Saab Sonett V4 steering wheel

I have now owned a 1968 Saab Sonett V4 for one and half week. And I have to say that I am very happy with my purchase. But there are always a few details to improve. At the moment I have laid my eyes on the steering wheel. The car has the 1969 Sonett steering wheel. It's a fairly plain black steering wheel. Three black spokes, a black center and black leather imitation. And because of the age and wear, it needs an upgrade.

Saab Sonett V4 interior

Worn steering wheel

What should I upgrade to? So far I have looked at British Moto-Lita steering wheels, Italian Nardi and the Saab Sport&Rally wheel. The Moto-Lita and Nardi wheels are available in both leather and wood and both black and polished rims. The Saab Sport&Rally is a leather wheel with black rims.

So what will be the most fitting to the Sonett interior? I have of course a few opinions of my own, but what do you think?

Moto-Lita Leather

Moto-Lita wood

Nardi Wood with black stripe

Saab Sport&Rally

What steering wheel will look the best?

Last leg of my trip to buy the Sonett

Today I have traveled the last leg of my trip to buy and transport home a Saab Sonett. At seven o'clock in the morning the Hurtigrute ship arrived in Trondheim, the third largest city in Norway. Trondheim is best known for the Nidaros Cathedral, founded in 1070 on the burial ground of Saint Olaf of Norway, and a destination for pilgrims coming from all of Northern Europe.

On this early Tuesday May 1st (a public holiday in Norway) the roads were more or less deserted. I drove through the city without stopped for traffic even once. The journey took my south east and my first break was on the Dovre mountain pass.

Dovre mountain pass

On the top of Dovre the mountain tops were still covered in snow, but fortunately the road was dry and free of snow and ice. The weather was wonderful. Blue sky and a warming sun.

Top of the mountain pass Dovre

Driving over Dovre was actually a small detour. The reason for the detour was located in Grimsbu. From Dovre I drove down Folldal and came to Grimsbu. And I am very glad I made this detour, or else I wouldn't have this next picture to show you.

Fill her up with leaded premium fuel, please

From the classic BP gas station in Grimsbu, I drove straight home. And after eight hours in the car, with only a handful of 10-15 minutes breaks, I have to say that I am surprised how comfortable the seats and the sitting position in the Sonett is! I am really starting to love this car. But let's talk more about the Sonett loving in a later post.

Ps: In case you wondered if the Sonett came from the two day sea journey unharmed, I'm pleased to say yes. When I went down to the car deck to get the car, the seaman at the car deck told me that they had had to moved the car a little back and forth in order to place fenders around it. Thank you Hurtigruten, for taking such good care of your goods, and of your guests as well. I promise I will return for another journey!

Custom-made 1971 Saab 95 for sale in Sweden

Custom-made 1971 Saab 95 for sale in Sweden:

"The whole car has been restored and has a airsuspension in the back. The interior is also custom made"

"V4 engine with central-injection and a supercharger on top"

Here's a few more pictures from Hotrod:

The Ursaab in Linköping to celebrate Saab AB's 75th anniversary

The first ever Saab, the Ursaab, is currently on a trip to Linköping to celebrate the 75 year anniversary of the defense and aerospace company Saab AB. The celebration will be held tomorrow Friday 30th March from 11.00-12.00 at the Air Force Museum (Flygvapenmuseet).

Readers of Life with Saab will know that Saab AB together with Trollhättan Municipality and the Wallenberg Foundation earlier this year saved the Saab Car Museum from being sold on pieces and shattered. As part of the deal, Saab AB is allowed to borrow cars from the museum for such events as the 75 year anniversary celebration.

Also present at the celebration will be Hans Osquar Gustavsson, who was one of the developers of the Ursaab. Gustavsson started to work at Saab in Linköping in 1940 and took part in designing the vehicle body of the Ursaab. He was also part of the development of the current Jas 39 Gripen figher jet.

Here's an interview with Hans Osquar Gustavsson from 2007, when Saab - the car company - celebrated 60 years.

Hans Osquar Gustavsson participated in designing the first Saab car and he was involved in developing the JAS 39 Gripen. The Ursaab was, however, a brief parenthesis in the airline manufacturer's 70-year history.

The Saab 92 was not really a highlight when it sixty years ago, on the 10th of June 1947, was unveiled at the Saab canteen in Linköping. The car was smoothed with putty and painted over to hide the worst flaws, and it was definitely not drivable.

