Photo Credits: JMK Saab

JMK Saab of Springfield, New Jersey, site sponsor of Saab History has recently announced a new addition to their family.

Immediately following a favorable decision to become part of the new Saab Cars North America organization, a 1973 Saab Sonett III was acquired.

Apparently one of their customers came in and asked them if they were interested in acquiring this Sonett III. The rest as you can see, was Saab History!

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile USA

The Saab 97 (Sonett III) began production as a product of a Swedish and italian design collaboration and was unveiled in the spring of 1970 at the New York Motor Show.

The chief designer Sergio Coggiola as well as Gunnar A Sjögren were put to task to create this new version of the Sonett, following the previous model, the Sonett II, still with the designation of Saab 97.

This model range was produced until 1974, again at the former ASJ factory in Arlöv, Sweden. Most of the Sonett III’s were exported to the United States.

The final production model in (Mellow Yellow) is located at the Saab Car Museum in Trollhättan, Sweden.

This model for SAAB came equipped with the following specifications:

Exterior: Sports Coupe, two doors, two seats, 800.6kg/1,765 lbs.

1970-74 MY Pop-up headlamps,
1971 MY Alloy Wheels
1972 MY Front Grill Redesigned, now matte black with center mounted blue disc with SAAB word mark and airplane logo phased out on all models, new alloy wheels similiar to 1972 99 EMS, but in all silver rather than soccer ball style. Rear decor plate now painted matte black
1973 MY self repairing bumpers that withstand a collision up to 8km/h (5mph), and U.S. safety regulations required that there were also square tubular steel side impact protection beams in doors. The door handle designs as a result changed. Stripes became available as an accessory. A New mauve paint job was unique to the model.
1974 MY The headlamps washer-wiper added, with pop-up lamps still operating in parallel. Enlarged tire size of 165R15 with allows in black and silver (soccerball). The colors for this year consisted of Baja Red, Burnt Orange, Mellow Yellow, True Blue and Emerald Green.

Interior:

MY1973 Interior changes comprised a new leather gear knob and new controls on the instrument panel.

Chassis:

Semi-monocoque welded steel and fibreglass body, independent unequal length arms, coil springs, rear beam axle, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, Front disc brakes, rear brake drums, twin circuit braking, rack and pinion steering, 60 litre fuel tank, 155SR15 tyres, 4.5″ rim.

Engine: V configuration Four-cylinder longitudinally mounted, 90×58.86mm, 1498cc, compr: 9.0:1, 68hp @ 4,700 rpm, 11.7 mkp@ 2,500 rpm, Overhead valves, four cylinder, pushrod, central camshaft, gear camshaft drive, aluminium cylinder head, cast iron block, 3-bearing crankshaft, FoMoCo, water cooled.

1971 MY 1698cc engine, power output remained unchanged at 65hp. Air-conditioning was now an option.

Transmission:

Front-wheel drive, four-speed gearbox, spiral bevel final drive, 4.76:1,gearstick was now floor mounted.

Dimensions:

Wheelbase 212.3cm/83.6″
Front Track 123.4cm/48.6″
Rear Track 123.5cm/48.6″
Ground Clearance 15.2cm/6″
Turning Circle 9.39m/30.8′
Length 390cm/154″
Width 150cm/59″
Height 119cm/47″
Performance Max Speed 103 mph/165 kph
18.1 mph/29 kph @ 1,000 rpm
Acceleration 0-60 mph 14.4 secs
Standing Mile 18.2 secs
Average Fuel Consumption 26.4mpg (Brooklands Books)

Global Production:

Model Year – Units

1970 MY – 740
1971 MY – 1,952
1972 MY – 2,080
1973 MY – 1,980
1974 MY – 1,596

8,348 Sonett III’s were produced in total.

The Saab 97 (Sonett II) first debuted at the Geneva Motors Show in March of 1966. This vehicle began production at the Arlöv, Sweden ASJ factory which formerly built locomotives, where there were only 28 Sonett II two-stroke models made, 25 production and 3 pre-production in the first year. In 1967, the Sonett II became the Sonett II V4, up until it ended production in 1969.

The Sonett II was derived from two designs, both the MFI-13 as well as Catherina.

This model was first made famous much like the previous 96, by Erik “On the Roof” Carlsson in a modified car in a rally called the Coupe De Alpes in 1966.

This model for SAAB came equipped with the following specifications:

Exterior: 2-Door Coupe, 660kg/1,455 lbs, Reinforced fiberglass. Front Grille With a mesh covered air intake, SAAB Wings emblem on hood, chromium plated hood locks, rear trunk opening.
MY 1967 Hood Re-design to accomodate V4 engine, rubber bumper overriders front and rear, rubber hood locks replaced chromium ones.
MY 1969 New Hub Caps
Interior:

MY 1967 Interior Redesigned, HVAC improved, mahogany effect plywood dash and no glovebox.
MY 1969 New seats with integrated head restraint with adjustable lumbar cushion. A new steering wheel with padded center and glovebox with lid.

Chassis:

Semi-monocoque welded steel and fibreglass body, independent front suspension, coil springs, rear beam axle, coil springs, tubular hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers, Front disc brakes, rear brake drums, twin circuit braking, rack and pinion steering, 59.8 litre fuel tank, 155SR15 tires, 4″ rim.

Engine: Three-cylinder longitudinally mounted, 70×72.9mm, 841cc, compr: 9.0:1, 60hp @ 4,250 rpm, 9.6 mkp@ 4,000 rpm, Two-stroke, aluminium cylinder head, cast iron block, 4-bearing crankshaft, water cooled.

