Premium

Saab 96 V4 - The winter car from the north

This article was auto-translated. We apologize if some words are confusing or simply amusing. Would you like to help us improve?

Created on December 28, 2021

Reading time 7min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz / Paul Krüger

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv Subaru Schweiz

Organisation RAID

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv Subaru Schweiz

Organisation RAID

Archiv

Saab 96 (1975) - Buckliges Auto vor bergiger Kulisse

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Je tiefer der Schnee, desto überlegener der Saab im Vergleich zur Konkurrenz

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Vor unberührter Schneedecke

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Dick eingeschneit. Ob er wohl anspringt?

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - 15-Zoll-Räder von Ronal und gute Winterreifen

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Auf Schnee ist auch diese Achse lenkbar

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Verchromter Türgriff auf verschneiter Karosserie

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Stolzer Hinweis auf den Ford-Viertakter

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Welcher Teil des Autos sich wohl hierunter verbirgt?

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Fünfeckiger, abschliessbarer Tankdeckel von Waso

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Nachgerüstetes, aber zeitgenössisches Holzlenkrad

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Besonders Wichtig im Winter ist die Heizung

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Warnte als einer der ersten vor einem nicht angelegten Sicherheitsgurt

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Übersichtliche Instrumente mit Schaltschema und Kontrolle für Ausfall eines Bremskreises (Tacho unten links)

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Viel Bodenfreiheit und gute Winter-Eigenschaften

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Verschneite Hügel sind kein Problem

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Helles Licht für lange skandinavische Winter

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Verhältnismässig breite Reifen

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Ein hervorragendes Winterauto

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Rot wie der Monte-Carlo-Siegerwagen von Erik Carlsson

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Rundliche Karosserie mit viel Kopffreiheit

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Fast wie auf dem Weg nach Monte Carlo

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Gute Winter-Eigenschaften dank Frontmotor und Vorderradantrieb

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Gute Winter-Eigenschaften dank Frontmotor und Vorderradantriebd

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Schweiz oder Schweden? Egal, Hauptsache Schnee

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Seit 1969 mit eckigen Scheinwerfern

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Macht auch abseits des Col de Turini Spass

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Siehst du dieses Licht?

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Schmutzfänger waren in Schweden obligatorisch

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Grosse, gut sichtbare Rückleuchten

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Rallye Monte Carlo 1964 - Carlsson auf Saab

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Rallye Monte Carlo 1965 - Pat Moss auf Saab

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 - Ein Saab mit Schweizer Besatzung an der Monte Carlo Rallye 1964

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1962) - Erik Carlsson am Rallye Monte Carlo 1962

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Rallye Monte Carlo 1962 - Carlsson ("Carlsson auf dem Dach")/Palm siegen auf dem 2-Zylinder-Saab mit 70 PS

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1967) - der Saab Monte Carlo V4 im Rallye-Einsatz

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1971) - immer wieder leicht modifiziert und verbessert

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1967) - das V4-Modell gab sich am entsprechenden Schriftzug hinter dem Vorderrad zu erkennen

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1966) - die V4-Version in einer zeitgenössischen Werbepräsentation

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1965) - aufgenommen bei einer Testfahrt der Automobil Revue

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1971) - in den frühen Siebzigerjahren wurden die Scheinwerfer eckig

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1967) - der V4-Motor mit 1'498 cm3 und 65 PS vor der Vorderachse, gute Zugänglichkeit zu allen relevanten Komponenten war garantiert

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1966) - der V4-Motor von Ford im Saab

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1963) - Business-Mobil, Aufnahme aus dem Verkaufsprospekt von 1963

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1972) - bereits mit rechteckigen Lampen, Werbeaufnahme aus dem damaligen Verkaufsprospekt

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1972) - der Sedan und das Kombimodell 95 auf einer Abbildung des damaligen Verkaufsprospektes

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 V4 Rallye (1971) - an der Planai-Classic 2014

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1968) - Vorjahres-Sieger Team Musfeld/Toffol an der WinterRaid 2014

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

VW 1300 (1969) - im Schnee und doch startbereit

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Subaru 1600 4WD (1979) - Russis Subaru im Schnee

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Schmale Spur und viel Bodenfreiheit

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Verschneite Feldwege lassen den traktionsstarken Saab völlig kalt

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Saab 96 (1975) - Abgang ohne lautes Zweitakt-Gesäge

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

You have only

1 out of 71

images seen in high resolution

Summary

High-legged, spherical and suitable for winter - it doesn't have to be a VW Beetle. With its front engine, front-wheel drive and water cooling, the Saab 96 does pretty much everything differently from the VW, but is just as suitable for a skiing vacation as it is for the Monte Carlo Rally. For this article, we ventured into the snowy mountains with a Saab 96 from 1975 and show the red splash of color in the white winter wonderland in many photos.

This article contains the following chapters

Four cylinders, four strokes, four gears
Charmingly old-fashioned
Pleasant to drive
Outstanding winter characteristics
A winter car or a car suitable for winter?

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

If, like the Swedes, you have a country that stretches as far as the Arctic Circle, you build cars that can withstand masses of snow, gale-force winds and freezing cold and, if necessary, can be lubricated with deer tallow. A Central European winter should be an easy exercise, even in the Alps. So we defy the 15 centimetres of fresh snow and go for a test drive in a 1975 Saab 96, while most of the other classic cars are hibernating. Getting into the round journeyman is no problem. The controls are in the expected places and everything is well labeled. The ignition lock is also located near the steering column for the sake of the creature of habit and not between the seats as in later Saab models. Despite temperatures of around freezing point and a long idle time, the snow-free car starts on the first attempt. An Alfa would probably have had to be warmed up for half an hour with a heating blanket.

Welcome to Zwischengas!