before they eventually got wound up.
But in terms of the cars that they produced, yes, probably - although Saab resisted the edict to just badge GM models for quite some time - the 9-5 turbo we owned was still distinctly Saab despite having been manufactured in 2005.
GM basically wanted the technology from Saab especially the Di ignition system, trionic engine management and turbo systems, that and Saab’s impact safety systems, GM did not want anyone else especially the Chinese getting the technology so made Saab virtually unsaleable and made sure the company closed down.
Ford did the same with Volvo but that was managed better.y
Saab over engineered their vehicles and were never profitable.
I mean, we loved the 9-5 and I have a good friend that dotes on Saabs but actually making a profit was not something they were good at.
Saab were in profit right up to the stock market crash in 1987, GM are described as one of the industry’s worst brand-wreckers for a reason.
Instead of making models to its strengths they tried to force Saab to fit into the standard GM marketing boxes, they had the highest brand loyalty of almost any marque but that meant nothing to GM bean counters, who used chassis that were poor in their day as a basis, ie Vectra.
They slowly starved Saab , taking profits to prop up the US company before going into bankruptcy taking Saab with them.
They then asset striped the company of it’s technology and then refused to sell to the Chinese dooming Saab.
As you say Saab over engineered their vehicles, but this had benefits for GM, the original chassis was that poor in the 9-5 that Saab made so many modifications to get it right that on trying it GM incorporated the changes into the Vectra production as it handled, rode and crash tested so much better. .
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Very, very nice.
I presume she’s still FWD. Is that an issue (despite the LSD). I had a Lancia Thema Turbo 2.0 with 205PS (the company car scheme wouldn’t stretch to a Ferrari engined one) and I found torque steer an issue, especially in the wet. I don’t think she had any form of stability control in those distant days.
Torque steer, no stability, no ABS, other safety or driving aids made you a much better driver . Cars are pretty much point and go/stop these days
As a group or Saab Automobile - I thought they’d been propped up by the aero division for a while prior to GM stepping in. Difficult to get figures though, after all it’s now 30 years since the GM takeover.
Post GM, you’re probably right, there was mismanagement on GM’s side and refusal to work to a budget on Saab’s side. Not a marriage made in heaven 
My Carlsson has the first of the Saab TCS /abs & the LSD, switch it off and it will wheelspin in 3 gear due to the collossal torque, the 9000 V6 has 250 bhp but is auto with TCS.
The Lancia Thema, Fiat Croma, Alfa 164 and the Saab 9000 were one of the first platform shadings between manufacturers, the type Four.
They supposedly had the same chassis but Saab re engineered it as it was so floppy, we used to use the Fiat Croma doors on the racing 9000’s as they were so light as they did not have any side impact bars in them, they were considerably lighter, so much so if they were fitting badly you just gripped the top and bottom and twisted them until they fitted 
Yes, now that you remind me I recall the joint platform development. A colleague of mine was a 164 V6 man. He had a couple of them. I also remember a new FIAT Strada I had which the drivers door rusted from inside out within a year. I can well believe the Croma doors were thinner that the SAAB ones 
I’ve a little 200BHP Plus 4 Morgan Mark so I agree with you entirely.
Which is a good thing.
It is, but there’s little excitement in driving a bog standard , front wheel drive car
I don’t know about that, I have had as much fun driving the little front wheel drive below with 70 bhp as I have had with the red rear wheel drive one with 590 bhp.
Although not as technically knowledgeable as some here I would like to report that I took the Saab 900i on its first ‘run’ yesterday to look at a couple of Peugeot 405’s in Nantes and Rennes. The 400 odd kms passed without any problem and it has proven to be a very comfortable and relaxing driver as I had expected. The only small niggle is that the headlights seem to be lacking in gusto which is surprising though that could of course just be my particular example.
I cannot find another decent Saab to buy at a ‘petit prix’ as a daily driver within 200 Kms so it looks as though it’s going to be a 405.
They can loose the silvering/mirror finish on the headlight units although it could just be the bulbs, you could try replacing them with something like a pair of extreme vision +130 or night breaker +130 for around 20 euro or you can get the headlights reflector re coated/ replaced.
Bill Jones of saabits.com is excellent for C900 parts and re does the reflectors.
Next time I am in the UK I will pick up one of the Haynes manuals I have for the C900 and post it on to you.
That is a kind offer from you Colin…as to the manual I bought one on Leboncoin but after a delay they refunded me as the seller did not ship.
I have found a few on eBay UK so unless you happen to be going to the UK in the very near future (which I doubt) it’s probably quicker if I ship one in.
As to the headlights I will follow your advice and
get those sorted. Great car though and could see myself becoming a follower.
Another question for Colin…I always like to join owners clubs when I buy ‘unusual’ cars. There seem to be a few for Saab…can you recommend one for older models.
Any activity here in western France?