P3 334 NOV-DEC 01-29:Layout 1 25/10/11 13:49 Page 1 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 ISSUE 6 £6.00 SAABDRIVERThe Magazine of the Saab Owners Club of Great Britain Limited INSIDE A LITTLE BIT OF SAAB SNOW HOW ROBIN’S REVIEW – HE’S BACK! RAC RALLY 2011 www.saabclub.co.uk P3 334 NOV-DEC 01-29:Layout 1 25/10/11 13:49 Page 2 SmoothSmmoothh running.running. Maintain thee performanceperformance ofof your Saab.Saab. SaveSaavvvee up to £50£50 on servicingservicing JoinJoin thethe Saab Service Club today to begin taking advantage of exclusive offers ffrom Saab. TheThe ServiceService ClubClub bringsbrings you a widewide rangerange ofof exclusiveexclusive offers,offers, providingproviding thethe highesthighest QUALITYSERVICEANDMEMBERSHIPISABSOLUTELYFREE!T3AAB WEWANTTOPROVIDEYOUQUALITYSERVICEANDMEMBERSHIPISABSOOLUTELYFREE!T3AAB WEWANTTOPROVIDEYOU WITHPEACEOFMINDSOJOINTODAYANDWITHPEACEOFMINDSOJOINTODAYAND savesave up to £50ONA3AAB&IXED0RICE3ERVICEONA3AAB&IXEED0RICE3ERVICE SimplySimply registerregister your membershipmembership belowbelow andand downloaddownload thethe discountdiscount vouchervoucher to receivereceive thisthis amazing discount.discount. High ststandards,tandards, lower cost.4HE/ILSERVICEAND!NNUALSERVICEPROVIDEALOW4HE //IL SERVICE AND !NNUAL SERVICE PPROVIDE A LOW CCOSTALTERNATIVETOASTANDARDSERVICE!LLTHEBASICCHECKSONYOUR3AABARECARRIEDOSTALTERNATIVETOASTANDARDSERVICE!!LLTHEBASICCHECKSONYOUR3AAABARECARRIED ooutut bbyy a trainetrainedd SSaabaab tectechnician,hnician, so yyouou knowknow thatthat your car is in thethe bestbest hands.hands. //NLY3AAB'ENUINE0ARTSAREUSEDnPARTSTHATARERIGOROUSLYTESTED FITPERFECTLYNLY3AAAB'ENUINE0ARTSAREUSEDnPARTSTHATARERIGOROUSLYTESTED FITPERFECTLY ffirstirst timtimee anandd carry a two year manumanufacturer’sfaacturer’s warranty. Oil service – was £129* AnnualAnnual service – was £249£2249* NowNow s/ILANDFILTERCHANGE * s/ILANDFILTERCHANGEs/ILANNDFILTERCHANGE sComprehensive vehicle check s!IRFILTERCHANGEs!IR FILTERC HANGE NowNow and report including lights, £99££99 s&UELFILTERCHANGEs&UELFILTERCHANGE * battery, coolant level, drive belts, SaveSaavvvee £30£30 s2EPLACE3PARK0LUGSs2EPLAACE3PARK0LUGS† ifif requiredrequired £199£199 brakinggy system,,g, steering, exhaust s#HECKDRIVERIBBEDBELTSs #HECCK DRIVERIBBED BELTS SSaveaavvvee ££5050 system andand muchmuch more s#HECKLIGHTSANDELECTRICSs#HECCKLIGHTSANDELECTRICS s7ASHANDVACUUMs 7ASH AND VAACUUM s#HECKTRANSMISSIONs #HECCK TRANSMISSION s&ULLVEHICLEROADTESTs &ULL VEHICLE RROAD TEST s#HECKBRAKESnPADSANDDISCSs#HECCKBRAKESnPADSANDDISCS s$IAGNOSTICCHECKINCLUDINGREPORTs$IAGNOSTICCCHECKINCLUDINGREPORT s#HECKTYRESnADJUSTTYREPRESSURESs#HECCKTYRESnADJUSTTYREPRESSURESS s#HECKUNDERSIDEs #HECCK UNDERSIDE ss CheckCheck windscreenwindscreen andand windscreenwindscreen wiperswipers s#HECKCORRECTWINDSCREENWASHERLEVELs #HECCKCORRECT WINDSCREEN WASHER LEVEL s7ASHANDVACUUMs 7ASHH AND VACUUM s&ULLVEHICLEROADTESTs &ULL VVEHICLE ROAD TEST s$IAGNOSTICCHECKINCLUDINGREPORTs$IAGNOSTICCHECKINCLUDINGREPORT 2EGISTERFORFREEAT2EGISTERFFOORFREEATwww.saabserviceclub.co.ukwww.saabservicecluub.co.uk andand downloaddownload youryour serviceservice voucher.voucherr.. VisitVisit www.saab.co.ukwww.saab.co.uk to find youryouur locallocal SaabSaab DealerDealer oror forfor more informationinformation about the SaabSaaab fixedfixed priceprice service.service. 