--- title: "Seven Saab Prototypes Left Behind at the Factory Are Headed to Auction" date: "2026-05-12" modified: "2026-05-12" authors: - name: "Byron Hurd" job_title: "Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/byron-hurd" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/seven-saab-prototypes-left-behind-at-the-factory-are-headed-to-auction" categories: - "Car Tech" - "Culture" - "Electric Vehicles" - "For Sale" - "Manufacturing" - "News" tags: - "9-3" - "saab" --- # Seven Saab Prototypes Left Behind at the Factory Are Headed to Auction ![Saabs outside NEVS in Trollhättan, Sweden. (Klaravik Sverige/Youtube)]() *\Klaravik Sverige/YouTube\* How would you like to own a [weird piece of automotive history]()? In a little over a week, the final 7 Saabs still remaining in the company's former Trollhättan, Sweden, production facility are headed to auction. It's a hodgepodge of pre-production cars hailing from as far back as 2014, and despite the brand's recent semi-revival under the National Electrical Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) banner, some of them even run on old-fashioned gasoline. There are actually eight cars up for auction later this month, but only seven of them are Saabs. Three of them are 9-3s from 2014; they're pre-production examples that would have served as the prototypes for the gasoline cars that NEVS planned to sell to bridge the gap while it worked to bring its new electric models online. [Supposedly](), the three remaining 2014 prototypes were intended to be used for crash-testing, but were never needed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsDflW-FCfg The other models are all electric. One is a pre-production example of the 2019 9-3 EV that was to be built in China; there's a second with all-wheel drive. NEVS also had a self-driving 9-3 prototype, along with one fitted with a range extender. The final car in the listing is a Hengchi 5 crossover. The car was built and sold by Evergrande, but this is merely a prototype. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Interested? Well, how do you feel about booking a [last-minute trip to Sweden]()? I kid, mostly. You don't actually have to show up in person to participate in the May 21 auction, but you will need to register for an account with Klaravik. If you're located anywhere but Sweden, this requires being registered as a business, the listing notes. Swedes can register as private entities; no business required. ## Author Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories. He brings a light, punchy style to all of his content, believing that there's plenty out there to be laughed at—himself included. Born and raised in Maryland but now based just a stone's throw from Detroit, Byron is an auto enthusiast and generalist who enjoys building and tinkering with things of all kinds, from cars, computers and digital cityscapes, to the new garage that will soon house his fleet (a CT4-V Blackwing, a JK Wrangler and an NA Miata). Inspired by an early love of rollercoasters, Byron quickly caught the high-performance driving itch. He's been tracking and auto-crossing his cars since 2007. In his downtime, Byron enjoys reading, playing city builders, and studying the history of the Motor City. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()