"It took a lot of putty, but after the car was painted it was really nice," Hans Osquar Gustavsson recalls.

Together with some fifteen Saab employees, including Sigvard Lenngren who was head of the tool planning, Hans Osquar Gustavsson was assigned from the regular aircraft production in Linköping to produce the first test car.

"We had never built a car before. Most of the team did not even have a driving license. From the start it was clear that the work would be done like we did in aircraft construction. The car would be shaped as an airplane wing, aerodynamically correct, tested in a wind tunnel and everything," Hans Gustavsson Osquar said.

The first prototype was the Saab 92.001 and was completed in the summer of 1946. A 1:10 scale model was tested in a wind tunnel, which was very unusual in the automotive industry at the time but common for aircraft manufacturers. The 0.32 drag coefficient on the prototype was very low for a production car at that time.

"We pinched ideas from various sources. Some did not prove successful. For example, the engine compartment was too narrow. In order to lift the engine out through the hood, it had to be turned around 90 degrees and lifted out with gearbox end first."

The front was redesign on the second prototype, the Saab 92.002. The new front was of the "cascade" type, i.e. there was a chrome grille like on most post-war cars. The car was also modified so that the engine could be reached without to much trouble. This design, however, lead to a worse drag coefficient, which Saab was painfully aware of.

Another problem was that the doors were hinged at the rear. It was argued that it was the best solution. Otherwise, the doors could get damaged when the driver backed out of the garage. But when the doors were opened slightly during a drive, they became wind catcher and people could fly out of the car.

"We were a few who thought that this was dangerous at that time, but the doors weren't redesigned until the 50s," says Hans Gustavsson Osquar.

There were several Linköping based companies that participated on the Ursaab. ASJ made machine parts, Thorells radiator factory loaned their panel beaters and Nordarmatur was in charge of casting.

"We decided early on that the engine would be a two-cylinder two-stroke DKW type engine. But the engine was a little too weak, and we hired Malte Månsson in Linköping to tune up the effect."

The transverse two-stroke engine was of 764 cc and 25 horsepower. The engine and gearbox were one unit.

Saab 92 was the first standard car with a completely self-supporting steel body, which made it strong and stiff. Hans Osquar Gustavsson recall a test drive with the first prototype on the Norrköping road (Norrköpingsvägen).

"The car was a monster to vibrate and make noise. I remember I had to stop and vomit on the road to Norrköping."

Test runs were done in three shifts during the summer of 1946. Drivers from Philip's Bil AB, who participated in the project, drove night and day on the roads of Östergötland. The tests gave many tips on how the Saab could be improved and adapted to production.

"It is fantastic that it turned into a car. It seemed unbelievable back then."

When Saab began mass-produced of the car with the bottle green color in Trollhättan in January 1950, there were many who were interested in buying the car. But Hans Osquar Gustavsson did not want it.

"No, the car was not good enough. I waited until 1956 when the 93 came with a new suspension system and a three-cylinder two-stroke engine. This Saab car was much better than the 92. And the four-stroke engine, which came later, rescued Saab from certain demise."

Hans Osquar Gustavsson has always driven a Saab. He still has a Saab 900 from 1986, but driving is no longer an option at the age of 84.

"My eyesight is not good enough to drive," he said.

Saab Car Museum re-opens on Saturday

The Saab Car Museum, which was saved from being shattered and sold in pieces earlier this year, will once again open its doors on Saturday.

On the day of the grand re-opening, the museum opens its doors at 11:00 and closes at 16:00. Free entry all day long. At 13:00 there will be an opening ceremony.

Earlier this year the museum was saved when Trollhättan municipality paid SEK 14 million, Saab AB SEK 8 million and the Wallenberg Foundation the remaining SEK 6 million to keep the Museum intact and in Trollhättan. To run the museum on a daily basis, the Västra Götaland region and the City of Trollhättan will each contribute SEK 1.5 million this year. The Club for Saab Veterans will help to run the museum and give lectures and guided tours.

After the grand re-opening, the museum will be open Tuesday to Sunday in the daytime.

Saab Car Museum to re-open March 24th

Anyone who has followed the Saab saga the last months know that the Saab Car Museum was put up for sale by the bankruptcy administrators and saved in the last minute by Trollhättan City together with Saab AB, the Wallenberg Foundation and the Västra Götaland region.