4HEa/ILSERVICE 4HEa/ILSERVICEANDTHEa!NNUALSERVICEAREONLYAVAILABLEFORCARSTHATARETHREEYEARSANDOLDER0RICESINCLUDEPARTS LABOUR OILAND6!43ERVICE#LUBDISCOUNTCANNOT ANDTHEa!NNUALSERVICEAREONLYAVAILABLEFORCARSTHATARETHREEYEARSANDOLDER0RICESINCLUDEPARTS LABOUR OILAND6!43ERVICE #LUB DISCOUNT CANNOT bbee useusedd witwithh tthishis oofferffeer price. † 3ERVICEPRICEINCLUDESSTANDARDSPARKPLUGS)FHIGHPERFORMANC3 ERVICEPRICEINCLUDESSTANDARDSPARKPLUGS)FHIGHPERFORMANCEPEPLUGSAREFITTEDTHENASURCHARGEWILLAPPLY7EWILLADVISELUGSAREFITTEEDTHENASURCHARGEWILLAPPLY7EWILLADVISE YOUACCORDINGLYYOUACCORDINGLY /FFE/FFERENDSST$ECEMBERRENDSST$ECEMBER P3 334 NOV-DEC 01-29:Layout 1 25/10/11 13:49 Page 3 8 14 22 46 CONTENTS 6 STEERING WHEEL 22 AROUND THE UK 8 SAAB NEWS 28 DRIVER DOWN THE YEARS A Little Bit of Saab Snow How 30 REGISTERS 12 IN THE NEWS Motoring Tax is Highway Robbery 44 SOC TRAVEL CLUB 14 ROBIN’S REVIEW 46 MOTORSPORT 16 CAR CLINIC 49 CLUBSHOP 18 POSTBAG 50 DEALERSHIPS 19 EASOC BLAST TO SOUTHWOLD 52 PRODUCT OFFER Win a two-night stay for two at 20 NOTICEBOARD The Feversham Arms Hotel 21 WHAT’S ON 54 CLASSIFIED FRONT COVER: Nick Pinketts Saab © Nick Pinkett Please state your Membership Number on all correspondence Design, print & production: MYPEC, The Old Pottery, Fulneck, Pudsey, Leeds LS28 8NT. Tel: 0113 255 6866 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.mypec.co.uk © Copyright 2011 MYPEC Ltd ISSN 1477-2604 NOV/DEC 2011 3 P3 334 NOV-DEC 01-29:Layout 1 25/10/11 14:46 Page 4 SOUTH WALES SAAB SPECIALISTS APPROVED SERVICE CENTRE SWSS Limited, Unit 91Portmanmoor Rd Ind Est, Cardiff CF24 5HB P3 334 NOV-DEC 01-29:Layout 1 25/10/11 13:49 Page 5 WHO’SWHO FOR CLUB MEMBERSHIP, RENEWALS, CHANGE OF ADDRESS, DIRECTORS CLUB QUERIES CHAIRMAN – Richard Elliott Phone: 01457 852944 Contact the Membership Team on: ‘The Quorls’, 9 Wheatcroft, Tel: 01954 232810 Fax: 01954 232106 E-mail: [email protected] Hadfield, Glossop, SK13 2EN. [email protected] POSTAL ADDRESS VICE CHAIRMAN – Dave Garnett PO Box 1063, Octagon House, Swavesey, Cambridge, CB24 4YR. Phone: 01706 368724 Gorsey Field House, Club Insurance Schemes. Tel: 0800 298 4071 Birtle, Bury, BL9 6UD. [email protected] IMPORTANT VICE CHAIRMAN – Alistair Philpott Please quote your Membership Number on ALL correspondence Registers’ Co-ordinator Phone: 01845 587176 The Granary, Manor Farm, Newsham CONTRIBUTIONS Classified Advertisements Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 4DJ. Please send your contributions to: – see details on page 54. [email protected] ‘DRIVER’ Editor, DAVE GARNETT, COMPANY SECRETARY Gorsey Field House, Birtle, Bury, BL9 6UD. Copy should be submitted either by e-mail or on Finance – Keith Copperwheat Phone: 01692 535482 E-mail: [email protected] CD or DVD, either in PC or AppleMac format, Cobble End Cottage, Pennygate, along with a hard copy for reference where Barton Turf, Norfolk NR12 8BG. For information, and ALL articles, Group possible. Photographs should be undamaged and [email protected] Organisers’ reports, Post Bag, Sport, etc. of a good quality and, if supplied digitally, be of a Motorsport Secretary – David Barrow (See above for address.) high resolution for print, either 300dpi or taken Phone: 0151 510 0681 27 Lilac Avenue, Widnes, Cheshire, at the highest resolution setting on your camera. WA8 6SX. Technical queries for Car Clinic, Richard [email protected] Elliott. (See Car Clinic for details.) DEADLINE DATES FOR Regional Groups’ Co-ordinator – Ellie Wilson CONTRIBUTORS Phone: 01527 403596 Register articles to respective Registrars. Jan/Feb 2012 ISSUE: 11th Nov 2011 43 Towbury Close, Oakenshaw South, Redditch, (See individual Register Pages.) March/April 2012 ISSUE: 13th Jan 2011 Worcestershire, B98 7YZ. [email protected] Saab Independent Dealer Liaison – John Ransley DISPLAY ADVERTISING IN THE SAAB ‘DRIVER’ Phone: 0161 338 2423 Anyone in the business of selling goods or services related to the motor industry can advertise in ‘Driver’. 133 Stocks Lane, If Members can recommend a service or would like to suggest a potential advertiser please contact our Sales Stalybridge Executive: Cheshire, SK15 2NU. [email protected] Kay Scott KJS Advertising Tel: 01943 461679 Press and Publicity, Saab GB E-mail: [email protected] and Dealer Liaison – Robin Morley Phone: 07515 112120 10 Arundel Road Yeovil, Somerset BA21 5JZ CLUB VALUATION SCHEME [email protected] The Club Valuation Scheme is continuing to provide a very important service to Club Members. However, I would like to Derek Best remind everyone that the purpose of the scheme is to provide The Valuation Service for any model of Saab which qualifies Phone: 01900 814317 for an ‘Agreed Value’ Insurance Policy. To obtain a Valuation please request a form, return this along with a series of good Longview, Central Road, quality photographs showing all aspects of the vehicle. The Valuation will be issued soon after receipt of the information, but Dearham, Maryport, please remember that if there is any doubt due to lack of information or poor quality photographs the Valuation may be Cumbria CA15 7ER. withheld. Finally, can I please emphasise that Valuations cannot be provided for cars less than ten years old, and are not [email protected] based on resale value. Ken Dover NON DIRECTORS Manor Heath, Manor Brow, Keswick, Cumbria CA12 4AP International Liaison – Iain Hodcroft Phone: 07976 314012 330 Manchester Road, Saab ‘Driver’ is published bi-monthly by The Saab Owners Club of Great Britain Ltd. Tyldesley, M29 8NN. [email protected] Designed and produced by: Librarian/Historian – Keith Long MYPEC, The Old Pottery, Fulneck, Pudsey, Leeds LS28 8NT. Phone: 01226 385139 Tel: 0113 255 6866 E-mail: [email protected] www.mypec.co.uk 10 Byrne Close, Barugh Green, Barnsley, South Yorks S75 1NS. [email protected] Disclaimer Valuer – Ken Dover The Club welcomes contributions to ‘Driver’, but reserves the right to amend them where necessary. All contributions, Manor Heath, Manor Brow, Keswick, whether they bear names, initials or pseudonyms, are accepted on the understanding that the author is responsible for the Cumbria CA12 4AP. Post only opinions expressed and that they do not necessarily reflect