1967 MY 3 cyl 70HP two-stroke motor.
1967 MY V4 Engine

Transmission:

Front-wheel drive, four-speed gearbox, spiral bevel final drive, 4.67:1

Dimensions:

Wheelbase 216cm/85″
Front Track 122cm/48″
Rear Track 122cm/48″
Ground Clearance 13cm/5″
Turning Circle 9.9m/32.5′
Length 378.5cm/149″
Width 144.8cm/57″
Height 116.8cm/46″
Performance Max Speed 94 mph/150.9 kph
18.1 mph/29.1 kph @ 1,000 rpm
Acceleration 0-60 mph 12.3 secs
Standing Mile 18.6 secs
Average Fuel Consumption 16-29mpg (Brooklands Books)

Global Production:

Model Year – Units

1966 – 28
1967 – 229
1968 – ?
1969 – ?

Photo Credit: fwolfe

On a drive this past weekend to visit family in New England, we spotted a beautiful Saab Sonett III in green heading East bound on Route 2 in Leominster, Massachusetts.

As we drove by the Sonett III, we honked and waved at the driver and in return, we got a nice wave and smile!

What a great Saab Sighting of the week!

With the impending rain, I managed to film NESA’s Chris Moberg’s 1971 Saab Sonett III at the Autocross (Auto X) today in in South Portland, Maine in addition to the photos I took earlier.

The photos don’t do this experience justice, but this film certainly does and I am surprised by how well it came out given that it was taken with a point and shoot camera in the rain!

As I mentioned in my earlier piece, even though rain from Hurricane kyle was upon us, you can certainly see the skill of the driver prevailing in this extremely wet autocross.

I think another autocross in the snow even, would be a great opportunity for many Saab clubs including the New England Saab Association, to build their membership base and foster some enthusiastic participation.

Photo Credits: Saab History

Ever since returning back to my native land of New England, I have slowly begun to fully immerse myself backin into the Saab Community once again.

Today was no exception to this immersion into the Saab Community where I got the opportunity to see Chris Moberg, chair of the Cumberland Motor Club, and long time Saab enthusiast with the New England Saab Association. Chris hit the wet tarmack today at the Maine Mall in South Portland, Maine with his 1971 Saab Sonett III “Yellow Thunder”.

Earlier that morning, I had my doubts that this event may not even take place due to the rain, but then I got to thinking that the wet element, would make for an appealing addition to an autocross.

This event was fairly well attended with just about every other make and class in attendance at this club’s last autocross event of the year.

After I patiently awaited along with everyone else in the pouring rain, “Yellow Thunder” finally made a tremendous entrance onto the closed parking lot course by rounding all cones within small tolerances of touching them and finished his first heat without breaking a sweat. After I saw the maneuvering Sonett make it without a hitch, I had to ask Chris about what techniques were used during the run as he stunned the crowd. His response was great and I quote “I never needed to exercise my emergency brake”.

This event triggered my memory of the recent Turbo-X test drive event that took place just North of Boston, Massachusetts back in May. What that day would have been if it were raining, now that would have been a better way to test the abilities of the new XWD cross-wheel drive system in addition to just performance.

The experience today was fun as visitor, even in the inclimate weather as we got to see some performance and handling at the same time, conveyed with multiple makes and models and varying levels of driving abilities.

If I were to be buying a new car, I’d be asking myself where I can both gain the skills of the driver as well as vehicle as capable as the Saab Sonett III. These types of venues would be great to have a Saab tent with 3-4 Saab vehicles with cross-wheel drive available for the public to test…in the rain. Saab was, as you would guest very under represented at this venue.

Let’s also keep this in mind, Chris and his 1971 Saab Sonett III had the “second fastest raw time of the day” ahead of many modern all-wheel drive vehicles!

To learn more about the Chris’s Sonetts including “Yellow Thunder”, please visit his website directly.

The first project was the last of the Sonett 97 model line, the Saab Sonett III that was produced from 1970 until 1974.

The second project that was going to be produced, but ended up only as a prototype, was the Saab 98 Combi Coupé Prototype which was built in 1974, 1975 and 1976, although only one version exists today.

This experience with Saab led to a number of other projects after leaving Saab which included the Lancia Thema, a variation of the Saab 600, but both of these two projects eventually led to early designs of the Saab 9000 which began in 1978 and were eventually produced from 1985 until 1998.

For more information on Sergio Coggiola’s design, please visit his website directly to see his continued successes http://www.coggiola.com/

I leave you with a passage from the book, Alla SAABs Sportbilar by Björn Svallner about Sergio Coggiola’s Sonett III design.

Saab had turned to Italy’s Sergio Coggiola in the hope that he could give the Sonett a more attractive shape. Why go to an Italian designer? The answer is simple. Saab felt it would be a strength to be able to point to a big name and say that the lines had been dictated by a well known stylist from the country that led in car design – Italy.

Photo Credit: Barbara Kriss

I have recently found a very nice article written by the wife of a former Saab owner by the name of Eric who previously owned a beautiful blue Sonett II back in 1969. This article involves her account of how he has recently recaptured his youth just after attending the 2005 Saab Owners Convention that took place in Stratton, Vermont.

Apparently, seeing the beautiful Sonetts at the SOC made Eric become all nostalgic and just had to acquire a Sonett II once again. Eric spent nearly a year after the event looking for a Sonett II and finally found one, and even went as far as to restore it back as close to the original condition as it was when new.

I think it came out quite nice in the photo above, don’t you think? I also wonder if his wife Barbara knows about the blog started by the wife of another Saab enthusiast?

Here are some of my favorite quotes below from the article that I encourage you to read for yourself in its entirety.

After Eric and I sold our Saab Sonett sports car in the late seventies, Eric tried to compensate for its loss—he took up flying. By the time we moved from Chicago to Boston in the summer of 1979, he had both an MBA and a pilot’s license.

