Photo Credit: TTELA

This past weekend, our friend Erik “On the Roof” Carlsson celebrated his 80th Birthday on Saturday, March 14th, 2009 at the Saab Car Museum in Trollhättan, Sweden.

TTELA has provided an incredible report, of this joyous celebration for this legendary personality for Saab Automobile.

Carlsson ‘On the Roof “filled 80

TROLLHÄTTAN Mr. Saab - Erik Carlsson “On the Roof” - has gone and been 80 years. This was celebrated on Saturday with an open house at the Saab Car Museum where lots of friends, fans and Saab Enthusiasts came to pay tribute to rally legend.

- I believe in the Saab. Do not worry, it will be all right, “ said a noticeably moved Erik.

One of many for Erik in the celebrations was to be invited to a delicious oysters from Grebbestad.

Lots of friends and admirers who came to celebrate Erik Carlsson “On the Roof”. One of these was the friend Gösta Karlsson. “We have known each other in 50 years, he is a good friend,” said Gösta.

Saab’s CEO Jan-Åke Jonsson was in place to pay tribute to Mr. Saab.

- I can not understand why so many have taken the time to come and celebrate me. It is not wise! Erik said while he was busy with the hugging, cheek KISS and sign books.

Already a 11.00 in the celebration began, the ring a long queue to the table where Erik was to receive the tribute. It was old and young, acquaintances, admirers and friends.

Gösta Karlsson, known Erik for many years, presented with Bertil Stener a big beautiful orchid and shook hand with his friend.

- Here’s a little flower Erik. It is almost to the day 50 years ago that we met the first time. Do you remember where?
- Yes, said Erik.

Gösta began to tell and both log:

- We pulled a isbanetävling in Vilhelmina, Erik won and I finished third. After the race when I was about to wrap stuff in the car, Erik came up and said: “You can call me a week and I’ll arrange for you to buy a car at discount prices. Then we became friends. “

- I am old racing driver who drove for Saab 1960-1966 and was drivng with Eriks cars. Erik and I have also run the midnight sun races together - he is a very nice and good old friend, said Gösta and smiled at Erik.

Then it was time for the birth of the child’s next surprise.

- Can Erik imagine a little light brunch? said Per Olofsson, site manager for Saab restaurants, and put up a big dish with delicious oysters.
- Oh, yes! Is the Irish or what?
- No they are from Grebbestad, said Per and opened oysters while Erik on a conveyor belt devoured itself.
- They were really fine you. Many thanks.

Per Olofsson told that Erik is a big oyster lover and that over the years talked a lot about this common interest.
- I took me five and Erik had easily consumed five to. I promised to take me ten, when he turns 85.

After that it was time for the anniversary that is canvassed by Saab’s Managing Director, Jan Åke Jonsson, and the management team.
- Hey. Did you have time to go here? said Erik.
- Yeah, good to see that Erik had to eat oysters, “said Jan Åke Jonsson and told a little anecdote:
- At a meeting in Ireland decided to Erik for the two of us would eat oysters. Erik ordered in 20 pieces. I had two - he is about 18!

Jan Åke Jonsson was then a tribute speech in which he told me about Erik, and how he has been extremely significant for Saab through the years.
- The gift you get this picture and a general overhaul of the property you think so much about, “said Jan Åke Jonsson, aimed at Eriks little red Saab 96 he was 50th birthday of Saab.

After century, it became so may he live, and a generally smooth in the room cheered.
- The most important thing is not that I live a hundred years without light that Saab continues to live long after that! Many thanks to all Saab Employees. I believe in the Saab, it will go. It probably makes most of those who are here, otherwise, you had not come here! said Erik and received applause and smiles said everything.

Congratulations Erik, how does it feel to be 80 years?
- I am 80? No, now you all kidding. Thank you it is incredibly nice to be canvassed in this way. I never thought so many would take the time to come here.

And there is certainly no doubt that you believe in a future for Saab?

- Not a second. We have good cars, good people and an incredibly talented director, Jan Åke Jonsson. This will go.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile AB

Peter Bäckström, curator of the Saab Car Museum, has for the first time, posted a press release this time celebrating Rally Legend Erik “On The Roof” Carlsson’s 80th Birthday!

