Saab’s history is saturated with quirky facts, many well-known by owners. For instance, this wagon – though equipped with Ford’s Taunus V4 – retains Saab’s free-wheeling feature, an artifact of the days when these cars were powered by a two-stroke. Free-wheeling protected the engine from oil starvation when coasting; it’s of little use in four-stroke cars, but there it is. Then there’s Saab’s nomenclature, which began with the Saab 90. That was a 24-seat civilian plane. After all, Saab is an acronym for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, aka Swedish Aeroplane Company Limited. And the Saab 91? A two-seat training aircraft. At last a car arrived: the 92 was a little bull-nosed sedan made in 1949. (Anyone know what color early 92s were painted, and why?) Our subject car is a 95 – the wagon body style – introduced in 1959. If you’re fond of Saabs and want a vintage wagon that won’t be seen around every corner, this car is available here on craigslist for $10,000. It’s located in the San Diego area, and Rocco B sent us the tip – thanks!
Ford’s Taunus V4 was developed in the 1960s, and produced in the company’s Cologne, Germany plant. Thereafter the little motor found itself installed in a variety of Ford’s European cars. Saab – receiving a publicity knock in the US for its use of an underpowered, dirty two-stroke – shuttled the Taunus into engine bays starting in 1967. This one displaces 1.5 liters and makes about 73 hp. It’s paired with a four-speed manual gearbox. Plenty of work has set the new owner up for success: the brakes are all new from tip to toe including the power booster; the engine breathes through a Weber; the clutch, throw-out bearing, valve gaskets, muffler and alternator are new. An electric fan and aluminum coolant reservoir help keep everything temperate. The car has been tuned and drives well.
The cabin is very tidy. The windshield is new, the seller installed soundproofing and replaced the carpet. The headliner is new. Underhood, it has a new heater valve, so the cabin should be cozy on those chilly nights. The cargo area still has its rear-facing bench seat; fold that down to expand hauling capacity. My only gripe is the heavy window tint on the rear glass.
I can’t decide if I like the front or the rear of the 95 best. The array of tail lights, chrome outline trim, vestigial fins, and tiny flip of the rear roof – these endearing features give the edge to the hind end, but I’m a fan of that pug-nosed front too. The seller notes that this car was repainted in blue, with the white accent a deviation from stock. Very well done, I say. These wagons have seen a flurry of interest over the last few years, with several sales registering over $35k for show-quality cars; needy 95s will sell in the mid four figures. What do you think of the price point here?
Quirky? Hardly, nobody bought a Saab because they were quirky. They happen to be one of the best cars, and only bolsters how crazy this world can be, that they should discontinue them, like Mercury, or Pontiac. Even a Yankee Doodle Dandy like me, knows that. What is quirky is how GM handled it, and a moot point by now. Saab buyers of this vintage had a message for the world, nothing in the small car world, at the time, could compare. As always, they were a bit pricey. I read, a new 1970 Saab 95 cost $2745 new, when a VW was $1999, and a Gremlin, at $1879, and iffy dealer network spelled doom. Fact is, I don’t recall any standalone Saab dealers in Milwaukee. 1973 was the last US Saab 95, and continued until ’78 overseas. These cars, I say, were just the best cars, and Saab went down trying to keep up to the Asians. I always wondered if the name held it back, they were wonderful cars, and I’d love to have it, for half that price.
Nice write-up, Michelle.
I love this fine-looking 95. The $10k seems reasonable given the condition.
If it were closer I’d be trying to talk myself into buying it.
From what I understand, Saab was already going downhill before GM came on the scene, they just didn’t have the ability to keep up with competitors on production or price.
But GM is an easy target, I suppose.
Thanks CVPanther. There’s a guy locally who rallies a wagon, it’s such a great car, in similar colors but slightly more patina, because he drives the wheels off it. I’ve flirted with looking for one for some time, but then I set eyes on a really early bull-nose Saab and decided that if I were going to own another (I have a Sonett II which everyone will remind you is really a V4), it would need to be that. But then I also caught sight of a Volvo 544, nicely done, and was back to the bulky lumbering Swede idea again. I think I have a case of “Automobile ADHD”.
Ha. I love hearing about classics doing what they should be doing. I would (semi) daily this 95 if it was mine.
I suffer the same adhd condition but it’s well-controlled by relative poverty and lack of space.
For you, Michelle, I think the obvious solution is to buy all 3.
It has the freewheeling clutch set up!
As I recall the first SAABs were painted green because the factory had a lot of military green paint on hand. A quick search finds that’s pretty much the story:
https://www.saab.com/newsroom/stories/2016/february/the-cars-saabs-little-green-car—a-classic-in-swedens-welfare-state
SAAB made some great cars but the company never seemed to figure out how to make money with them. GM both saved and buried them. (Although SAAB as a car manufacturer is long gone the original SAAB aircraft/defense company, as in the above link, is still very much with us.)
That is correct! The first 92s were all painted green, apparently the shade differed slightly from car to car, but green it was! Good job, thanks.
Love Saab. My first car hero was Erik Carlsson and something must have taken root with my dad because 15 yeats later he owned a couple of 99s and a 90.
SAAB was strange in that it would develop its model range by steps. As you say, Michelle, 92 was the first. 93 grafted the bullnose front onto the 92 rear, and 96 added a new rear to the 93 front. Later the front we see on this car was added.
