Saab Sonett is an automobile model manufactured between 1966 and
1974 by Sweden's
Saab Automobile AB. Sonetts shared
engines and other components with Saab 96s and 95s of the same
era.
The first prototypes, now known as the Sonett I, were two-seat,
open top, light-weight, dedicated roadster racers which, ten years
later, evolved into the commercially distributed Sonett models II,
V4, and III.
Sonett I
In the
1950s Rolf Mellde, a Saab engine
developer and race enthusiast, along with Lars Olov Olsson, Olle
Linkdvist, and Gotta Svensson, designed a two-seat roadster
prototype in an Åsaka barn outside Trollhättan
, the site of the main Saab manufacturing
facility. The limited R&D project, with a total budget
of only 75000
Kronor, became known as
the 'Sonett', a name derived from the
Swedish slang expression "
Så nätt den
är" translated as "how neat it is", or more literally "so neat
they are".
On
March 16, 1956 the Saab
Sonett, also called the Super Sport or Saab 94, was introduced at
Stockholm
's Bilsalong (motor show). Boasting
a three-cylinder 748 cc
two-stroke engine generating 57.5 hp
(43
kW) and a 70 kg aluminium box-style
chassis from the Swedish designer
Sixten
Sason, the Sonett I was an advanced low-weight racer based on
aircraft design concepts.
With a projected top speed of , the Sonett I had the prospect of
success on the European
race circuit,
and a production of 2,000 units was planned for 1957. However, race
competition rules then changed to permit modified production cars
in race classes that Saab had envisioned for its purpose-built
Sonett, and the economic and marketing viability of the project
faded.
Only six Sonett I vehicles were made between 1955 and early 1957.
The original prototype, known as #1 and built with a manually
crafted Glassfiber Reinforced Polyester (GRP - "
fiberglass") body, served as the reference model
for the other five cars. An extremely rare vehicle, only two are in
the United States, one of which is part of the GM Heritage Center
collection.
In September 1996,
Erik Carlsson, the
noted rally driver, broke the Swedish record for the
under-750 cc engine class with a speed of in the restored
Sonett I original prototype #1.
Sonett II
1968 Saab Sonett V4 - note the power
bulge.
In the
early 1960s Björn Karlström, an aircraft and automotive
illustrator, and Walter Kern, an engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
, independently suggested a two-seat roadster with
Saab components and 2-stroke engine. Two
prototypes were developed, the
Saab MFI13 by
Malmö Flygindustri and the
Saab Catherina by
Sixten Sason.
In 1966
the MFI13 was, after some modifications, put into limited (28
units) production at Aktiebolaget Svenska Järnvägsverkstäderna in
Arlöv
as the
Sonett II (but notated internally at Saab as model
97). A further 230 units were assembled in 1967, but as the
2-stroke engine became increasingly uncompetitive in the U.S.
market, a switch to a more familiar
four-stroke engine was made in the middle
of the 1967 production year, and the model was renamed the Sonett
V4. Apart from the engine and related drivetrain, the Sonett II and
Sonett V4 share a high percentage of component parts. Approximately
50% of the Sonett II production has survived, preserved or
maintained by museums, collectors, and race enthusiasts.
Like the Sonett I prototype, the Sonett II fiberglass body was
bolted to a box-type chassis with an added roll-bar to support the
hard top. The entire front hood section hinged forward to allow
easy access to the engine, transmission, and front suspension.
Equipped with a three-cylinder,
two-stroke engine generating 60 hp
(45 kW), the Sonett II achieved 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph)
in 12.5 seconds with a top speed of .
Designed as a race car, the Sonett II competed successfully against
other small European roadsters, including the Austin Healey Sprite
and Triumph Spitfire in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) races of
the period. Due to low production volume, Sonett II's were
ultimately disqualified from certain competitions, and by 1967 the
two-stroke engine failed to meet U.S. emission control
standards.
