Family Brand

Phil sold the Saab, the 1992 red convertible that has been in the garage at the cabin, reserved for joy rides, trips to town and an irresistible magnet for the grandkids to “drive.” People smile at you when you pass, especially topless. It was our go out for ice cream, dogs in the backseat, noses up for the ride. A glamour moment for me at shotgun in sunglasses and scarf.

Phil had touched every inch of that car, over the 15 years we owned it–refurbished, rebuilt and researched any rattle or clunk. Saabs have a distinctive sound to their engines, especially the 900s, a purr I can recognize a block away. The Saab 900 was the bestselling model from 1978-1994 and beloved for its timeless design. Even though Saab was sold several times–to GM, Spyker, China and then NEV Sweden they couldn’t live up to the original brand and in 2014 they called it quits. We have owned a total of nine Saabs over the last 36 years– a fleet that started with our first red 900 sedan purchased new in 1987, that was still around when our daughter Marie got her license. Then came my Aero station wagons after the minivan days, used Saab sedans and convertibles Phil kept on the road for the kids through high school, college and first jobs. All of them learned to drive a stick, on cars older than they were.

The red Saab was our last, in a long line of model years.

No one in the family was in favor of the sale. But none of us had been under the hood, paid the insurance, or changed the oil. It was just pure fun! This spring, Phil drove it the 224 miles home from the cabin to list it-finally solving the mystery of why the airbag light stayed on. It was truly in mint condition as the many photos and videos showed. When it went live on Saabnet.com, his phone pinged with rapid fire texts. Could I fly out from Boston to take a look? I am in Sweden, I will pay to have it shipped. I am very interested, must find a way to get it to Poland. Someone in California immediately sent his friend from Maple Grove to check it out.

It sold that first night to the man in California.

The new buyer wired the money and sent a transport the following week to pick it up. And has been in touch with Phil several times saying how pleased he is. And by the way, how do you get the top down? (You have to have the emergency brake on.) The rest of us have seller’s remorse, shouldn’t it have sold for more? We are suffering from “mimetic desire.” That tendency to give more value to what others choose and own.

Becka said it best, “Saabs are part of our family brand.” I hadn’t thought about this idea as it applies to family, but there are certain traditions and preferences, tastes and values that we may not see, but are often more obvious to other people. That’s a Palmquist thing, we are DIYers, home bodies, fixers, library users, C-League sports players. Saabs have always been in our driveway.

I must defend Phil’s decision, that he sold it for all of the right reasons.

Still, I feel a pang of loss, just as I did when I saw my Saab wagon backed out of the driveway for the last time.

I know that making changes is a practice that we all must welcome. Big things, like where to live, what we keep, what we shed. Will we still be us if we live differently? Don’t have our stuff? How do we accept health challenges, changes in our bodies that require a different lifestyle? And how do we set goals and make plans for the life we live now and as we age?

What cars do we drive in a post-Saab world?

Phil drives a Honda Ridgeline pickup with a sling in the back for Pepin. The bed doesn’t quite fit a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood but is great for hauling loads back and forth to the cabin. A white Tesla model Y (AKA Pearl) arrived in November and has provided many challenges and opportunities for change. Even though she is outfitted with the technology to open her doors when the app is running, there have been times I blame her for not knowing me as I struggle to get into a white Tesla that is NOT Pearl. In my own defense, notice how many white Teslas there are! (That is because there is a significant upcharge to order blue or red.) Phil adhered a sticker of a Flat-Coated Retriever in silhouette, as a hack for me.

Saabs are not totally out of our life. Our son, Anders purchased a gray 1987 Saab 900 SPG Turbo that he is restoring. It now sits in our driveway temporarily undergoing repairs under the guidance of Phil. So, not to worry, the family brand lives on.