With the 99, SAAB changed the front to introduce the 900, but my dad’s strange 90 was the 99 front with the 900 rear emd – an EU only entry model but a nice car.
So, though I love SAABs, my dad’s cars showed me not to buy one….mainly about the wrong quirks for me,
Always seemed right to me that Kurt Vonnegut sold SAABs in an day job
Does this car have A/C? I see what looks like a receiver/dryer and an A/C type hose.
Interesting note about the free-wheeling feature, Michelle. Some of the 2-strokes had an oiler I believe, although my 1966 96 did not. Oil in the gas was the order of my day. I’ve commented before on the FW feature and didn’t much like it. It felt dangerous without engine-braking and the poor front drums. Perhaps with a booster the brakes feel better, but mine didn’t have one and the pedal was heavy and not all that responsive. If I owned one now, I’d opt for a disk brake conversion.
Very well engineered design and fitment was excellent. The sound of the 2-stroke was like a popcorn popper, but the V4 had a nice note, not unlike the Suburu flat 6s….sort of a humming sound.(although more muted than the Buick dynaflows’ hum).
Yes, they built mechanically sound cars. Something the other manufacturers still need practice on today ! But dang they still don’t understand styling ! This is fuggly. Some old nerdy hippy would love to have. It has weathered well.
I’m that nerdy hippie. This would be my daily driver all summer long!
Like Michelle, I have always loved the early SAABs. I owned 5 of the 93/96 models – all with the 2-stroke engine. My earliest was a beautiful 1956 model, the latest a beaten 1964 that was only held together with wishes and chewing gum. I also owned a “rebuildable” wrecked Sonnet ll that never got rebuilt and a number of years later a 99 with the horrible 1.7l STANPART engine. If I could find a nice model 93 Monte Carlo now, would need to make the difficult decision between buying it or keeping my wife.
A family friend, and also a neighbor owned Saabs. The family friend virtually worshipped his Saabs. Babied them. Kept up on all factory recommended maintenance- and the stupid things would just implode at various intervals, costing thousands of dollars to repair. The neighbor seemed to have better luck, but he was not a stranger to the local Import mechanic. Sorry- they are the rolling definition of quirky- and that’s being kind.
I love the pic of the 92.
Thanks, Michelle!
I bought a used 1969 at the Littleton NH Chevy dealer. We needed to open the owner’s manual to find out how to shift into reverse for the test drive: 4 on the tree was a new experience. Our car had operational free-wheeling which also helped on snowy/icy days, a heater that was almost the size of the engine and the chain-pull window shade that could be raised to reduce airflow to the radiator for REALLY cold days. We got Beetle-like gas mileage but with a real heater and more comfort. We did have tranny issues though, bad bearings. The drive train comes out with 3 bolts, literally shade-tree with a come-along and we swapped in a used transaxle. Same problem. I got a bearing kit, took the original to the Dealer in New Britain CT where there was a “senior” tech who rebuilt it. Michelle, Satch Carlson also had a Sonnet and I almost bought one in Tahoe City but couldn’t handle another project.
I still have the factory service manual, could not part with it for sentimental reasons.
Your last sentence caught my eye and I laughed. I too have a factory service manual and parts book that I found at a yard sale 30 years ago for the Sonnet. I even went to look at a green one back in the 80s that didn’t run but wasn’t rusted. Nice young woman owned it and we even dated for about 6 months despite my not buying her car.
My first sighting of a Saab, was when i was about 9 years old. Lived in a small town in NH. My friends father bought one. On snowy days his car was about the only one to be out and about. And he never put snow tires on it. I don’t remember which model he had but it was a 2 stroke. This was around 1964.
I was shocked to see this here. My first car was a 1971 Saab 96. My friends with Camaros and mustangs gave me so much garbage, but it went through the Chicago winters without a problem. These cars have the best heater
I’m thinkin the 4v was from Essex GB (& usual auto. pattern of displacement evolution) to Essex 3.8 & Essex 4.2 all ford motors rather than Cologne – also ford but different design, not as long lived. Small points. So is my thnx to the 3 who spelled SAAB correctly.
Not my fav color scheme but I’d take it… put on the period correct (wire’n wooden slats) roof rack, hella 500s aux lights and rally that mother… (montecarlo model won in europe for years’n yrs)
Cool write up Michelle, thanks. I knew they made planes but I didn’t know that’s where the name came from. This is the nicest 95 I’ve ever seen. I’ve loved Saabs since I saw my first one way back when (I’ve owned three, a ’77GL Wagonback, an ’87 900 Liftback, and a ’94 900 Turbo Convertible), and I’ve been wanting to to get behind the wheel of another one and I really like the “quirky” styling of this car. The window tint would be a big plus in the heat of AZ summers too. I also found a really nice ’84 900S recently that has just over 100k on the clock and has been garaged its entire life.. the body is perfect, the paint is excellent and it has all the bells and whistles and then some and I’m thinking on the days I feel like speed I could drive it, and on my more “quirky” days (which I definitely do have) I could take this old gal out for a spin. I gotta think on this. I don’t have the room to keep both, but maybe..
The later models with the 3 cylinder,2 cycle engines had oil injection on them. No more mixing oil and gas together.