Abandoned car was stuck inside a tree for over 40 years, cunning plan devised to get classic gem out in one piece

You might have heard other stories about classic cars abandoned in the woods, but this 1968 Saab 96 truly became one with nature as trees grew around and through it.

That’s right – through.

On first impressions, it looks like one of those AI-generated images that surfaced on the Internet when AI tools were fairly new.

As dire as this abandoned gem’s condition was, some dedicated people managed to break it free in one piece.

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Saab 96 stuck inside a tree

Hosts from the RESTORED YouTube channel found this 1968 Saab 96 in a ‘tree-mendous’ condition in the middle of a forest.

In a video posted two years ago, they showed how they rescued the classic car.

It had a pretty unfortunate history, too.

One of the hosts revealed that it had been parked in that location since the 1980s.

That’s around 40 years away from the road — give or take.

We all know time can be brutal on machines like this, and there are countless examples showing just that.

This Saab 96 had parts of a tree growing through its quarter panel, bumpers, and even the wheels.

It was as if nature itself had been trying to reclaim that space — much like what happened to this abandoned sports car in a forest.

A ray of hope for the classic car

These guys initially thought they could jack the car up to separate it from the tree.

However, that plan didn’t exactly end well.

Next, they tried various different tactics, and one of them finally worked.

The duo had to cut down the tree branches growing around the Saab 96 so it could be moved.

The classic car was finally free, and the YouTubers wanted it to be a project car.

Although it came with a solid four-cylinder engine and a manual transmission from the factory, it would likely need a complete makeover.

Getting parts from this generation of Saab models was a task back in the day, and remains that way to date.

That’s likely why you can find several of these abandoned in dealerships like this one.

All things considered, the YouTubers might manage to bring this classic car back to life because it would undoubtedly shine brightly on the road.