Three years later, the first car in a production run of just 400 Saab 900 Convertibles for the US market was delivered. Since then, the model has gone through three generations, of which almost 300,000 units were sold around the world.
“Over 25 years, the Saab Convertible´s success has helped to mould the shape of the automotive landscape. Today, most manufacturers offer convertible models and it was the success of the soft-top from Saab that provided their inspiration,” a company statement reads.
“The launch of the Independence Edition Convertible, celebrating Saab’s rebirth as independent company, is now also a fitting tribute the Saab soft-top's first 25 years,” the statement further adds.
25 years of Saab Convertible production:
- First generation (1986 — 1993): 48,894 units
- Second generation (1994 —2002): 149,145 units
- Third generation (2003 — April 2011): 99,535 units
- 3 most popular colors are: Black, Steel Grey and Silver
- 6 swiveling cross-braces are used in the soft-top
- 7 hydraulic cylinders are used to execute four different movements in the operation of the soft-top
- 11 manual heat settings replace the automatic climate control when the soft-top is down
- 20 seconds is the time required to fully deploy the powered soft-top with the engine is running,
- 21 degrees is the ideal back-rest inclination for rear passenger comfort
- 26 meters is the total length of the hydraulic hoses used in the roof system
- 30 km/h is the maximum vehicle speed at which the soft-top can be raised
- 140 bar is the hydraulic pressure required to operate the soft-top
- 181 is the number of moving parts in the soft-top mechanism
- 366 is the number of Saab 9-3 Convertible Independence Editions being built
- 1,500 liters of water is sprayed over the Convertible's soft-top in a special chamber to check weatherproofing
- 3,500 kilos is the load that the windshield header rail and its supporting A-pillars can carry
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