Saab History

Saab 99 Finlandia – Extended versions of the Saab 99 and 900

Extended Saab 900

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

Continue reading after the ad

 

Saab 99 GLE-L
Extended Saab 99 GLE-L

 

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.

Continue reading after the ad

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.

Goran Aničić
the authorGoran Aničić
For over 15 years, Goran Aničić has been passionately focused on Saab automobiles and everything related to them. His initial encounter with Saab cars took place back in 2003 when the first Saab 9-3 and sedan version were introduced. At that moment, he was captivated by the car's Scandinavian design logic and top-notch engineering, and everything that followed stemmed from that first encounter. Later on, through his work at the editorial team of the Serbian automotive magazines "Autostart" and later "AutoBild," he had the opportunity to engage more closely with Saab vehicles. In 2008, he tested the latest Saab cars of that time, such as the Saab 9-3 TTiD Aero and Saab 9-3 Turbo X. In 2010, as the sole blogger from the region, he participated in the Saab 9-5ng presentation in Trollhättan, Sweden. Alongside journalists from around the world, he got a firsthand experience of the pinnacle of technological offerings from Saab at that time. Currently, Goran owns two Saabs: a 2008 Saab 9-3 Vector Sportcombi with a manual transmission, and a Saab 9-3 Aero Griffin Sport Sedan from the last generation, which rolled off the production line in Trollhättan in December 2011.

1 Comment

  • 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.

Leave a Reply