Saab 96 V4 - a unique motor car with rallying pedigree!

It might not look it, but the Saab 96 is a car with genuine rallying credentials, having been put through its paces by Erik Carlsson, Stig Blomqvist and Per Eklund. The road version feels a little more sedate, but a Freewheel adds to the driving amusement, as do the very pleasant column gearchange and Ford V4 engine. #saab #classiccars #driving
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[@itsmephil2255]

Saab always did things differently, and that's a good thing

[@Tc4ify]

Doing too many things differently just for the sake of it ran them out of business though...

[@DollyBoy_1923]

@@Tc4ifywell they had to sell to GM and they made most of the bad decisions after that, however, because they made so many of those quirky decisions is probably why they had to sell to GM. But we love SAAB for what they do. that’s what makes them unique, and that’s why we love them

[@neilritson7445]

Don't be daft! I hd a 99 and 900 and they were very hard to understand. Very! Awkward instruments, door catches, battery in the engine compartment, crazy front wheel drive/gearbox!!

[@itsmephil2255]

@@neilritson7445 maybe it was just you?? I had an 87 900 and it was 1 of the best cars I ever owned

[@AlfaGiuliaQV]

In sweden it´s lovingly nicknamed "the pear half".Especially fitting in this Verona green example.

[@rimmersbryggeri]

We used to call it Skorpsåg especially the 95.

[@AlfaGiuliaQV]

@@rimmersbryggeri hahaha that is an excellent name😄

[@rimmersbryggeri]

@@AlfaGiuliaQV My Grandpa had 3 95s and my aunt had a 96. My younger aunt drove one of the 95s up a tree.

[@ElTio.45-70]

​@@rimmersbryggeri In Finland the 95 was called Tilhi (Waxwing), because the shape of the roof.

[@rimmersbryggeri]

@@ElTio.45-70 Yeah lots of different names for them. :)

[@Robhalifax]

One of the prettiest cars ever created in my opinion. A popular choice among teachers in the 70's - at my school at least.

[@glynjones2540]

Was on Madeira Drive to watch the finish of the 1961 RAC Rally. The surviving entrants had to tear down flat out and then carry out a sequence of fancy manoeuvres. We were impressed by the speed of TRs and the works Ford Zephyrs. Then Erik Carlson came screaming down in the SAAB (2 stroke of course) and we thought "He's never going to stop." Obviously braking and accelerating simultaneously he just seemed to go from forward to backward motion without actually stopping. It was a lesson in what could be done with immense skill and self-confidence and not much power.

[@alanjones4622]

I remember reading about Carlson´s driving antics in a book about rallying. Eric suddenly found himself going backwards down a hill in icy conditions. His co-driver said he did a quick yank on the handbrake, twitch the steering wheel and the car was again then facing forwards in the direction of travel. He was once stuck in ruts in mud on the safari rally. The pair of them got out, physically rolled the car over until the wheels were resting back on some firm drier ground. At the after dinner rally they were relating this tale to incredulous listeners. At this point Eric and his codriver took everybody outside into the car park and proved it. Saab team rally drivers said one of the problems with the Saab 99 model was that if we roll it we will never get it back on it´s wheels because of the squarer shape.

[@larszenthio1012]

I have driven SAAB since the fall of 1977 when I bought my first one. It was a light blue 1964 SAAB 96 2-stroke 4-speed. The following year I bought my second car, a SAAB 96 V4 from 1967. Since then I was sold on SAAB and have owned more than 50 SAAB 95/96 all year models between 1967-1980 as well as 20 other SAABs such as 99, 99cc, og900, 9000 , 9-3, 9-5. Over the years, I have also had around 30-40 other different car models. Everything from FIAT, Lancia, OPEL, Vauxhall, VW, Isusu, Lada, BMW, Renault, Volvo, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes, Dodge. What can i say, I like cars. 😎👍

[@chicobicalho5621]

Between 1978 and 1985 I owned a 1969 Saab 96, and I loved that car. Curiously, when I decided to sell it, as a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, two people became interested in buying it, and it started a bidding war that raised my asking price from 1.5 thousand Dollars to almost 2.5! And in 1987 I bought a mint condition 1965 DKW Vemaguette (station wagon) in Rio de Janeiro, kept it for two years and sold it for twice as much money as I purchased. Which shows that quasi-vintage cars can be a smart investment, other than a lot of fun.

