2000 Saab 9-3 SE Turbo Eco

Finished in Cosmic Blue Mica with Warm Beige leather and carpets, this first-generation Saab 9-3 is fitted with the two-litre turbocharged engine and five-speed manual gearbox.

The online MoT record suggests it was off the road between 2016 and 2023, which helps explain the ultra-low odometer reading of just 13,667 miles when it was tested in April this year, something that resulted in advisory-free pass, no less.

The seller has eased himself off the corporate ladder, giving him the time to work his way through his Bucket List cars. As you’ll have guessed, the Saab 9-3 was on that list and he actually bought this one from a friend of his, which is a recommendation of its own.

Having enjoyed the summer with it (“it’s given me great pleasure”) and thus ticked it off, he’s happy to offer it for the next enthusiast to enjoy.

And we expect quite a queue to form because not only is it in genuine ‘time warp’ condition, ‘W523 WGN’ also offers more elegance than just about any new cabriolet: Dial in Saab’s legendary analogue longevity and you’ll be handing it down to your children to pass onto their kids.

Saab reputation for durability has never been more evident. For a start, the only flaws we can find are a chip on the rear edge of the driver’s door and a couple of scratches, one on the offside rear wing and one on the door. The windscreen has also started to delaminate in the nearside bottom corner, the black trim that runs along the perimeter of the cabin is showing its age, the offside front bumper insert has faint scratches, and both rear corners of the bonnet are chipped.

But that’s it – and may we remind you that this is a car that’s just celebrated a quarter of a century on the planet?

Everything else is in an excellent condition from the shutlines (tight and even), panel alignment (razor-sharp and accurate), lamp lenses (free of chips and cracks), badges (new and colourful) and paintwork (almost certainly original and very shiny).

The 16-inch alloy wheels (‘only’ 16 inches – remember when 16 inches would have qualified as huge?) have only very modest scuffs but given you’re going to have to replace the rubber, you may as well get them refurbished at the same time.

Replace the rubber?

Afraid so; while all the tyres have good tread, they’re a mixed bag of three Avon and one Goodyear with build dates ranging from 2007 through to 2013 – and they’re showing their age with cracks on the sidewalls and in between the tread.

But buying new tyres is one of the better ways to spend your hard-earned money – and splashing out to get the roof fixed would be one of the most painful.

Luckily that’s already been done with a service, including a new hydraulic line and fresh fluid, only a couple of months ago. It’ll come as no surprise then to hear that it rises and falls quickly and smoothly, as you can see.

It also seals tightly, furls neatly beneath a flawless solid cover, and presents beautifully with no tears, rubbing marks, or even loose seams. There are a few stains on it, plus some mildew between the inner headlining and the outer fabric, so you might like to get someone to give it a thorough clean. (They could also clean the recess into which the hood folds while they’re at it.)

The roof also features a heated glass rear window, which, when used in conjunction with the powerful heater, make the Saab a true all-season car.

Well, it is Swedish.

The four-seater cabin (and it will seat four full-size adults in comfort, which is less common than you might think) is in an excellent condition – but then it has covered fewer than 14,000 miles.

The front seats are gently creased but no more while everything else could be that of a five-year-old car rather than one that’s counting down to its thirties.

It’s a stylish place too with the burr walnut veneer and the Warm Beige leather working beautifully with that classic Swedish design to create a cabin that’s timelessly elegant and effortlessly cool.

Easy to use, too but then you’d expect nothing less of a firm with Saab’s heritage, would you?

And in contrast to today’s touchscreen madness where altering the heat output demands scrolling through eight menus and six different screens, this one has two buttons: Red to make it hotter and blue to make it colder – and if the Auto button is kept on then the air-conditioning will kick in automatically and take you from “phew” to “brrr” faster than almost anything of this era.

Which brings us neatly to the thorny issue of whether everything works or not.

Look, it’s a Saab and it’s got fewer than 14,000 miles on the clock so of course everything works including the air-conditioning, which blows very cold.

Saab’s iconic Night Panel is a seriously underrated feature that (again) stands in stark contrast to the distractions of modern cars, some of which have even started playing adverts for Spiderman when you turn them on. (Yes BMW, we’re looking at you.)

Other nice features include a taut netting pocket in the nearside front footwell and the thinnest sliver of burr walnut veneer around the ignition switch which is still mounted in its rightful place on the transmission tunnel.

The boot is a decent size too, and it plays host to a good carpet plus a space-saver spare wheel and the tool kit.

As for flaws and blemishes, the offside rear headrest is marked and has a small hole on its rear face, the driver’s door seal is slightly damaged, and the gear knob has developed a bit of a patina but we suspect few will feel the need to do anything about any of these.

More urgent is the headlining, which droops and rather spoils the luxurious interior, as does the pitting to the interior door release handles, the rust on some of the headrest sliders and seat buckles, and the bubbling and cracking that’s visible on some of the veneer trim.

The stamped service booklet shows the following:

· 13.07.2000 and 10 miles – pre-delivery inspection

· 27.09.2001 and 1,018 miles – service by Currie Motors

· 26.09.2002 and 1,740 miles – service by Currie Motors

· 15.01.2025 and 12,333 miles – service by KC 2000

· 30.03.2026 and 13,667 miles – service by KC 2000

As you can see, it starts well and idles quietly. Pressing the throttle adds a bit more noise but even that is an attractive four-cylinder thrum, and the exhaust note is like everything else; subtly sporting and never vulgar.

Our brief test drive didn’t reveal any knocks or clunks either.

The engine bay is nicely presented with nothing more than a little alloy corrosion on some of the components plus the odd spot of flaking paint.

Again, in contrast to the majority of modern cars there’s space to work under there too, making home servicing and maintenance a very real possibility.

Peering underneath shows what seems to be very solid metalwork; certainly no MoT tester has ever felt the need to comment on structural corrosion.

There are a few spots of recent underseal plus older stuff that’s started to crack in places. A few areas of light surface rust too but wire-brushing that off and continuing to refresh the underside with a coat of new sealant would be a very satisfying and straightforward winter project.

No urgency thought because the Saab’s MoT certificate, which is valid until March 2027, was issued with no advisories.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with the Saab wallet and book pack plus an invoice for the recent roof service.

Four-seater convertibles are rare – and ones you can buy for less than five-figures and still rely on to take you to work or across the Alps are rarer still.

The Saab 9-3 meets all of those criteria – and it does it all with considerable style, just like it’s been doing since the turn of the century.

So, our guide price of between £5,000 and £8,000 feels like extraordinary value anyway – but when you learn that it is also being offered with no reserve, the case becomes irresistible.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.