–

One summer, Mason invited Eric up to his house in Vermont for a weekend. Little did I realize that the main event of Eric’s visit would be the 2005 Saab Owners Convention, at Stratton Mountain, featuring vintage Saabs of every description. Among the more behemoth models on display were a few restored Sonetts. On seeing them, Eric immediately regressed to his adolescent state. He wanted one of his own. He even phoned me from Stratton Mountain, claiming he’d purchased a Sonett on the spot. I wasn’t amused until I realized he was only joking. I worried that if Eric ever really bought an old Sonett, he would be disappointed, since I believed the actual car could never live up to his mythical memories of it.

–

I didn’t hide my concern from Eric, so he reacted the way any rational man would—he began searching in secret for a 1969 Sonett to restore. His quest continued, without my noticing, for over a year, mostly on the Internet. Since so few Sonetts were built to begin with, there were very few on the market and most of those were in bad repair. Finally, though, Eric thought he’d found the car he wanted. He decided it was time to reveal his intentions to me.

I reacted the way any rational woman would—with dismay. “You can’t recapture the past,” I admonished. Eric insisted he simply loved the Sonett and relished the idea of restoring one.

As a follow-up to the previous writeup on the past and present Saab designers and their achievements, it was necessary to include a chronological up-to-date listing of Saab projects both production and concepts.

This listing includes each Saab project, year introduced along with each designer and/or engineer that contributed to the given project.

This list is a work-in-progress, so any additions and/or modifications that you see necessary below, please add your comments to ensure correctness and accuracy.

Photo Credits: Saab Automobile

Design Contributions by Model

SAAB Scandia 90 (1946-1958)

Bror Bjurströmer

SAAB 91 (1947-1966)

A.J. Andersson

SAAB 92001 (Prototype) (1946/1947)

Sixten Sason

Gunnar Ljungström

SAAB 92 (1948-1956)

Sixten Sason

Gunnar Ljungström

SAAB 93 (1956-1959)

Sixten Sason

SAAB 94 (1956)

Sixten Sason

SAAB 95 (1959-1978)

Sixten Sason

SAAB 96 (1960-1980)

Sixten Sason

SAAB-SCANIA 97 (SonettII/V4 1966-1969) (SonettIII 1970-1974)

Björn Karlström

Sergio Coggiola

Gunnar A. Sjögren

SAAB-SCANIA 98 (Prototype, Cancelled) (1974)

Björn Envall

SAAB-SCANIA 99 (1969-1984)

Sixten Sason

Björn Envall

Saab 90 (1984-1987)

Björn Envall

SAAB-SCANIA 900 (1979-1993/94)

Björn Envall

SAAB-SCANIA EV-1 (1985)

Björn Envall

Saab 900 (NG) (1994-1998)

Björn Envall

Einar Hareide

SAAB-SCANIA 9000 (1985-1998)

Björn Envall

Giorgetto Giugiaro

Saab 9-1 (Speculative Design)

Saab 9-3 (1999-2002)

Einar Hareide

Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan (2003- )

Einar Hareide

Saab 9-3 Hybrid BioPower Convertible (2006 – )

Kjell ac Bergström

Saab 9-5 (1999- )

Einar Hareide (1999-2001)

Tony Catignani (1999-2001)

Magnus Jonsson (1999-2001)

Simon Padian (2002- )

Tomas Ostlund (2006 – )

Saab 9-5 BioPower E85 (2005 – )

Kjell ac Bergström

Saab 9-5 BioPower E100 (2007 – )

Kjell ac Bergström

Saab 9-X (2001)

Michael Mauer

Anthony Lo

Ola Granlund

Simon Padian

Saab 9-X BioHybrid (2008)

Anthony Lo

Andrew Dyson

Bryan Nesbitt

Saab 9-2X (2005-2006)

Michael Mauer

Anthony Lo

Ola Granlund

Per Jansson

Bengt Persson

Kjell-Ake Eriksson

Saab 9-3X (2002)

Michael Mauer

Anthony Lo

Simon Padian

Saab 9-3 SportHatch (2003)

Michael Mauer

Anthony Lo

Simon Padian

Saab 9-4X BioPower Concept (2008)

Anthony Lo

Andrew Dyson

Bryan Nesbitt

Kaj Zackrisson (Skier)

Saab 9-6X (Cancelled)

Saab 9-7X (2005-2009)

Per Janssan

Aero-X(2006)

Anthony Lo

Alex Daniel

Erik Rokke

Simon Padian

Image Credit: Saab History

As a follow-up to the posting I made back in November of 2006 on the logo history, it is about time that I compliment this information with the following on the correct capitalization and nomenclature of the models of the Saab Automobile brand. I hope this sheds some more light in our dialog about Saabs, SAABs and all of the great products that have been developed over the years.

I have provided a fairly well written piece already done on Wikipedia that I would like to articulate if I may regarding the correct capitalization and model nomenclature as a guide.

It is my hope that as a result of this posting, others will be able to better articulate their writing and speaking when referring to all of Saab’s products from 1947 until present. I also think that this posting will help to end search criteria that is typically entered in Google as follows: (SAAB 93 XWD, SAAB 92 ABS, Saab 94 Ski Rack, 2001 SAAB 95, 1999 93, etc.) If this search criteria was taken literally, as it should as google can only do just that, we would have had Cross Wheel Drive available in the late 1950′s, ABS in the late forties, and two long production runs for the SAAB Ninety Five and Ninety Three. Let’s hope that this clarifies this naming and model nomenclature once and for all.

1947-1969 (Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget)

The Company: When referring to the company in both written and oral communication where the products were produced between 1947 and 1969, it is proper to use SAAB in all capital letters to refer to these vehicles.