Now the grand re-opening date has been set. On Saturday March 24th the Museum will open its doors and once again welcome Saab fans and friends from all around the world!

"I am a happy person," said Peter Backström, the curator of the Saab Car Museum, to TTELA.

Some Saab Museum cars to be sold

Last month the City of Trollhättan together with Saab AB and financially supported by the Wallenberg Foundation bought the Saab Car Museum collection for SEK 28 million. And not suprisingly they now say that some of the cars will be put up for sale.

The car collection consists of around 130 cars and according to the new owners, the City of Trollhättan and Saab AB, not all cars are of interest to the museum.

"It's not necessarily only cars that can be sold. Among other things, there is a complete workshop down at the Saab Museum," said Paul Åkerlund, Mayor of Trollhättan, to TTELA.

According to the agreement between the City of Trollhättan and Saab AB, Trollhättan owns 70 percent of the museum and Saab 30 percent. The City of Trollhättan will together with the region of Western Götaland be responsible for the day to day management of the museum.

Saab AB will be allowed to borrow cars from the museum and the museum could even borrow planes from Saab for exhibit.

So if anyone fancy an old Saab deemed of not to be of exhibit value, then your chance may be just around the corner!

Memories from Rally Sweden

This weekend Rally Sweden is held. It started on Thursday evening with a special stage in Karlstad and yesterday the car went flat out over the border to Norway and to my home town. And so yesterday I spent the whole day outside enjoying the rally.

This year Rally Sweden celebrates its 60th competition. It all started in 1960 as a competition held in summer and named Midnattssolrallyt (Rally of the midnight sun). Swede Per-Fredrik Cederbaum won the first race in a BMW. The following years Porsche cars dominated and won year after year. But then in 1957 Sweden took over. First Volvo rally cars won two times in a row before Saab entered the scene. Erik "on the roof" Carlsson won in 1959 in a Saab 93.

The following two years Carl-Magnus Skogh won in a Saab. Then the audience saw German cars again winning in 1962-63 and Volvo taking two wins before Åke Andersson and Saab once again took first place in 1966, this time in a Saab 96.

Then followed four years which saw no Saab wins. But in 1971 Saab was back on top. Now with Stig Blomqvist as driver. He won three times in a row! In 1976 Per Eklund won and in 1977 Blomqvist was back on top. Saab won last time in 1979 with Blomqvist steering a Saab 99 turbo to victory. The Saab 99 turbo became the first turbo charged car to win a rally.

Today all of the top rally cars have turbo. And so Saab's influence on the rally sport can still be seen. And who knows, maybe on day Saab can come back and be part of rally again.

Here's a video featuring Stig Blomqvist and the Saab 99 Turbo.

Saab car museum saved

The Saab car museum has been saved. Trollhättan municipality together with the Wallenberg Foundation and Saab AB have raised SEK 28 million to buy the complete collection of cars.

The municipality pays SEK 14 million, Saab AB pays SEK 8 million and the Wallenberg Foundation the remaining SEK 6 million. The Wallenberg family was earlier owner of Saab Automobile through their investment company Investor and is still large owner of the defense and aerospace company Saab AB. Now they have thankfully decided to help save the heritage of Saab.

"This means a lot, and one should not forget how important the museum is also for tourism. Tourists from all around the world come to watch the Ur-Saab and the other cars," said Paul Åkerlund, who is Mayor of Trollhättan and former labor union boss at Saab.

"We consider it very important to preserve the Swedish industrial history. Making sure that the collection stays in Sweden and Trollhättan is important to us, the cars are also part of our company's heritage," said Carina Brorman, head of communications at Saab AB.

It is however uncertain when the museum will open to the public again.

"First this must be approved by the Municipal Board of Trollhättan, but I expect that to be merely a formality. We have of course clarified this with all the political parties already," Trollhättan Mayor Åkerlund said.

The approval from the Municipal Board is likely to be made at an extraordinary meeting on Monday or Tuesday at the beginning of next week.

Memories from Rallye Monte Carlo

This week the Rallye Monte Carlo is held. At the time of writing this Frenchman Sebastian Loeb is in the lead in his Citroen DS3 ahead of Spaniard Daniel Sordo in his Mini Cooper and Petter Solberg of Norway in his Ford Fiesta.

The Rallye Monte Carlo is perhaps the world's most famous rally and undoubtedly one of the most prestigious to win. In the mountains around Monaco such legendary rally makes as Porsche and Lancia have ruled. But also Saab.

