Saab 96

Saab 96 at a glance

The 96 is part of the Saab story told in our Saab history, and the brand's later models are in our Saab catalogue.

From the 92 to the 96: Sixten Sason's shape grows up

The 96 grew out of the first Saab, the 92 of 1947, whose aircraft-inspired shape is covered in our article on how Saab built its first car. Developed internally as project 93C, the 96 kept Sixten Sason's rounded fastback profile and the front-drive engineering of the 93 it replaced. Saab presented it to the press in Stockholm on 17 February 1960, and the 96 and the new 95 estate were shown in Britain at the London Motor Show the same year.

The layout explains the car's reputation in snow. The three-cylinder engine sat ahead of the gearbox and drove the front wheels, which put most of the weight over the driven wheels. Saab used high-quality steel and built the body to survive Swedish roads, and the gear lever stayed on the steering column for the car's whole life.

Two-stroke years, 1960-1968

The first 96 used an 841 cc three-cylinder two-stroke with 28 kW (38 PS), rising to 29 kW (40 PS) by 1965 and 31 kW (42 PS) in 1966 with a three-throat Solex carburettor. A two-stroke needs oil mixed into the fuel, and it gave the car its high-revving sound. Saabplanet's period figures give 0-60 mph in 25.6 seconds and a kerb weight of 813 kg for an early car.

The sporting model appeared in 1962 as the 96 Sport, with triple carburettors and separate oil injection, and was renamed Monte Carlo in 1966 to celebrate Carlsson's wins. It produced 38 kW (52 PS). Seat belts were fitted from 1962 and dual-circuit brakes from 1964. In 1965 the front end was lengthened, losing the original bullnose, and in 1966 a four-speed gearbox became standard in place of the three-speed with its unsynchronised first gear.

The Ford V4 and the long middle age

Tightening emissions rules were closing in on two-stroke engines, and Saab found its answer at Ford of Germany. From August 1966, for the 1967 model year, the 96 was offered with the 1,498 cc Taunus V4. The four-stroke made 48 kW (65 PS) and much more low-down torque, and the V4 and two-stroke were sold side by side until 1968. Front disc brakes arrived in 1967, the windows grew in 1968, a brake servo became standard in 1969 and a new dashboard followed in 1970.

The V4 kept the freewheel, which let the engine idle on the overrun and allowed clutchless gear changes. In 1972 Saab claimed a first for the 96 with factory-fitted electrically heated seats, and in August 1975 impact-absorbing bumpers similar to those of the 99 appeared, while the rear seat moved 5 cm backwards. Saab stopped importing the 96 to the UK in 1976 and marked the end with 150 metallic burgundy Souvenir cars. From the 1979 model year production moved to Valmet in Finland, where the last 96 was built in January 1980. Other European saloons that shared its long career are gathered in our classic cars section.

Erik Carlsson and the rally record

The 96 made Saab's name in motorsport. Erik Carlsson won the RAC Rally three times in a row from 1960 to 1962 and the Monte Carlo Rally in 1962 and 1963, and he finished second on the 1964 East African Safari. With the V4, Stig Blomqvist and co-driver Arne Hertz won the Swedish Rally in 1972 and 1973, and Per Eklund won it again in 1976. Long after production, a 1966 two-stroke 96 driven by Alex LaFortune set a Bonneville record of 110.113 mph (177.2 km/h) on 16 August 2011 in the class for stock-bodied production cars with 750 cc engines. The 96 is among the cars in our best classic cars of the 1960s.

Saab 96 today: what to check when buying

Rust is the main enemy, even on a car built from good steel. Hagerty UK lists the outer panels, the areas around the front and rear screen frames, the passenger and boot floors, the front bulkhead behind blocked drain holes, the rear inner wheelarches, the suspension mounts and the front valance. Auto Bild Klassik adds the door bottoms, the driver's floor and the seams between body and wings, and notes that rust protection was only average, especially on cars from 1977.

The two-stroke has just seven moving parts, but it needs the correct fuel and oil mixture and rusts inside when laid up for years, and its parts are harder to find than V4 parts. On the V4, a rumble from the bottom end means worn main bearings, and the fibre balance shaft gear can strip from around 50,000 miles; steel replacements exist. Auto Express expects a V4 rebuild at around 100,000 miles. Many owners replace the poor original carburettor with a Weber. A failing freewheel announces itself with a whirring noise, early three-speed gearboxes want oil every 6,000 miles, and post-1974 cars have a stronger gearbox.

Values from Hagerty UK, November 2023 (GBP converted at about 1.17):

• Two-stroke: about EUR 7,000 (GBP 6,000) for a clean, usable car and about EUR 12,900 (GBP 11,000) in excellent show condition.
• V4: about EUR 7,600 (GBP 6,500) for a car ready for regular use and about EUR 14,000 (GBP 12,000) for an immaculate one.
• Sport and Monte Carlo models sell for significantly more; the 95 estate carries no premium over the saloon.