An exciting car from a car manufacturer that was long at the forefront when it came to the development of family cars. This particularly applied to driving characteristics and design.
Saab started in 1937 as a manufacturer of aircraft for the Swedish armed forces. After the peace in 1945, the need for aircraft decreased so that new opportunities and markets had to be considered. A war with great destruction meant that the need for cars and transport was very great. Saab, along with many other manufacturers, saw a large market in the following years, and decided to start car production. In the early days, a small family car was produced with the name Saab 92. It was only the beginning of a number of well-known and smooth-driving car models from the Swedish car factory. Saab had a difficult start as a car manufacturer right after the war. Access to all types of materials was limited at the end of the 1940s. But it eventually became a car, even though production was relatively small at the start. The car had good driving characteristics which made Saab a good name among motor sports enthusiasts right from the start.
Saab 96 sports
The successor to the Saab 93 was the model with the designation 96. It was produced between 1960 and 1980. The new model was very similar to its predecessor but had a larger rear window and slightly better space for passengers and luggage. The changes to the bodywork gave the car a far more modern look. Here there was also a sporty version with the designation "Saab 96 sport". This was a model with more horses and better equipment. The front seats were thick and very comfortable, while the back seat became a small bench. The car was tailored for motor sports athletes and others who liked to drive sporty cars. This was a real winning car both on the track and on the road. The pictures here show the latest version with a new and extended front section. It was also the last model with a 2-stroke engine. When Saab replaced the old 2-stroke engine with a new V4 engine, the car lost much of its distinctive character and the sports version (also called "Monte Carlo") disappeared in 1968.
Data Saab 96 Sport
Length: 417 cm
Width: 159 cm.
Height: 147 cm.
Top speed 155 km/h.
Engine: 3 cylinders 2 stroke – 841 ccm, 55 hp
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Anders de Lange
Anders de Lange writes about car history. He has written about cars and car history for over 30 years, published his own books and written for the Norwegian car press.