Official advertisement for the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique

Erik "on the roof" Carlsson won this rally two times. The first time was in 1962 in a Saab 96 and then again in a Saab 96 the next year 1963.

When looking at the official web page of the Automobile Club de Monaco, which organize the Rallye Monte Carlo, it is obvious that Saab is a huge part of the history of the rally.

Just look at the advertisement above and the great pictures from the glory days below.

Bidding on Saab car museum cars closed

The bidding on the Saab museum cars has now been closed. The deadline was set to 12:00 CET today. The question is if the cars will be sold one by one, as a whole or in larger groups. Maybe even a bid from Youngman or Brigtwell on the complete Saab business will include the museum.

The bids placed on the cars should be valid until January 27th, which was one of the conditions set by the bankruptcy administrators. In other words, we might get an answer within the next seven days to what will happen with the Saab car museum.

I for one did bid on a few of the cars. I do not expect to get any of them, but I had to take this opportunity to get a classic Saab in almost mint condition.

Different kinds of Saabs

Most of us know that the company that started to produce the Saab cars was originally a aeroplane manufacturer. Hence the name SAAB - Svenska Aeroplan Aktie Bolaget - the Swedish Aeroplane Joint-stock Company.

And some of us have also heard about Data Saab, the company which developed computers and was actually the company where former Saab CEO Jan-Åke Jonsson started his Saab career.

But did you know that Saab made boats too? And camping trailers? I didn't until today. Here are a few pictures from Klassiker.

Data Saab's D-2 computer from 1960

 Data Saab's Sara computer

Saab's 401 hovercraft boat from 1963 

Saab Saalina boat from 1946

Saab's Saabo camping trailer from 1964

The Saab-Scania family from around 1970

Love for Saab

Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet today has a very nice article about two American guys who love Saab. They seem like true enthusiasts. It is a great read. Below is a translation.

The love for Saab cars changed their lives


They have visited Trollhättan twice, own ten cars with the Gripen logo and are horrified by the thought of a future without the Swedish car brand alive. For the New York-pair Clint Grimes and Alvaro Isla, Sweden and the endangered car brand have become a lifestyle.


HARRIS, USA Just a few minutes ride from Bethel, where the first Woodstock festival was organized in 1969, there is a modest blue house with a garage. This is where Clint Grimes and Alvaro Isla take refuge on the weekends to escape the stress of Manhattan. And this is where the couple's impressive collection of Swedish cars is found.


In total, the collection spans more than ten vehicles - all Saab. Here you can find everything from a 96 from 1969 to a brand new 9-4X. The car that stands out most is an orange Sonett III from 1973 - exclusively produced for the U.S. market.

- Are you asking me to pick a favorite car? says Alvaro Isla and sighs.


- That’s about as rude as to ask a mother to point out her favorite child. These cars are my children.


The fascination for Saab has not always been there. The first time Alvaro Isla came into contact with the brand was in 1985. Then he loathed the model - an odd 900 - standing in front of him because "it was just too different."


But after having owned a Saab 9000, which he later was forced to sell when he needed money for a venture in the restaurant business, the now 51-year-old Alvaro Isla had begun a lifelong love affair with the Swedish car brand.


When the next car was to be purchased, the aim was pointing at precisely an odd Saab 900. The couple met 18 years ago and they joke about the fact that Clint Grimes already owned just a 900 was the "dealbreaker" to love.


- Since then it rolled on. We bought a 900 turbo convertible, a 9000 with a lot of horsepower, the Saab 900 SPG.


When Clint Grimes, who has worked as an engineer at General Motors, talks about the four-wheeled vehicles that are owned by the couple, he does so with a tone that is indicative of a tremendous love for Saab. If nothing else, it's a testament to the couple's two trips to Trollhättan (2007 and 2011) to meet other enthusiasts and visit the factory. Other evidence is all the clothes and stuff with the Saab logo and that they collect all the literature available about the car brand.
- I just started trying to study Swedish in order to read all the books I have, and not just what is available in English. In addition, we want to continue taking part in Swedish culture, says Alvaro Isla and get nods by Clint Grimes.


- Through Saab, we have discovered that Sweden is a totally unique country. It is fascinating that you with just 9 million people can make such a big impression in the world.