The Models: When referring to vehicles model nomenclature in both written and oral communication that were produced during this time, they are written and pronounced as 92 (Pronounced: Ninety Two), 92 (Pronounced: Ninety Three), 94 (Pronounced: Ninety Four), 95 (Pronounced: Ninety Five), 96 (Pronounced: Ninety Six), 97 (Pronounced: Ninety Seven)

1970-2000 (Saab-Scania)

* Note: Although the merger took place in 1990, the original products continued. (excluding NG900, 9-3 & 9-5)

The Company: When referring to the company in both written and oral communication where the products were produced between 1970 and 1990, it is proper & acceptable to refer to them as Saabs in lower case letters or Saab-Scania vehicles, also in lower case letters.

The Models: When referring to vehicles model nomenclature in both written and oral communication that were produced during this time, they are written and produced as 97 (Pronounced: Ninety Seven), 98 (Pronounced: Ninety Eight), 99 (Pronounced: Ninety Nine), 90 (Pronounced: Ninety), 900 (Pronounced: Nine Hundred), 9000 (Pronounced: Nine Thousand), 9-5 (Pronounced: Nine Five), NG900 (Pronounced: New Generation 900), 9-3 (Pronounced: Nine Three).

2001 – Present (Saab Automobile / General Motors)

The Company: When referring to the company in both written and oral communication where the products were produced between 2001 and the Present, it is proper & acceptable to refer to them as Saab in lower case letters and/or Saab Automobile / GM vehicles.

The Models: When referring to vehicles model nomenclature in both written and oral communication that were produced during this time, they are written and produced as 9-X (Pronounced: Nine X), 9-2x (Pronounced: Nine Two X), 9-3x (Pronounced: Nine Three X), 9-3 (Pronounced: Nine Three), 9-4x (Pronounced: Nine Four X), 9-5 (Pronounced: Nine Five), 9-7x (Pronounced: Nine Seven X)

I leave you with a brief summary from Saab Automobile’s entry from Wikipedia.

Saab / SAAB Correct Capitalization and Model Nomenclature:

While Saab is in fact an acronym, and, as with many other manufacturers, the word “SAAB” appears in all-capitals within the corporate emblem and in on-vehicle badging, the current correct capitalization of Saab when in print is “Saab,” and not “SAAB.”[citation needed] Other manufacturers such as Volvo, Toyota, Lexus, Acura, and Chevrolet employ the use of all-capitalized vehicle badging, but they are still considered proper names and capitalized as such when written. Likewise, Saab is treated as a proper name and not an acronym, despite its origins..”[citation needed]

Furthermore, all current Saab vehicles are badged with a large 9 and a smaller 3, 5, or 7x following the 9, such as “9³”. However, the digits are considered separate, and are spoken as, for example, “nine three,” and written as “9-3.” Nearly every Saab model ever produced has begun with the number 9 (Saab 600 being an exception), and Saab’s two models became 9-3 and 9-5 in the late 1990s, which was likely a marketing attempt at positioning the vehicles as direct competitors to the BMW 3-series and 5-series, respectively.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_Automobile

Drawing Credit: Jack Ashcraft

Jack Ashcraft, a veteran vintage SAAB enthusiast, has recently launched his own website, www.jackashcraft.com where you can purchase any of his illustrated and documented material.

I must say, the content that he produced both his skills in freehand sketching as well as writing is far superior to much out there these days and should be considered high quality and an extremely smart purchase for the sake of restoring and/or preserving your vintage V4 SAAB for years to come. If only there were others with these kinds of skills these days.

A sincere thank you to Jack Ashcraft for providing this material to the international Saab community for as long as you have and I hope that you see many more years of customers following your well documented publications.

Here is his press release in his own words.

There are THIRTEEN sources for accurate information on V4 powered Saab automobiles. These are the 13 books that I have written and illustrated on these cars. ALL the information in these books is based on work done on these cars in my shop, and my experience with these cars in race and rally competition, over the past 40 years.. NONE of it is conjecture or suppostion. If you want facts and not guesswork about V4 Saab cars, buy the books.

- Jack Ashcraft

Photo Credit: GM Heritage Collection

This 1971 Saab Sonett III has been made part of the Saab USA Heritage Collection.

As of now, Saab History does not have any information about the specifications and details.

In time, hopefully this information will be forthcoming.

Photo Credit: HVTM.HU

To see the rest of the entries, click on the link here or watch the video mix that was also put together showcasing the entries.

Photo Credit: Saab History

The Saab Factory in Trollhättan, Sweden began production in December of December of 1949 of the SAAB 92. At that time, the factory still exhibited it’s aircraft heritage with an air traffic control tower and wind sock elements that were built back in 1937 when they were manufacturing airplanes. From 1947 until 1949, SAAB built automobiles such as the 92001 prototype (URSAAB) and the SAAB 92 in Linköping, Sweden.

At the time of completion of the SAAB factory in 1949, the space available for automobile production covered approximately 190,000 square feet (17,700 sq. meters). This space consisted of the press, body and assembly, engine & transmission construction, upholstery and paint shops and lastly final assembly and adjustment areas. The SAABs built per day at the time were three to four which resulted in 1,246 SAAB 92 cars built in the first year, model year 1950.

In the 10 years of airplane production and 57 years of automobile production that have taken place at the SAAB factory in Trollhättan, the classic Saab 900 that began production in 1979 and ended in 1993 and 1994 with the convertible still remains the leader in units producted with nearly 1 million (908, 810)

Today, the Saab Automobile factory has increased dramatically over the years to include a number of enhancements, additions and expansions to the press, body assembly and most recently the paint shop in 2000. The inventory system the factory uses today is referred to as “Just In Time” or JIT where all materials and supplies are made available only for what is being produced at the present time, therefore there will be no overstock or wasted materials.

It is also worth mentioning that all vehicles produced in the Saab Automobile factory in Trollhättan, Sweden are all built on specific demand from Saab Automobile dealerships worldwide.

The Saab Automobile cars that are produced at the factory today include the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan, Saab 9-3 SportCombi, Saab 9-5 Sedan and the Saab 9-5 SportCombi.

