Photo Credits: Wendell Francis

As I have recently been organizing the website, I was looking at the Quantum IV section more and more and realized soon enough that the Quantum IV Formula S was a production kit car and certainly not a concept car like all other Quantum models were.

Furthermore, I have recently been provided a writeup on the SAAB Quantum IV from the son of vintage SAAB racer and enthusiast Wendell Francis, Paul. This article is from the April 1990 issue of Victory Lane Magazine in which have also been recently given permission to reprint the article called “Quantum Reflections” that covers in detail, the history of the SAAB Quantum IV Formula S. This is an incredible read, enjoy.

As the Barber SAAB series, the popular training ground for open wheel drivers, moves on to the 1990 season, let us reflect back 25 years to Quantum Formula S, the open wheel SAAB racer of the mid-sixties. In 1964, Hank Rudkin, leader of a group of New England SAAB enthusiasts, concluded if Volkswagen could have their own formula series, then SAAB should too. As a result, the Quantum Motorcar Corporation was established in Seymour, CT to begin production of the Quantum Formula S. Rudkin began lobbying SCCA to establish a separate class with rules similiar to that of FV for his SAAB based racers.

The rugged SAAB three cylinder, two-cycle engine and four speed transaxle, as used in the SAAB 96, was moved to the rear and placed in a semi-monoco-que chassis which relied mainly on twin four-inch diameter tubes and stressed metal bulkheads for strength. These large tubes also served as 3-1/2 gallon tanks. The fully independent suspension used the A arms from the front wheel drive hub carriers to the rear employing in the standard dual wheel cylinder SAAB drum brakes all around. The front arms were ball-jointed to cast alloy uprights with a built-in steering arm connected to a 96 rack and pinion. Coilover type shocks completed the Formula 1 like the suspension set-up. Total weight of the car was 830 pounds. The SAAB 841cc powerplant produced a true 65 horsepower by using a GT crank, racing pistons, cylinder head and distributor along with altered port timing. According to the July 1965 Sports Car Graphic Track Test, “the peak power is at 5600 rpm, the red line at 6500 and nothing much over a gasp below 5000 rpm.”

The 35 pound three piece fiberglass body was constructed of red color impregnated cloth. A wrap around windscreen identical to those used on Lotus Formula Juniors was affixed along with a left-hand gear shifter. The Quantum could be bought in a kit form from the factory or any SAAB dealer (part number 500-700) for $1,347 which included everything except the engine and tires. The tuned motor was another $595. SCCA veteran Jim Haynes raced the factory prototype to a fourth place finish in Formula Junior at the October ‘64 nationals at Lime Rock Park turning laps at 1:07 and 112mph. SAAB displayed a Quantum Formula S on their stand at the New York International Auto Show in 1965.

Unfortunately, a separate class for Formula S never came about and with the demise of the Formula Junior in 1965, the majority of the cars delivered by Rudkin in 1965/1966 were raced in Formula C. Quantum made available 85 horsepower engines as used with H modified racers. Haynes finished fourth in FC at the 1965 ARRC (forerunner of the SCCA runoffs), and Bill Rutan was FC national champ in 1967 in his Quantum. These cars were easy to spot on the track with their stove pipe expansion chamber exhausts, but the pop corn popping sound of the two-stroke motor could be heard long before the cars came into view.
No one knows for sure how many Quantum Formula S racers sold. In mid ‘65, Rudkin had orders for twelve, he had hoped for 200 per year. Rudkin believes about fifty cars were built, many underwent changes to larger engines and disc brakes. Thirteen Quantums are known to exist today including one still unassembled in a basement in Western New York. The author raced a Quantum in the early ’70’s and sold it to SAAB-Scania of America, Inc. in 1988. The car is displayed in SAAB’s Orange, CT corporate lobby. The Vintage SAAB Racing Group pioneered the return of the Quantum Formula S in SVRA and Walter Mitty Challenge races in the SouthEast. At least two Quantums are currently being prepared for West Coast vintage racing. Tom Cox, of Woodstock, MD, owner of two Quantums, maints the Formula S Register.

Source: Victory Lane – April, 1990