At the house in Harris, which is about two hours' drive northwest of New York, they mostly dedicate themselves to disassemble the cars and then put them back together – and they are just as often "struck by the insight of how well made they are" as to "try to improve them."


Quite often hours are spent on the Internet searching for original parts which the previous owner has disposed of.


- As soon as you open up the cars you realize that they are anything but a BMW or Mercedes. They are extremely well made, everything is perfect and carefully designed, says Alvaro Isla.


According to the couple that is precisely the advantage that is also Saab's biggest problem. That the cars are "made to perfection" means that costs increase and at the same time the consumers need to buy a new vehicle is reduced. Another problem they say is that General Motors chose to maintain a high price tag of Saab, despite an impaired sense of luxury, inter alia, "make the inside more plastic."


- I am surprised that not more people are buying Saab, that the brand does not become more popular. But I am happy about it - I don’t want to stop at a red light and see Saabs everywhere. The feeling of exclusivity is a big part of my feeling about Saab, says Clint Grimes.


According to him, the recent years have been somewhat of an emotional roller coaster. News that Saab will be saved from bankruptcy has turned into quite the opposite – and then soon after swinging back when a new lifeline thrown.


Neither Clint Grimes or Alvaro Isla are reluctant to criticize the Swedish government which they believe should have acted more forcefully to save the pride of Trollhättan. At the same time, they want to give a dose of praise to Victor Muller for his hard work.


- You can say a lot about Victor Muller, but if it wasn’t for him, Saab would already be closed. The company may not survive in the future, but they have at least kept it alive for some time and tried, says Alvaro Isla.


The couple doesn’t sit idly by in the fight for a future for Saab.In order to support the Swedish car manufacturer, they recently bought Saab’s newest model, the 9-4X SUV, even though the money was actually reserved for a future 9-5 SportCombi.


- We will continue to love Saab even if the company goes under, but it will not be the same thing, says Clint Grimes who has not given up hope of an eleventh Saab.


-If the company survives, we will buy a 9-5 SC - that is our dream right now.

Here are the Saab cars own by Clint Grimes and Alvaro Isla:

Model	Year	Color
• 96	1969	Green
• Sonett III	1973	Orange
• 99 GL	1978	White
• 99 Turbo Combi Cardinal	1978	Red
• 900 Convertible	1989	Red
• 900 SPG (Aero)	1989	Grey
• 900 SPG (Aero)	1989	Black
• 9-5 Aero	2001	Blue
• 9-3 Turbo-X	2008	Black
• 9-4 X	2011	Bronze

The Silver Beast

What do Lotus, Aston Martin and Saab have in common? They were all driven by James Bond.


James Bond's Saab was a Saab 900 Turbo. And it got the name the Silver Beast. And this was Bond's personal car. It was not a Q-branch car. Here's what Chris Dearden from The Independent writes about Bond and the Saab:

Bond's garage housed half a dozen Aston Martins, various Rolls-Royces, a brace of Lotus Esprits and a Saab 900. Now, the Saab was a nice car, but that is pretty exotic company it's keeping. Why would Bond choose a marque more commonly favoured by headmasters and country GPs?

 The clue is in the 1981 publication date of License Renewed, in which Bond first drives this car. Saab had recently released a radical extension to its range, the Saab 900 Turbo, and it was that five-letter addition to the name that excited the motoring world.

Bond called his car the Silver Beast, which was appropriate given that the power delivery of the early models was so brutal a lot of them ended up in ditches.

The Silver Beast was never featured in a Bond movie, but was a star of the first three novels written by John Gardner:

James Bond shifted down into third gear, drifted the Saab 900 Turbo into a tight left-hand turn, clinging to the grass shoulder, then put a fraction more power to bring the car out of the bend.

License Renewed, Chapter 2

Do you want to know more about the Silver Beast? Then visit Commander Bond. 

The early days of Saab

Lately I have found myself more and more interested in the early days of Saab. The two-stroke engine, the tear drop design and the whole early history of Saab.


So lately I have been searching for reviews of the early cars and other interesting and enjoyable writings about the early years. Last week I came across a little summary on how Saab came to the US. It's short, but very enjoyable for someone who is starved of information  like me. You should check it out at morningsun.net.

As mentioned, I have also searched for read tests of the early Saab. And I've found a few. Reproduced below is a 1962 British road test of the Saab 96. There is not doubt that the early Saabs were very unique back in the 1950s and 1960s with its aerodynamic design, two-stroke engine, freewheel, front wheel drive and coil spring and telescopic dampers on all four wheels.