At the recent Saab Festival celebrating 60 years of an automobile manufacturer (3 years in Linköping, and 57 in Trollhättan), I had along with many, the opportunity to tour the factory. Factory tours are available year-round with advanced notice. While there are no opportunities for photos nor videos to be taken during the tours, I have been able to provide you some of the most recent footage of the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan being manufactured in the factory from the first model year, 2003.

Sources:

* Saab Automobile AB
* Sjogren, Gunnar A. The SAAB Way, the first 35 years of Saab cars, 1949-1984 Nyköping, Sweden Österbergs Tryckeri AB, 1984.

Photo Credits: Joe Jerome

The first Saab Owners Convention took place twenty-five years ago in Galena, Illinois during the month of September. According to Tom Donney of Donney Saab in Iowa, “this location was a relatively small tourist town alongside the Mississippi River where about 75 people attended”.

In addition to the Saab Owners Convention logo you see here, I have been able to provide some wonderful vintage photography for you also thanks to Tom Donney’s friend Joe Jerome who also made it to this event.

I am looking for more information on this event, so if you have any additional material, please e-mail me so that I can add it to this posting.

This convention is also listed on the Saab Convention Archive here on Saab History.

Photo Credits: Saab History

In August of 2005, the Saab Owners Convention took place in Stratton, Vermont from August 11th until the 14th. During the event there were vintage SAAB rides available for all participants. The owners of these vintage SAABs were very kind in offering up rides almost non-stop during the one of the days of the convention. I can recall being driven at high speed in a nice silver Sonett II. Quite exciting and nostalgic at the same time.

I hear that there is a chance that these vintage rides may also be available this year at the Saab Owners Convention in Troy, Michigan as well.

Saab Enthusiast Thor Carlson managed to put together a nice video mix complete with the classic Swedish band, ABBA, that best captures this fun experience.

This convention is also listed on the Saab Convention Archive here on Saab History.

Here is the 40-page official convention booklet below, just click on the button to download.

Millet, a graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology founded SAAB Motors, Inc. in 1956 in New York City. Mr. Millet’s first import into the United States was the SAAB model 93 and it first debuted at the New York Auto Show with the Sonett “Super Sport” (94). A year after the 93 was introduced, it was showcased at the Great American Mountain Rallye in Northern New England in 1957.

The SAAB 93 hauled off ships from Gothenburg, Sweden into the port of Hingham, Massachusetts (near the old location of the Shaw Saab dealership). As a result of Mr. Millet’s work and diligence, SAAB Motors grew and eventually moved to New Haven, Connecticut in 1961. In the the 1970′s the heavy harbour traffic in New Haven’s ports rerouted automobile transport boats to full operating ports across the United States and as a result, SAAB Motors, Inc. moved to Orange, Connecticut in 1972. During this time, Ralph Millet retired SAAB Motor’s Inc. became SAAB-SCANIA of America, Inc. Following retirement, Mr. Millet served on the Board of Directors of Saab-Scania of America from 1979 until 1987. While serving on the Board, he also became an industry relations export on government related issues in Washington, D.C.

Ralph T. Millet continued his support of the Saab community by his participation in numerous Saab Owners Conventions and other events. Mr. Millet passed on December 20th, 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut and I have provided you his obit written by longtime friend and colleague, Lennart Lonnegren.

Ralph T. Millet, 85, of Old Saybrook, CT., the man who brought the Swedish Saab cars into the United States, and was president of the Saab importing company, and who became a highly respected spokesman for the imported car business in the United States, as President and Chairman of the Automobile Importers of America, a group representing most of the companies importing automobiles to the United States, died Friday, Dec. 20, 2002, at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, CT.

When the Saab automobile was first introduced into this country in 1956, it was a quite different automobile from those generally sold here. The car’s origin and the management of its importing company, were also somewhat different than what is common in the US auto business.

The first Saab cars were powered by an unorthodox two-cycle engine that required the addition of oil to the gasoline every time the fuel tank was filled; and in difference to most other cars the engine propelled the front wheels, instead of the rear wheels, As to its origin: it was manufactured by a company called Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (abbreviated Saab), that had previously been solely engaged in the manufacture of military aircraft.

Heading the US operation was not exactly your usual “car guy” but an aircraft expert. Ralph Turner Millet had had no previous experience in the automotive field, but would eventually become the representative for almost all of this country’s automobile importers, and steer his adopted company and its unorthodox product through more than 15 years of business ups and downs.

Ralph T. Millet, as a matter of fact, saw the little Saab car become something of a cult car, as well as one of the leaders in the field of automotive safety, before he relinquished his position as head of the importing company, to become a consultant to the company, and its spokesman in safety and environmental matters.

As Mr. Millet recalled it, the actual origin of the entry of the Saab into the US auto market, came at a dinner in Minneapolis, Minn., where the head of Saab, after a meeting with aircraft component suppliers, turned to Mr. Millet, at the time, a purchasing agent for Saab, and said that since Americans were buying Volkswagens, maybe they would also buy Saabs. Mr. Millet said that he seriously doubted the viability of selling a car with a two-cycle engine in the US, but the next day, back in New York, the Saab president persisted.

“He told me to reserve some space at the next New York Auto Show. He would send some cars over, and we would see what reaction they got. Then we would decide about selling the cars.”

A few months later four Saab 93 sedans and a prototype sports car arrived in New York, just in time for the 1956 New York International Auto Show. At the show itself, the reaction of both public and press was quite positive, and several auto dealers expressed their interest in representing the new Swedish make. One even bought a car for resale. Ralph T. Millet was about to change careers, from a specialist in procurement for the aircraft industry, to the job as head of the country’s newest imported car company.

