It was Saab’s mid-1960s airplane logo –and the unusually sleek little front-wheel drive sports car it was attached to– that attracted a young Bruce to this brand more than 50 years ago. When this Catskills, New York-native got his driver’s license, aged 16, and started thinking seriously about what he wanted his first car to be, a Saab was his first and only choice. “I told my parents that I was going to buy a Sonett if I could get my hands on one,” Bruce remembers. “One fateful day, a classified advertisement for a 1970 Sonett III was in the local paper; a short time later, it was mine.”

Parental admonishment over his teenage driving mischief meant he wouldn’t keep that particular car long, but the hook was set, and through the following decades, he would own many other two-stroke and V-4-powered Saab cars, including his famous 1961 96 rally competitor, Puttyus Maximus. With the support of his always-enthusiastic wife, Lori, Bruce, became one of the most knowledgeable and engaged vintage-Saab enthusiasts around the globe. “My connection to the marque grew over time as I became involved with various Saab clubs throughout the USA and Europe. I was elected president of the Vintage Saab Club of North America in the late 1980s, and continued in that role as president until 2018.”

When asked if he’d serve on the board of the Saab Heritage Car Museum USA, Bruce quickly agreed. “Without a home base such as this, the Saab brand would have an increasingly difficult time reaching out to the public. Having a Museum that shows not only cars, but also archives the history of the brand with sales literature, books, accessories, and memorabilia, will be an integral part of introducing Saab to future generations,” he asserts.

“My hope is that more and more people decide that restoring a Saab to its former glory –whether it be for show or for competition– is a worthwhile endeavor. I make myself available to the novice restorer to supply technical advice, parts sources, and most of all, encouragement! Do you have a Saab-related question? Contact me at sonett1@hvc.rr.com!