ROAD TESTING THE SAAB 96 1962 (found on flickr)

BY JOHN B. BALL – ILLUSTRATED BRISTOL NEWS 1962.

THE SAAB 96 is a car which has been proved and is being sold almost as a result of the car’s tremendous rally successes over the past two years. Any car that can win the Monte Carlo Rally must be a very fine performer, but when a car with an engine capacity of something less than a British Mini can do this and outstrip cars of four or five times its capacity, then it must be a phenomenal vehicle.

It is very difficult to liken the Saab 96 to any other car on the road. To be brief, it is a three cylinder two-stroke engine, with a front wheel drive. It is manufactured in Sweden by the Saab Company, who, of course, are world famous aircraft manufacturers. When studying the overall design of the Saab, it is not difficult to see that much of the company’s experience in the aircraft field has been successfully introduced into the design of this car. The line has to grow on one, but after a very short time it invariably does, and whether one likes it or not one has to admit that it is extremely aerodynamically styled, rising in a gentle sweep from the front, and falling to a gentle curve from the roof line directly down to the rear bumper.

Upon further study, one cannot help but be impressed by the sturdiness of the body of the Saab. The thickness of the metal is greater than any car made in Great Britain at the present time, and the vehicle has an aura of being built to last.

This is,of course, no doubt on account of the fact that if a car can stand up to Swedish road and weather conditions, it is pretty well equipped for use in all parts of the world. It is easy to get into the Saab. The large doors open to a maximum width, giving complete accessibility. Once seated one studies the interior of the car. The trim and seating is adequate, sturdy and certainly not ostentatious.

The dashboard facia is simple but completely functional. The main instruments are grouped together immediately in front of the driver, with the ancillary controls immediately by his left hand. Whilst on the subject of controls, I would like to pay tribute to the car’s heating and ventilating system, this is extremely good, even if the booster motor is exceptionally noisy.

The Saab tested was fitted with a three-speed gearbox, and I must say, to my mind, this is certainly the worst thing about the car. The column change cannot be faulted to any large extent, for it is quick and decisive in its control. My main criticism with the Saab box is in its gear ratios. The first gear is only capable of moving the car up to approximately 14 m.p.h. This could be fair enough if you had four gears, but, to my mind, it is certainly not enough with a three-speed gearbox. A more serious point, however, I would say is the fact that the second gear can only take you up to 46 m.p.h., before the engine begins to scream.

This means that even at this very modest speed one has to put the car into top gear, which must obviously adversely affect its acceleration and general performance figures. For all this, however, I must say that quite reasonable acceleration times can be achieved and on the test 0-50 m.p.h. was obtained in as little as 16 seconds.

The top speed on the test was 83 m.p.h. The car took some considerable time to build up to this speed, but is at its happiest when moving along at a good pace in top gear. Cruising speed in the Saab could be said to be from 65-75 m.p.h., and the car could certainly maintain this type of average for long periods without any strain or effort, as has been well proved.

Petrol consumption on the Saab could vary tremendously according to the driver. However, a rough estimate would be between 28 and 34 m.p.g., although this can be greatly affected by a small and unusual gadget known as the free wheel. I found that the car was rather easier to drive with this applied rather than in the normal fashion, for when lifting one’s toe from the accelerator, a three cylinder engine is rather inclined to pull the car down quicker than is comfortable.

However, there is a snag to the free wheel, and that is, of course, that one has little control over the engine when stopping, and the whole mechanics of pulling up the car must be placed firmly on the shoulders of the brakes.

One of the most likeable assets the Saab possesses is its stability on the road and ability to go round corners at high speeds. This is no doubt entirely due to the suspension which is of the coil type on all four wheels. Being a front wheel drive, a certain technique must most certainly be developed when cornering quickly, but Carlsson, the driver of the Saab that won this year’s Monte Carlo Rally, has more than proved that this is possible.

To sum up the Saab, it is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. It comes in a class completely of its own, and is a four or five seater family saloon. It will possibly appeal to the man who wants comfort for his family and who can still get pleasure from the car’s performance. It is a car that will need very little maintenance, and should last for a long time, being very well finished indeed.

Specification Engine: 3 cylinder, 2 stroke Capacity: 841 c.c. Body: Length 13’ 2” Width: 5’ 1” Price: £826 including tax.