That dinner meeting in Minneapolis was not really Ralph T. Millet’s first encounter with the Saab cars. Born in Boston on August 21,1917, Mr. Millet was educated at the Boston Latin School and received a degree in aeronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1940, just in time to join the US Army Air Corps, where he reached the rank of lieutenant colonel. After the war he started a firm handling procurements for different corporations, one of them Swedish Saab. During his first visit to Sweden, in 1946, he heard of the company’s plans for a small car, and one of his earlier assignments for Saab involved the purchase of body presses for the new car. In 1948, he recalled, an early prototype car was sent to the US, and Mr. Millet had some discussions with the Willys Overland company about building the car. One early problem for Saab, however, was the shortage of suitable steel for the car bodies, It wasn’t until 1950 that the first Saab car was built sold, and not much was thought of exporting it until production reached adequate levels.

But after the 1956 New York Auto Show, Saab Motors Inc. was ready for business. The fist shipment of cars for sale to dealers arrived just before Christmas 1956 at the port of Hingham, Mass., where Saab had established a warehouse and make-ready facility. Fifteen dealers were signed the first year, and sales reached all of 2,200 units in 1958. “We made money in 1959,” recalled Mr. Millet, “but the next year the bottom fell out, when Detroit’s big three introduced their own small cars.”

In 1961 Saab Motors moved all of its operations to New Haven, Conn., leaving only a small aviation purchasing office – the operations Mr. Millet had originally started – in New York City.

The safety reputation of the Saab car has helped sell Saabs throughout the years, as the cars have gradually evolved, first by replacing the original two-stroke engine with a more acceptable four-stroke, and later with newer and larger model cars. Today the company, now Saab Cars USA Inc., and owned by General Motors, sells two distinct lines of cars, the 9-5 and the 9-3.

Safety has always been a major feature in Saab’s marketing efforts, and is something that has been the subject of Mr. Millet’s interest for many years. When the government stepped into the field of auto safety in the late 1960’s, Mr. Millet was one of the first representatives of the auto industry to be appointed to the new Highway Traffic Safety Advisory Council of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. At about the same time, the first trade organization for the imported car industry was founded and Mr. Millet, after originally just representing Saab, eventually became president and chairman of the Automobile Importers of America. As spokesman for the imported auto industry, Mr. Millet was for many years a frequent testifier before congressional and other legislative bodies on matters relating to imported cars, remaining the Saab representative with the trade group, today called the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, until quite recently.

In 1982 Mr. Millet was named to the Board of Directors of the successor company to Saab Motors Inc., Saab-Scania of America, Inc., which by then was involved not just in Saab automobiles, but also built and marketed Scania trucks and buses. Mr. Millet was heavily involved in establishing the Scania business in the US, initially in assessing the market possibilities for the Scania products, and later in helping set up marketing and manufacturing operations in the US. During the 1980’s, Scania operated a complete assembly operation in Orange, Conn. making city busses for a number of different US municipalities.

Always interested in Saab doings even after his retirement, Mr. Millet has been a frequent visitor at Saab dealer functions, as well as at Saab owner conventions, both in this country and overseas. Most recently he and his wife, Gunlog, attended the dealer preview of the all-new Saab 9-3 cars in Sweden this past summer, and the August Saab owner convention in Cincinnati, Ohio.

An active churchman, Mr. Millet was a life-long Episcopalian, and was Senior Warden Emeritus, as well as treasurer of the Grace Memorial Church in Old Saybrook, CT.

Ralph T. Millet resided in Old Saybrook Connecticut. Besides his wife, he leaves four children, Francis N. Millet of Clinton, CT; Charles G. Millet, of Dedham, Mass.; Mrs. Ronald Bearse of Alexandria, VA; and Miss Kristine R. Millet, of Dedham, Mass. He was predeceased by another son, Ralph Millet, Jr., and by his first wife, Elsie Johnston, who died in 1959.

A Memorial Service will be held Thursday, December 26, 2002, at 11 a.m. at the Grace Episcopal Church, 338 Main Street., Old Saybrook, CT. Contributions in the memory of Ralph T. Millet may be given to the Grace Church Memorial Fund, care of Grace Episcopal Church, 338 Main Street., Old Saybrook, CT 06475.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

As a follow-up to the previous posting on Saab’s drag coefficients as early as 1947 with the Saab model 92, I have decided to provide information that covers the approaches that Saab has integrated to also successfully minimize lift.

This list is to provide additional lift-minimizing elements “outside of” the actual body design of the Saab models that I mentioned earlier on aerodynamics and drag coefficients.

If you have any additions, please post your comments to this post along with your e-mail address if you have photographs and any other relevant information.

Photo Credits: Saab Automobile

Saab 92 (1947-1956) –

Saab 93 (1956-1959) –

Saab 94 (1956 Sonett I) -

Saab 95 (1959-1978)
*Rear Roof spoiler

Saab 96 (1960-1980)
* spoiler added what year and were there variations successful or not?
* Front air dam

Saab 97(SonettII/V4 1966-1969) (SonettIII 1970-1974) –

Saab 99 (1969-1984)
* Rear spoilers for coupe and sedan respectively.

* Front Air Dam

Saab 900 (1979-1993/94)
* Rear Rubber Spoiler for Hatch, Sedan & Convertible models respectively.

* Rear Rubber tipped fiberglass Whale-Tail Spoiler for hatch models.