Happy Birthday or in Swedish (Bra Födelsedagen) Erik!

Here is the press release below:

2009-03-02

Rally Legend Erik Carlsson Celebrates 80th Birthday

Erik ‘Mr Saab’ Carlsson is 80 years young this week (March 5) and still employed by Saab, making him the Swedish manufacturer’s longest-serving employee.

As international rallying’s first real superstar, Erik’s career with Saab spans six decades and today he remains actively involved as an international ambassador for the brand, attending Saab launches, dealer and customer events around the world.

The names of Carlsson and Saab are inextricably bound together. Born and bred in Saab’s home town of Trollhättan, Erik first sprang to fame in the early Sixties, as ‘the big man in a little car’, taking two back-to-back victories in the Monte Carlo Rally (1962-63) and a hat-trick of wins in the British RAC Rally (1960-62). His ‘David and Goliath’ exploits against more powerful cars were the springboard for launching Saab as a global car brand.

As a young boy, Erik used to stand on the perimeter of the local airfield in Trollhättan and admire the aerobatics of Saab aircraft flying overhead. Little did he know that Saab would soon start manufacturing cars, and that he would play such a key role in promoting its products.

He bought his first car, a second-hand Saab 92, in 1955 and it was a development of this car, the Saab 96, which took him to his most famous rally victories. Over the years, he has driven thousands of Saab cars and been involved in the development and testing of many of the models. There is probably no man on the planet who has driven more Saabs than Erik.

Read more »

Photo Credit: Per Eklund / Trollspeed

Per Eklund, 62, has been rallying since 1968, is determined to rally again this year according to Mike Jager’s website. If he is able to get the financing this year during the economic crisis, it will mark his 41st anniversary as a rally driver.

This past fall, Per received an award from the Saab Club of the Netherlands.

As Saab Automobile announced that they would be returning to racing in 2009, I wonder if they would be the official sponsor for Per Eklund once again, or if he would need to find funding elsewhere, because currently, Jens Edman, is the official driver in that officially sanctioned program.

This article goes on to say that Per Eklund needs to have something substantial because he plans on attending the Nordic Cup which begins as soon as May 16 in Arvika, Sweden. As it is now, he says that being a rally driver is almost akin to NHL hockey plays paying just for the opportunity to play in the sport, which is complelely wrong.

I wish him well in this pursuit, I hope for him and Saab Automobile, get all of the funding they need.

Photo Credit: Saab Club Netherlands Pictured L-to-R (Esther Smith, Per Eklund and Caroline de Greeff

The Saab Club of the Netherlands has created the “Per Eklund Trophy” this year, which was given to the best Saab Rally Driver in four events this past year.

According to Mike Jager’s website, this club’s historic rally team has added this trophy to their annual rally which has been given to Henri Dommerholt and Jens Håkansson, with a Saab 96 TT Monte Carlo from 1965.

Results Per Eklund trophy 2008 :

1. Henri Dommerholt and Jens Håkansson, Saab 96 tt, 34 points
2. Kjel Postema and Nittert Postema, 28 points
3. Michiel Klinge and Jurryt Jannink, 22 points
René Hut and Cobi ten Wolde, 22 points

Photo Credit: Mr. Saab / Saab Automobile

It is my sad duty to report that Patt Moss, legendary rally driver and wife of Erik “On the Roof” Carlsson has passed away on Thursday, October 16th at the age of 73.

Here is a well written report of her incredible life in the U.K. Telegraph.

Please let’s pause and give respects to her passing and wish Erik Carlsson and family, our deepest condolences.

Pat Moss, who died on Thursday aged 73, became one of Britain’s leading horsewomen and factory-team rally drivers, winning the European Ladies’ Rally Championship five times, the Coupe des Dames on the Monte Carlo Rally eight times, and scoring the Mini Cooper’s first big rally victory in the Tulip Rally of 1962.

Taught to drive at the age of 11 by her elder brother, the great motor racing driver Stirling, in the family Jeep, Pat Moss was a confident driver of Land Rovers on the family farm by the time she was 17, when her father treated her to her first car, a 1936 Morris Ten.

