Anne Springer , 200% SAAB girl

Let me introduce you Anne Springer , a fantastic Saab girl who defends her favorite brand with passion & love .

I had noticed on Facebook how enthusiast she can be and proud of Saab . And when she has decided last week to do something for Saab , I can say that she gave the impulse indirectly to us in France for organizing a gathering to support VM . So I wanted to know more about her and she has been kind enough to answer to my few questions .

-So Anne please , who are you ? 

        I am 30 years old (will be 31 on the 15th, a big day for Saab!)
        I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota
        I run my own online bookselling business called Teblhasa Books, I've been in business 1.5 years

-What's your story with Saab ? And why do you love them so much ?

        Jan '08. I started out as a die-hard Toyota fan, until I drove my boyfriend's '03 Saab 9-5. I had to trade in my Toyota for a Saab! I bought a '03 9-3 because she spoke to me. Her name was Karin. She was an absolute troublemaker from day one. I ended up selling her 6 months later to a great guy that still loves her today (and she behaves perfectly for him!). I ended up buying a Subaru wagon because I needed the space to carry house supplies (bad, bad mistake!).

'Nov '09. A little over a year later, I needed to get into a cheaper car. I did the research. What kind of car could you get for under $4000 that would look and drive great, look expensive, would age well, easy to work on (or at least inexpensive to repair) and could do over 300k easily? That answer was easy: Saab! I found a beautiful 1993 Saab 9000 CSE. I loved it and I bought it on the spot. It was the only car I've ever been caught speeding in too! That turbo... wow! He had a slight "diesel" sound to the engine and he was a bit cantankerous at times. He was given the name "Grumpy". I ended up having to end the relationship with Grumpy after a random transmission hose popped off while driving in April '10. I was able to limp him off the highway into a parking lot, then had to wait over an hour in the rain for help to arrive. I realized then he needed more work than I had time to put into him. He sold within a few hours of the ad being up, to a couple that had a 900 convertible. They drove him down the street and said, sold!

May '10. I got into a '99 9-3 named Tadeusz (Tad), who was previously named Ted by a couple of his previous owners. What a beautiful car! Sleek black lines, yum. I joked it was the most un-photogenic car, because was an absolute mirror imagine and I saw more of the reflection than car in the photos. Unfortunately my business was growing fast at the time and I needed a truck to haul heavy boxes of books (although I did many trips with Tad). I sold Tad for a very lucky young lady whose father pretty much bought it on the spot, grinning ear to ear, for her first car. As sad as I was to see Tad go, I could see the love in that family's eyes, he would be taken care of.

I didn't own one from Sep '10-Feb '11, and those were the roughest months for me! I was part of the MN Saab Club but couldn't bring myself to attend many meetings because I wanted to cry! (true story) I tried an SUV and then a wagon, and neither worked out very well. I only bought the wagon because there were no good Saabs for sale at the time. Sigh.

I got my '99 Saab 9-5 in February '11. My friend offered it to me, and without a second thought, I said I'd buy it, sight unseen. It needed a new starter and was located almost an hour away from me. We were able to work things out. I absolutely do NOT regret that decision. I am so in love with this car, the joke is if it would fit down the hallway of my house I'd let it sleep in my bedroom. :-) His name is Griffen, after of course the Saab Griffin. He is the most comfortable car I've ever ridden in, and so much fun to drive. I find myself taking the curviest roads in town, just because he is designed for them. I also love to play Abba with the biggest, dumbest grin on my face. He truly is like an old friend to me, and I hope we have many more happy years together.

And why I love Saab? Its because first, the people of Saab are just amazing. The workers are so dedicated and caring, the CEO is the most brilliant businessman in the world, and the Saab owners are the best people around. I have never belonged anywhere before, and I have finally found my place. These cars are not only the safest in the world, but they have very comfortable seating, excellent features (heated seats and like the 9000's rear window defoggers), very tough suspension (it handles the abuse of carrying heavy book boxes well!), and you can fit just as much into this car as you could a station wagon without having to sacrifice the sporty sedan look. And I love their looks, especially the old tear drop shape. Every car has a personality of its own, and (most) these cars have names. Everything is just so exciting when you're driving a Saab, even on the worst day you can still have a smile on your face. I never felt like that when I owned my Toyotas, a Subaru, a VW and a Mazda. No, its always been Saab for me, and it always will be.

-Do you consider your Saab as a boy or as a girl ?

       The Saab I own now is definitely a boy. I've owned 3 boy Saabs and only 1 girl Saab. They tell me what they are!

-What are the qualities of your Saab ?

        Griffen is very fun. He looks like he's always smiling, and he loves to be driven! He can get a little cranky sometimes and won't let me out of the car (once both the seatbelt wouldn't unbuckle and the door wouldn't open at the same time!). Absolutely the most comfortable car I've ever driven, I have a lot of room to stretch out and even more to fill! To this day, my best is 35 boxes of books (some large, some small) and the suspension barely sank (each box was at least 20 pounds). I also fit tons of stuff in moving, I think the neighbors were watching in amazement, all the stuff I kept pulling out!

        -Do you like others brands ?

    I used to be a Toyota fan, but they just do not make me feel safe with their loose steering and poor cornering. I love BMW as a dream car but in reality Saabs are much more practical. And that's it, I've always been anti-GM!

    - You say that you hate GM but all your Saab are from GM's era ...

Ha ha!
Good question! I guess when I fall in love with the model/car, I don't think first how much GM heritage it has. I just make sure its a quirky Swede. :-) I also have had no luck finding pre-GMs everytime I'm in the market to buy. They are getting harder and harder to find, at least where I live!

What Saab model would you like to own excepted yours ?

    I want a 9-3 sport-combi! They look super cool! And probably a newer 9-5. Oh, and another 9000. And an old 900 just because they look cool. But the 9-4x would be great for my business! Yes, I will have a Saab Farm one day...

- What is your feeling about Saab's future ?

    Saab can do it! I believe with Victor Muller and all of us behind him to support, we can conquer the world! Saab has had problems in the past, not necessarily of their own fault, but moving forward they are on solid ground. They have a great portfolio of cars, innovative technology, and they keep winning new fans each day. It comes down to someone looking at them seriously and giving them a chance. Together we can make it happen. Long live Saab!

Thank you Anne and don't change anything , Saab need people like you !