* Air-Flow Kit

* Front lower air dam

Saab 9000CC (1985-1992)
* Full wrap-around rear rubber spoiler 1985 only

* Standard rear-deck rubber spoiler

* Fiberglass Bridge Spoiler

* Front Spoiler

* Air Flow Kit


Saab 9000CD (1988-1993)
* Air Flow Kit

* Fiberglass spoiler

Saab 9000CS (1993-1998)
* Fiberglass Standard spoiler

* Fiberglass Bridge spoiler

Saab NG 900 (1994-1998)
* Rear Rubber Spoiler

* Rear Fiberglass spoiler with rubber tip

* Rubber Spoiler (Convertible)

* Front Spoiler

Saab 9-3 (1999-2002)
*Rear Spoiler

* Rear Fiberglass pedestal Spoiler
*Rising Spoiler (Viggen only)

Saab 9-3 Convertible (1999 – 2003, 2004- )
* Rear Spoiler

Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan (2003 -
*Rear Spoiler

*Rear Aero Spoiler

Saab 9-3 SportCombi (2005 -
* Rear Roof Spoiler

Saab 9-5 (1999 –
* Front Lip Spoiler

* Rear Bridge Spoiler

* Rear Pedestal Spoiler

Saab 9-5 SportCombi (2000-
* Rear Roof Spoiler

Saab 9-2x (2005-2006)

Saab 9-7x (2005 -

Source: Johnson, Cutnell PHYSICS: Fifth Edition Wiley, New York, NY 2001

A colleague recently mentioned that there is a website that showcases the Saab Automobile’s drag coefficients of various Saab models throughout the years including the current 9-3 model.

I have decided to provide this information to you here, properly citing the source but before I do that I should provide some information about the drag coefficient and how it is broken down.

Drag coefficient (Cd) defined:A dimensionless quantity that describes a characteristic amount of aerodynamic drag caused by fluid flow, used in the drag equation

According to the source, a drag coefficient (Cd) equal to 1, is when all fluid is that approaches an object is “brought to rest”. This is why drag coefficients are less than 1 in automobiles today where the fluid (air movement) is spread across the vehicle with very little air “resting” in any one place for a sustained period of time. If there was a force of air movement sustained on all parts of an automobile the coefficient would be equal to 1.

Source: Drag Coefficient

Here are some of the drag coefficients for the Saab Automobiles from source. If someone has additional data for more of Saab’s models that I have not been able to find, it would be interesting to see a complete year over year and model vs. model comparison of drag coefficients.

– Ursaab 92001 (1946-1947)

0.32 – Saab 92, (1949 – 1956)

– Saab 93 (1956 – 1959)

– Saab 94 (1956)

– Saab 95 (1959-1978)

– Saab 96 (1960-1980)

– Saab 97 (Sonett II 1966-1967)

0.320 – Saab 97 (Sonett V4 1968-1969)

0.31 – Saab 97 Sonett III, (1970-1974)

0.37 – Saab 99 (1967-1984)

– Saab 90 (1984-1987)

0.34 – Saab 900 (1979-1993)

0.40 – 0.42 – Saab 900 GLI (1979-1984)

0.340 – Saab 9000CC (1985-1992)

– Saab 9000CD (1988-1993)

– Saab 9000CS (1993-1998)

0.34 – Saab 900 NG (1994-1998)

0.30 – Saab 9-3 (1999-2002)

0.34 – Saab 9-3 Convertible (1999-2002)

0.31 – Saab 9-3 (Viggen) (1999 – 2002)

0.33 – Saab 9-3 (Viggen Convertible) (2000 – 2002)

0.28 – Saab 9-3 SS (2003-
0.33 – Saab 9-3 SC (2005 -
0.34 – Saab 9-3 CVT(2004 -

0.29 – Saab 9-5 (1998 – 2005)
0.31 – Saab 9-5 Wagon/ SportCombi (2000-2005)

0.29 – Saab 9-5 (2006 -
0.31 – Saab 9-5 Wagon/ SportCombi (2006-

0.395 – Saab 9-7x (2005-

.35 – Saab 9-2x Linear (2005-2006)
.34 – Saab 9-2x Aero (2005-2006)

If you are interested in purchasing one, I might suggest searching Ebay for such a model as it is extremely rare. I would suggest checking out our scale models page for this and other models that have been made available for the Saab brand by a number of manufacturers over the years.

Please take a moment to read about the Sonett Club of Sweden in their own words before enjoying the photography below. Enjoy.

The club was founded 1981 in order to look after the interests of the Sonett owners and of course also to organize different meetings.

The club was founded 1981 in order to look after the interests of the Sonett owners and of course also to organize different meetings. Of totally more than 10000 produced Saab Sonett, where of 1868 of model Sonett II and V4 from 1966-1969 and 8368 of model III from 1970-1974 there today remains a little bit more than 300 Sonetts in Sweden. Of these, we have about 250 cars in the club, which is a sign of a strong interest for this Swedish but still unusual car. We have almost 375 members in the club where of about 70 are living outside Sweden.

Nowadays the cars are mainly used in the summer time and more and more by enthusiasts. One aim for our club is to secure the stockholding of spare parts and thus the club is selling many specific spare parts for the Sonett. We even initiate new production of some parts.

Another important issue is also to see to, that our members, and in this case of natural reasons in Sweden, have good and favourable insurance alternatives for their Sonetts.

4 times yearly, we issue a Swedish club paper, “Sonettvärlden” or “the Sonett World” which we see as the main source for information. We write about different matters like our meetings in Sweden but are also informing about the International Saab Meetings. Further on, we write about spare parts and insurance questions and the history of the different Sonett models.

Our members can advertise the sale and purchase of spare parts or complete cars, naturally free of charge. Of course you also have an excellent opportunity to contribute with articles about your Sonett or for example to give mechanical advice. If we receive the articles in English, we normally publish them without translation whereas if we receive the articles in other languages we normally prefer to translate them to Swedish.

Source: http://www.sonettclub.se/eng_index.html

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

Gunner A. Sjögren also referred to as GAS, was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1920. As a young kid living in Umeå, a Northern city in Sweden he had an interest in drawing automobiles, airplanes, trains and boats. His interest over time became a finely crafted skill which became his profession. Just after his time spent in highschool, he took a year to work at an engineering workshop in order to gain some real-life experience and then later went to college in Orebrö in order to realize his passion for the automobile.