She enjoyed factory drives with all the major teams of the day for 20 years, starting in 1954 in a local car club rally near her home at Tring, Hertfordshire, in her own Triumph TR2, accompanied by her groom, Ann Riley. They won the event, the pair being the only crew to find both a worm and a feather.

With the success of this treasure-hunt behind her, she offered her services to all the major car companies – she badly wanted to drive for Triumph, as the two-litre TR2 was winning all the club rallies of the day, and was a major contender on the international scene.

Read more »

Photo Credit: (c) http://www.erc24.com

Per Eklund, legendary Saab rally driver has completed the entire 2008 European RallyCross season.

Eklund finished 6th overall at the last race of the season.

For more information on this race, please visit Mike Jager’s website directly.

Photo Credit: Mike Jager

According to Saab Enthusiast Mike Jager, legendary Saab rally driver, Per Eklund finished 9th overall at the recent European Rallycross last weekend in the Czech Republic.

For more details including photos and even a video taken behind Per Eklund’s Saab 9-3 BioiPower on the track, please visit Mike Jager’s website.

Photo Credit: Per Eklund / Trollspeed

Per Eklund, legendary Swedish Saab rally driver, has made it to 4th place in the Strägnäs, Sweden rally event.

Here is the news thanks to Per Eklund Saab Enthusiast, Mike Jager .

After almost 3 weeks after Höljes, the 4th race fr the Swedish championship rallycross was held at the Strägnäs Motorstadion.

Eklund drove in the qualification heat a 5th, a 3rd and a 7th time. The last qualification he had a puncture. The times equals a 4th in the A-final.

In the A-final, Norwegian Sverre Isachsen started the A final from pole ahead of Michael Jernberg who set fastest time in the second heat. Andréas Eriksson and Per Eklund qualified third and fourth

Hedström then made a remarkable start and grabbed the lead of the A final away from Isachsen with Eklund initially running third. Eriksson passed Eklund to gain a podium finish, Eklund holding on to fourth place ahead of Croon and Jernberg, the latter retaining the championship lead ahead of Eriksson.

Results:

1. Peter Hedström, Ford Fiesta ST, 30
2. Sverre Isachsen, Ford Focus ST, 27+3
3. Andréas Eriksson, Ford Fiesta ST, 25+1
4. Per Eklund, SAAB 9-3 SportSedan, 23
5. Tony Croon, Ford Focus, 22
6. Michael Jernberg, Škoda Fabia, 21+2
7. Stig-Olov Walfridsson, Renault Clio, 20
8. Stefan Jansson, Hyundai Accent, 19
9. Silvo Viitanen, Ford Focus, 18
10. Guttorm Lindefjell, Škoda Fabia, 17
11. Frode Holte, Volvo S40, 10

 
I have just received another film from the former New England Saab Association secretary, this time a bit longer than the previous film .
 
This film, complete with narration and produced by SAAB SWEDEN in 1964, features Erik Carlsson in the entire Monte-Carlo Rally, footage of the SAAB ANA testing and competition facility as well as brief clips of the Safari, Tulip, Polish and RAC Rallies.
 
Erik Carlsson as well as his co-pilot, Gunnar Palm, were both present at the 2007 60th Anniversary Saab Festival dinner that took place in Trollhättan, Sweden last summer.
 
If you are interested Saab’s world rewknowned rally legend Erik Carlsson or Saab Rallying in general, please sit back, relax and enjoy the nearly 45 minutes worth of vintage rally footage in none other than the legendary SAAB 96.
 

Erik “på taket” Carlsson, or “på taket” in Swedish meaning “on the roof”, was born March 5, 1929 in Trollhättan, Sweden.

The nickname On the roof, apparently originated by from the children’s book, “Karlsson på taket” by Astrid Lindgren. In this book,the Karlsson character lived on the roof of an apartment building. This “on the roof” name was given to Erik Carlsson because he had the infrequent habit of rolling his Saab rally car on its roof.

Erik joined SAAB as a rally driver, just after the first SAAB 92 model was produced and participated in his first rally with it, the Rikspokalen in 1955. Carlsson, married to Pat Moss on March 3rd, 1963, began a relationship that expanded well beyond the homefront. Patt Moss, a younger sister of legendary rally driver, Stirling Moss eventually became Erik Carlsson’s co-pilot through most of his successful rally career.

