Do You Miss Saab? Here’s an Abandoned Saab Dealership With Over 20 Cars Left Inside
Major car companies don’t go out of business all that often. But when they do, it can sometimes feel like losing a childhood friend. For many, when Swedish car maker Saab shuttered in 2011, that’s exactly how it felt. For those still mourning the loss of one of the weirdest carmakers ever, hopefully this recently discovered Saab dealership with over 20 cars still inside will be a balm to your weary soul.
Are there any new Saabs left?
It’s maybe a bit of a stretch to call these Saabs new, but they will have to do. Typically when a car company shuts down, the dealers often transition to another company. One Saab dealership in France was not about that life. Although some of the cars have been pilfered for parts and the shop ransacked, there are still some sweet Saab time capsules sitting entombed in thick layers of dust.
What happened to this Saab dealership?
While we don’t know much about this French dealership, we do know that when the news came down that Saab was no more, instead of picking another brand to sell, the two brothers who operated this dealership decided to bail altogether. According to Motor1, the dealership opened in 1972. The same family also owned a Husqvarna shop. However, once one of the brothers became ill, the Saab dealership started having some problems.
We’ve seen abandoned shops like this before. There is something very exciting about these places. While the shop hasn’t been touched in many years, it is clear that the two urban explorers that filmed the video tour of the abandoned Saab dealership were not the first people to find it. Despite the vandalism, there is still a bit of magic left here.
The main showroom still has two 9-3s and a 9-5 proudly presented. Despite the stolen parts and broken windows, these appear to be very saveable cars. One of the coolest parts of this find is all of the dealer brochures, posters, and even a wall showing paint samples and interior upholstery options. Although faded by the sun and time, these items are drool-worthy for any Saab diehard.
What cars were left at the dealership?
The garage area has a variety of cars left in different states of disrepair. Not only are there a number of cool Saabs, mostly from the late ‘90s, but there are also Citroen, Peugeot, and Renault models. Thankfully, most cars in the garage avoided the cruel hands of the vandals. Other than whatever issues landed them in the garage in the first place, there doesn’t seem to be much else wrong with them.
Aside from the cars, there is a wealth of parts seen in this old garage. Saab nuts would freak for 10 minutes with a shopping cart in here. Hell, there is even an engine block. Since there is no factory support left for Saab owners, finding original parts and tools used to work on Saabs is a rare treasure indeed. We hope some of these cars and parts can find their way into the hand of some proper Saab nerds.
