Passionate about Saab cars
Safety in numbers
For one collector of old cars the term petrol head is too vague – he only has eyes for old Saabs
“I’ve always loved cars. I think they are one of the most amazing inventions ever,” says historic car enthusiast Christoforos Glykanisos. But for him, it is not just cars in general, or even historic cars, but Saabs – he has a collection of eight. Two weeks ago, his love for the cars saw him enter the second Cyprus Historic Car Rally, with his 15-year-old daughter as co-driver. He came second. His love for racing Saabs has even taken him to Greece.
“Old cars are great but I just love the look of old Saab cars,” he says. “I think they are one of the safest cars around and this is something I noticed ever since I got my first car, which was a Saab 99. I’ve never had another car, since the age of 21.”
The Saab enthusiast buys old, neglected cars and fixes them up, spending hours on end in his workshop at home. “You could say it’s a hobby even though I am a certified mechanic and do know what I am doing, so it’s not actually costing me that much and I’m doing something I love. I can be wide awake at three in the morning fixing one of my babies up.” 20 years ago, he bought a Saab Sonett, a 1972 model, spending £3,000 on it. Today, the Sonett is the only one in Cyprus and is worth somewhere between £15,000 and £20,000.
“All my cars are parked in my garage, which thank God is big enough because if it wasn’t we would probably have to move,” he says. Covered and kept away from sunshine and dampness, the cars are checked and cleaned frequently whereas his brand new Saab 95 makes do with living outside on the pavement. Any parts, however that are required for such old cars, do cost and aren’t easy to obtain. “Obviously, almost every part for these specific cars cannot be found in Cyprus, so I get in contact with the factory in Sweden and have it delivered, which can cost more than I would like it to.”
Christoforos took part in the latest rally with a 1972 Saab 96. “A lot is expected of the co-driver and I’m lucky my little girl has been taught well because she was one of the reasons we came in at second place,” Christoforos explains. He has also participated in Greece’s International Historic Car Rally despite the fact that shipping the car back and forth can cost an arm and a leg, not to mention the risk of it getting damaged. “It’s a stressful time but I insist on going every September and managed to finish third last year.”
So does he have any plans to expand his collection further? “Well, not really but if anything comes along I wouldn’t say no,” he says trying to avoid the glare of his wife staring at him. “It’s all for my daughters really, though!”
