Saab 96

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Saab of Sweden is one of those truly innovative and original manufacturers whose products have always appealed to a more cerebral class of motorist who value form and function above the superficiality of fashion – much like Bristol in England and Lancia in Italy.

Starting off as an aircraft manufacturer in Trollhatten in 1937, they also pioneered computer technology in the late 1950s and electronic weapons systems in the 1960s. Car production began with the Saab 92 of 1949, a ground-breaking design built on aircraft principles with an aerodynamic monocoque structure stamped out of a single piece of sheet metal and powered by a two-cylinder two-stroke engine.

However it was the third iteration of the 92 platform that really catapulted Saab to international attention, the Saab 96 that was unveiled in 1960. The first Saab officially imported to the UK, it was powered by a 38bhp 750cc three-cylinder two-stroke engine mounted longitudinally ahead of the front axle, but this was upgraded to a 40bhp 841cc unit in 1964.

Concerns within certain areas of the factory about the long-term viability of two-stroke engines due to impending changes in emissions legislation led to a split in the management. In the end, a small group went behind the back of the Managing Director straight to the shareholders, who agreed that development work should be undertaken in secret as an insurance policy.

Just seven engineers were secretly seconded onto the project, the rest of the factory having no idea what was afoot. Various engines were considered, including Lancia, Austin, Hillman, Ford and Volvo units, the B18 Volvo engine being the most reliable, if problematic to install in the existing 96 shell and politically a little too close to home.

The solution came in the form of the 1,498cc German-built Ford Taunus engine, a reliable unit that was nice and short and fitted into the car a treat. The change was agreed and organised in secret, just 40 members of the shop floor being informed of the plan which was rolled-out in late July 1967, immediately before the August holiday shut-down and a mere four weeks before production of the new V4 model started in earnest.

It was a big deal in Trollhatten, the secretive launch programme very nearly being scuppered when a keen-eyed journalist spotted the first pre-launch cars sporting V4 badges.

The model was a great success, the quirky V4 power-plant fitting in well with the rest of the model’s idiosyncrasies. By 1980 when production finally stopped, it still had a column change, freewheel clutch and the unique clamshell bonnet that had stayed with the car since birth, along with its unmistakable Dan Dare styling.

This two owner example was purchased by the vendor in 1993 for £800. A dedicated Saab owner, he used it as his everyday transport until taking it off the road in 2008, although his love of the marque meant that he couldn’t quite bear to part with it until now, a recent move to a high street location meaning that he no longer has the space to store the vehicle.

Its colour was changed from the traditional Saab beige to black in 1995, the vendor confirming that the indicated mileage of 74,000 miles is correct. There are numerous bills on file, along with a factory workshop manual, parts manual and five old MOTs, along with some boxes of useful spares including hub caps, a radiator, alternator and a laminated windscreen. It also comes with the front bumper which is missing in the photographs, removed in order to add some Stig Blomqvist-style rally spot lamps in period.

Now requiring some light recommissioning, this distinctive model is being sold with its super registration number SAB 96L - as if it’s quirky shape isn’t sufficient for passers-by to clearly identify the make and model of car!