In 1941, he was hired by General Motors in Stockholm, Sweden as a draftsperson. His drawings were of a very high quality, but not necessarily that of a technical nature, and as a result he was found himself better suited in the advertising department by contributing high quality illustrations to the products that were being promoted at the time.

After working with General Motors for a total of 13 years, he decided to go alone and do freelance work by accepting commissions from advertising agencies and various automobile publications. Five years of self-employment and once again he was back working in the automobile business an an employee, this time he was determined to work with SAAB. The time and place were in Gunner Sjögren’s favor, as he fell into an an advertised opening for an illustrator at their headquarters at the time in Linköping, Sweden in 1959. He worked in other locations that Saab had their offices as well such as Södertalje and finally Nyköping.

Gunnar Sjögren contributed to the clarification of Saab’s design philosophies to marketing stategies in parallel to his ability to produce eye-catching advertising material in order to help bring the public into the showrooms. The design work on the Sonett III with Sergio Coggiola was one of his notable accomplishments in the product lineup with Saab-Scania before he retired in 1980 at the age of 60.

Source: The SAAB Way (1949-1984)

I have provided a few illustrations that Gunnar Sjögens created of the Sonett III for you to appreciate the level of detail he exhibited in all of his work while being employed at Saab from 1959 until 1980.

Illustration Credit: The Saab Way

The design suggestions for the new Saab 97, Sonett III, came from Italian designer Sergio Coggiola. Many details, however, including much of the rear section were drawn by Swedish designers. The new model measured 390 cm (154 in.) in length; had a 215 cm (85 in.) wheelbase, and weighed 760 kg (1,675 lb.), empty. The quite large luggage compartment could be reached by raising the rear window.

Illustration Credit: The Saab Way

The 1972 Sonett could be recognized by its new grill, with a theme that was later incorporated into the 99. The rear panel was painted black, while the rest of the body carried light and bold colors. The wheels were wider and made of aluminium alloy. In 1972, 2,080 Sonetts were built.

The first piece of footage that I managed to locate only appears to be either part of a real television advertisement or promotional video done by SAAB-SCANIA in 1970. It has been indicated to me that this model is a 1970 due to the straight grill and the smaller bumpers, most importantly the steel wheels.

The second extremely short video clip features the Sonett III in a crash test, which could make an educated guess that it was filmed in either 1973 or 1974. This video depicts the safety characteristics of the model during pre-production before the model officially debuted in the fall of 1972 as MY1973 or 74. It has been indicated to me via e-mail recently that this is a most like a 1973 or 1974 Sonett III due to the larger bumpers.

If you managed to find any other official footage of the Sonett III from the crash test to even a complete version of the first clip as either a 30 second television clip with either a Swedish or English voiceover, please contact me.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile USA

As a follow-up to Italian design, an Italian by the name Sergio Coggiola contributed to the styling of the Sonett III model that ran from 1970 until 1974.

Here is the writeup of this recent addition to the Saab Automobile USA heritage collection.

1970 SAAB SONETT III

Launched at the 1970 New York Auto Show, the third-generation Saab Sonett was a significantly different car from its predecessor. The V-4 engine was tuned to deliver 68 horsepower, compensating for the increases in size and weight of the new car.

In terms of styling, the Sonett III benefited from contributions by the Italian designer Sergio Coggiola, featuring bolder front and rear sections plus a new interior. In the back, the Sonett III gained a hinged rear window, offering easy access to the rear luggage compartment.

In front, the new treatment included manually operated pop-up headlights. In addition, features such as air conditioning and a floor-mounted transmission shifter were added to meet the requests of American dealers and customers.

1974 was the last model year for the Saab Sonett, bringing the production total to 10,236 cars. The final Sonett to leave the factory in Arlöv, Sweden was bright yellow. It resides in the Saab Automobile factory museum in Trollhättan near Gothenburg, on the Swedish West Coast.

The blue 1970 Sonett III in the Saab USA Heritage Collection, featuring less obtrusive front and rear bumpers than later models, was acquired and fully restored in 2006.

The beginning of this week starts with the Saab Automobile USA Heritage Collection’s 1967 SAAB Sonett II. This model is a 3 cyl 70HP two-stroke motor similiar to the model mentioned previously.

In 1967 there were 229 production models built at ASJ factory in Arlöv, Sweden

Stock Factory Setup:

Longitudinally mounted 3-cylinder two-stroke engine.
Cylinder bore 70mm, stroke 72.9 mm, cylinder volume 841cc.
Compression ratio 9.0:1
Rating 60hp (44 kW) at 5200 rpm.
Torque 9.6 kgm (94 Nm) at 4000 rpm
Three Horizontal carburettors, Solex 40 DHW
Electric fuel Pump

Here is the writeup on the 1967 Saab Sonett II Two-Stroke from Saab Automobile USA.

1967 SONETT II TWO-STROKE

Beginning in 1967, the Sonett II represented Saab’s second – and much more ambitious – foray into the world of two-seat sports cars. Aimed primarily at the North American market, the sporting intentions of this agile coupe were obvious. The race-winning Model 96 Monte Carlo two-stroke engine, fitted with three carburetors, was standard equipment.

The fiberglass body was attached to a sheet steel frame featuring an integrated roll bar. An unusual, one-piece front end hinged completely out of the way for easy access to the engine, transmission and front suspension components.

Capable of 0-60 mph (100 km/h) acceleration times of 12.5 seconds and a top speed approaching 100 mph (160 km/h), only 258 Sonett IIs with the “Monte Carlo” 60-horsepower two-stroke engine were built during the two years of production. One of these, restored by the Saab Club of New England and finished in silver metallic, has been a longtime member of the Saab Automobile USA Heritage Collection.

A subsequent, more powerful, V-4, four-stroke version of the Sonett II, distinguished by a bulge on the hood to accommodate the taller engine, brought more horsepower, more speed and a total of 1,868 cars built over the next three years.