The early SAABs that Erik Carlsson drove were significantly underutilized two-stroke vehicles that required the driver to keep the high revolutions up while moving, which meant high speeds at all times. When driving these “strokers” at high speeds at all times, Erik Carlsson developed what was called “left foot” braking where you use your left foot to brake while in the same instance, your right foot to maintain the speed at all times.

While Erik Carlsson maintained 1st place in most of his rally circuits, the most notable rally he participated in was the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally where he was victorious.

The year following this victory, both Erik Carlsson and Pat Moss wrote a book called “The Art & Technique of Driving”.

The most recent book on Erik Carlsson’s career was published in 1999, titled “Mr. Saab”. The Mr Saab title was given to Erik “On the Roof” Carlsson by Saab Automobile as he ended his rally career to continue a public relations career for the Swedish car company.

Today, Erik Carlsson has been known to make appearances at various Saab Festivals and Saab Conventions all over the world, and with any luck maybe you will get a chance to meet this legendary Saab rally champion to thank him for all of the recognition, attention and history he has brought to the Saab Automobile brand ever since.

I leave you with his list of lifetime rally achievements.

Photo Credit: ERC24.com

Saab Enthusiast, Mike Jager has recently captured the results from legendary Saab rally driver Per Eklund who competed in EC Austria.

In the time practice, Eklund could drive a third time overall.

The first heat, It was Eklund with the best start in dry conditions. In the first lap he could hold of Eriksson, but not for long. Eriksson could set the fastest time overall, Eklund took the 9th position overall.

To check out the complete results, I urge you to visit Mike Jager’s page directly.

Photo Credit: (c)Mikael Persson

Legendary Saab Rally Champion, Per Eklund, comes in at 4th place overall at the recent Swedish Championship.

Below are the details thanks to Saab Enthusiast, Mike Jager

Stig-Olov Walfridsson, who was on the innerside as pole sitter Eriksson opted for the outerside of the grid, went into the lead when the green(!) light was showen ahead of Eklund and Hedström. Eriksson faced some issues during the start and joined the field in sixth position. Already in the first corner Eklund went off the track as Peter Hedström was too enthousiastic to try to gain second place in the race. Eventually Hedström was blackflagged by the Clerk of the Course for pushing on Eklund. Eklund on the other hand lost a lot of time with this incident but continued racing and joined the track again in last position. By the end of the first lap Walfridsson was leading the field ahead of Tony Croon, Eriksson, who worked his way up to third place after missing the start, Jernberg and Eklund. During the second lap, Walfridsson who was chased by Croon and Eriksson slowed down. Croon was forced to brake and Eriksson hit Croon by accident. Eriksson damaged the turbo and intercooler of the Fiesta and his final was reduced to driving the remaining laps at a very low speed. By the end of that second lap Walfridsson went to the startgrid again. “I noticed a red flag and i supposed the race was stopped. Therefore I went back to the startgrid,” Walfridsson declared afterwards. “Yeah, i also saw a red flag,” said Croon. “I was forced to brake behind Walfridsson, but then i realised that the race still was going on, so I continued,” he said. Racing went on with Croon in the lead while Jernberg climbed to second place. Jernberg went into the joker lap in the penultimate lap while Croon passed through it in the last lap. However, the joker lap didn’t change the positions anymore. Croon came in first and won surprisingly his first Division one event of his career. Jernberg, with a puncture (back left), was second while Eriksson and Eklund finished the race on places three and four.

Report A-final by http://www.rallycross.com/

Results:

1. Tony Croon Ford Focus 30

2. Michael Jernberg Skoda Fabia 27

3. Andréas Eriksson Ford Fiesta ST 25+3

4. Per Eklund SAAB 9-3 ASS 23

5. Stig-Olov Walfridsson Renault Clio RS 22+2

6. Peter Hedström Ford Fiesta ST 21+1

7. George Tracey Peugeot 307 CC 20

8. Jakob Teil Hansen Ford Escort RS 19