1971 Saab 96 V4: Ex-Farm Car, Current Display Car

After picking up some parts for Daniel's 1993 900 Turbo in Hollis, New Hampshire, we decided to take a quick pit stop at a local farmer's market, Lull Farms, per recommendation of the couple we got the parts from. Since they were also Saab enthusiasts, having owned and raced them since the early 1960s, they mentioned there was a very old Saab there which was worth checking out, in addition to the very tasty apple cider donuts. 

According to Maggie, who we got the parts from, the old Saab at the farm used to be the old farm vehicle, before it was retired and became a decoration. Having an affinity for the classic Saab models (93, 96, 99, and 900), and having owned and rally crossed several, notably a 96 V4, 99 EMS, and 900 Turbo, she always gives the farm Saab a nice pat on the roof, as a token of appreciation. 

Now, let's have a look at this old Saab, and see for ourselves, the current state of this ex-farm vehicle turned display car. 

Here we have it! This is a later model 96, finished in Verona Green. Going by the color, and date codes on the turn signal lenses, I was able to deduce that this was a 1971 model, likely produced in the year prior, as the lenses revealed a date code of 1970. 

This old Saab doesn't seem too far gone, from the outside. With patches of surface rust and a good amount of paint fade, I'm sure this old Swede could clean right up with ample body work. Speaking of, the underside of this car is unfortunately very rusty, having a nice hole in the driver's side foot well. The last inspection sticker states a year of 2015, but who knows when it was truly taken out of service. According to Daniel, a lot of these earlier models tend to rot there. Otherwise, I don't see why this couldn't be a good restoration candidate for any ambitious enthusiast!

It was really nice to see a vintage Saab like this one, outside of the context of a car show. Most of these, as we know, are now collector's cars, and rarely ever are seen as a daily driver. To think that this served many years as a work vehicle around a farm for almost 40 years is a comical thought, as most think of old pickup trucks as farm vehicles. I'd love to see this Saab puttering around a field, doing farm work. I'm sure the farm owners and hands had "acres" of fun with this car, as you do with any old Saab. Perhaps one day, it will be restored! I think it's worth it.