Sonett V4
When Saab started using the
Ford
Taunus V4 engine in their 95, 96, and Monte Carlo models, an
upgrade for the low-volume Sonett II became economically feasible
and the
Sonett V4 was introduced with a
1500 cc Ford
V4 in the middle of the
1967 model year. A new 'bulge' hood, designed by
Gunnar A. Sjögren, was required to clear the
larger V4 engine, with a slight right offset to avoid obstructing
the driver's view. This unbalanced hood shape, criticized by both
the automotive press and within Saab itself, contributed to the
motivation for the 1970 Sonett III redesign.
The Ford V4 engine produced 65 hp (48 kW) and, combined
with a light weight chassis and fiberglass construction, allowed
the V4 model to accelerate 0 to in 12.5 s, with a top speed of
.
Following the low-volume 1966-67 Sonett IIs, Saab ramped up Sonett
V4 production to meet minimum SCCA requirements, assembling 70
units in the 1967 transition year, 900 units in 1968, and 640 units
in the final 1969 production year, or 1,610 total Sonett V4
vehicles. Less well preserved than the Sonett II, approximately 2%
of Sonett V4s survive in
concours or
excellent
condition today.
While the Sonett V4 was assembled in Sweden, nearly the entire
production was exported to the United States with a MSRP between
US$3,200 and US$3,800. In addition to its unusual fiberglass body,
the Sonett V4 featured advanced safety features for its day,
including a
roll bar, three-point seat
harness, and high-back bucket seats to protect against whiplash
injury. Sonett V4s also sported a few oddities when compared to
standard American sports cars like GM's
Corvette, such as front wheel drive, a
freewheeling clutch that disengaged automatically
whenever engine RPM fell below a certain threshold (that is, the
accelerator pedal was no longer pressed), and a steering wheel
column-mounted gear shift rather than a typical floor-mounted
shifter.
In spite of lackluster Saab marketing, unusual features, and quirky
design, the Sonett V4 found a niche market in the U.S., propelled
by outstanding SCCA racing performances of the Sonett II. Its
primary competitors were British roadsters, including the
MG Midget and MG
MGB, the
Triumph TR5, the
TVR Grantura, the
Austin-Healey Mark IV, and the early
AC Cobra.
Passage of the 1970
Clear Air Act
forced modifications to the Ford V4 emission control system that
were difficult to engineer with the Sonett II/V4 body style. This
regulation, along with earlier criticism of the bulge hood, led to
the Sonett III redesign of 1970.
See also
Škoda 1100 GT.
Sonett III
The 1970 redesign of the Sonett V4, named the
Sonett
III, was initially undertaken by
Sergio Coggiola but then altered by
Gunnar A. Sjögren to fit the existing chassis
without expensive manufacturing line changes. A hinged rear window
glass replaced the Sonett II/V4 rear compartment hatch door. With
the mandate for a "bulge-less" hood, the engine compartment opening
evolved into a small front popup panel, resulting in more limited
access than in the Sonett V4. Extensive engine work required the
removal of the entire front hood section.
To help adapt the car to U.S. market tastes, the Sonett III
featured a floor-mounted shifter instead of the "out-dated" Sonett
V4 column shift, and optional dealer-installed
air conditioning. Like the
Opel GT,
hidden
headlamps were operated manually by a lever. U.S. safety
regulations required new bumpers after 1972 which significantly
detracted from its sleek Italian-inspired design.
While the 1970 & 1971 Sonett III initially had the same
1500 cc Ford V4 engine as the Sonett V4, emission control
requirements reduced available horsepower. Later (1972-1974)
versions of the Sonett III used the 1700 cc Ford V4 but to
meet increasingly strict federal regulations, net power output
remained the same as the 1500 cc engine, at 55 hp
(48 kW). Still, the Sonett III accelerated 0-100 km/h in
13 s and, due to a higher
differential gear ratio, achieved a top speed of aided by a
low 0.31
drag coefficient.
Disappointing sales, especially during the 1973 oil crisis, ended
production in 1974. A total of 8,368 Sonett IIIs were manufactured
between 1970 and 1974.
References
External links
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Search
