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Peter Lawson doesnt mince words. And he doesnt mind telling anyone why he loves -- and collects -- his favorite car. I just adore Saabs, he says, But only the ones built before 1996, when General Motors bought the company and effectively ruined it. Before that, they were wonderful, wonderful cars.
He should know. Peter, a UK native and current resident of Norwalk, owns four of the Swedish workhorses. Four in the United States, that is. He keeps another -- a bigger, more powerful model -- back in England for when he returns there on frequent business trips. I like knowing that when I land Ill have my 9000 waiting there for me.
Peter is sales director for a Swiss medical research company, and he spends a lot of time on the road. For lengthier trips he resigns himself to the reality of highway driving and the potential quirkiness of an old car, so he rents a vehicle. But for shorter forays he chooses to drive one of his fleet of Saabs, whose model years are 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1996, two of which are convertibles. His favorite is his 1991 coupe, which he properly pronounces -- with British flair -- as his coupé. I love the shape of it -- its look is supremely confident and competent, he says, adding, And its quite sexy.
But his vehicular love affair runs more than skin-deep. Saabs were the first production vehicles to introduce the turbo-charged engine, which was developed for speed but eventually became a matter of fuel efficiency, and they were also at the forefront of safety features, he says.
What is his favorite thing about his old Scandinavian four-wheeled companions? He cracks an immediate response: No seat warmers and no cup holders, he says emphatically. Saabs are real cars. And Peter Lawson is a real Saab lover.
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