What to Know About baT Auction Success Story: Aerodromes and Aero Saabs
BaT Member phoreigncars fittingly traveled by air and by land to bring home the 2010 Saab 9-3 Aero that he won from its original owner—MRichards7—in a May 2025 BaT auction, and he recently wrote in to tell us about his travels:
After winning this 2010 Saab 9-3 Aero a few states away on BaT, I decided a fly-and-drive trip would be the best way to get it home. And since I became a private pilot about a year ago, I knew this would be a great opportunity to demonstrate the practicality of general aviation.
A member from my flying club has been building hours toward his commercial pilot rating, so he was happy to accompany me on the trip and fly the plane back solo. We settled on a plan to meet the seller at the paved airport nearest to his home, which was a lovely site called Minute Man Air Field (6B6), nestled in the rolling green hills of Stow, Massachusetts. We experienced calm winds at our 7,000-foot cruising altitude, but the final approach got a bit turbulent with a nice gusting crosswind that sheared to a tailwind as we were touching down. The landing wasn’t my best, but we touched down without incident and even avoided what appeared to be a snapping turtle on the runway. We taxied over to the seller, who was waiting beside the car at the airport restaurant.
Image: Minute Man Air Field – 6B6, Facebook
The flight took just over two hours, which was less than half the time it would’ve taken to drive, and the great advantage of landing at the small airport was the accessibility. There was no security gate to deal with, no giant parking areas, and not even a control tower to fit us in amidst heavier traffic—just a 48-foot-wide runway, free parking for the plane, and a great restaurant waiting for us on the ground. After taking my fill of sprawling aerial views of the New Jersey coastline, New York City, the Long Island Sound, and the greenery of Connecticut and Massachusetts, I was looking forward to my earth-bound segment of the trip.
Marc, the seller and also the original owner of the Saab, had arrived in time to hear the tires of our flying club’s 1974 Piper Archer touch the pavement at the Minute Man airport. We chatted about the car for a bit and fueled up the plane for my flying club buddy’s return flight. Then, after a cup of coffee inside, I was ready to begin the long drive home.
After a visit to Village Saab, the ghost Saab dealership showroom located in Acton, Massachusetts, I took the Interstates through Massachusetts and Connecticut to get back to more familiar backroads for my drive back to New Jersey.
I exited I-84 at Port Jervis, New York, for a brief northward detour and drove the inimitable roads of the Hawk’s Nest portion of NY Highway 97, famous amongst car and motorcycle enthusiasts for their rapidly transitioning curves and sweeping views of the upper Delaware River and the accompanying verdant valleys and hillsides.
It was back down to Route 23 in New Jersey, and I made a stop at the High Point monument (marking the highest point in New Jersey at a vertiginous 1,803 feet) before continuing to a farm-to-table restaurant and bakery—Wesselhof Farms—for some roadside respite.
The drive from Wesselhof took on a second purpose: tracing a scenic route for the Saab Owners Convention in July that I organized, which was held in Parsippany, New Jersey. I happily discovered that the roads I had pre-mapped from Wesselhof to the Sterling Hill Mining Museum (the last working underground mine in the state) were full of lush vistas, sweeping turns, and abrupt elevation changes. This was perfect for the scenic drive for everyone!
The next leg—from Sterling Hill to the Parsippany Sheraton—necessarily involved some busier roads. But there was still much natural beauty on display just a few miles from the state’s notoriously crowded highways.
After Parsippany, it was another highway slog followed by intimately familiar back roads leading back to my parents’ house in Mercer County and one final leg on I-295 for the home stretch back to Cherry Hill.
I spent about 10 hours in the car and piled on more than 400 highly varied miles. I was reminded of how wonderful these Saabs are as real-world road cars. I even got 31 miles per gallon to boot! Many thanks to Marc for his long-term care of my new 9-3, and thanks to BaT for hosting the auction.
I am looking forward to many more adventures with the 9-3, which will complement an ’85 900 in our small fleet.
If you have a Success Story about a car you’ve bought or sold on BaT, please send a few lines and pictures (or a video) to community.content@bringatrailer.com, and we’ll send you a $50 credit to the BaT Gear Store when your story posts to the site.
We love to hear from satisfied BaT buyers and sellers, and a Success Story feature is a great addition to any car’s history when you’re ready to sell.