[@TonyCottrell-iv2qv]

My first car was a 1967 96 4 stroke. Bought new by my dad, passed on to me in 1975, and eventually died of rust in 1980. The trick with these is to never slow down, ours spent early years doing family trips across Europe, generally all day cruise at 83mph (funny what you remember!!) and later years with me at the wheel in North Wales sticking to that never slow down mantra. Wonderful car. Love the side view, aeroplane wing section look.

[@maxnewts]

Absolutely cannot overstate how much I LOVE these things.

[@DollyBoy_1923]

Cant get enough SAABs!

[@anonymousunknown4925]

@@DollyBoy_1923 These cars are a beloved part of my childhood....

[@Valko67]

me to , i am really obsessed of this , can get enough of it

[@laurieharper1526]

Happy memories. Always fancied a 96. I had four 99s over 25 years, including one from the final year of production (a homologation car built in the Saab Finnish plant). My late missus had another from the same batch at the same time. Wonderful cars.

[@Moutley33367]

Had 2 SAAB 96's one two stroke, one V4. Later graduated to a 9000 turbo, then a 95 2.3 turbo. All marvelous.

[@hoyhoytoo6772]

I owned one, in the late 80’s, with the V4 Taunus engine. Most beautiful car I ever owned and the best driver too.

[@TheInstructor66]

My parents bought a new 95 (stationwagon) in 1968. I took over it in 1984, when i got my license. Trashed the original engine. Then dad and me put in a new one. It was sold to a guy from a SAAB-club. I remember it as an excellent wintercar in snow. Now i have a 1969 Alfa Romeo 1300 gt-junior in the main garage, but i would love to have one of those in the sidegarage again.

[@torbjornkvist]

I loved the free weel, especially when I traveled in Norway. I could role downhill for miles without using the engine. You had to be careful though, and be prepared with the breaks.

[@procta2343]

one of my primary school teachers, had one of these. Believe it or not she still drives around in one, to this very day. I don't think its the one she owned back in the 90s though, unless its had a body restore and respray. Hers was a sort of dark bluey green, the one she is driving around now is beige. We all knew back in the 90s it was her, as she was the only one to be driving one, because they were very rare sights. How i knew she owns a beige one now, is that she drove past me a few years ago. It says something for saab, if someone is running around in one, that is close to 50 years old, as a daily. That's shows you how great these are!

[@gregorstuder606]

Thanks! Great to see a Saab 96. I used to have a red one. The green colour was the best and most resistant against rust. The V4 Ford engine was specially designed for Saab and had unlike the Fords a ballance axel. It also was a very good winter car, because it had a lot of weight on the front axel. Greetings from Sweden, Gregor

[@johncumming2961]

I had a 96 in 1977 which I loved. I called the colour Sahara Gold but it was more a diarrhoea yellow. It had the free wheel which I tried for a month or two but turned it back to fixed from the safety point of view ( I ended up coasting downhill on the brakes which if they failed I would have nothing to slow or stop me). The ignition key was situated on the steering column which engaged only in reverse. I remember this because soon after I bought it I went to fill her up at a petrol station and couldn't get the key out to unlock the petrol cap. Eventually some kind older more knowledgeable guy told me it was a Saab thing and to put the gear into reverse. This was true of the 99 and 900s whose key was on the floor between the front seats near the floor based gear change. Another feature which was far ahead of its time was the back seats would fold flat and you could load long items or even sleep in the back. It was very reliable until I sold it to my brother when the clunk on disengaging the clutch revealed a worn UJ which broke as he was about to take off into traffic.

[@donquixote1502]

Over the years I have owned two SAAB 96 and one SAAB 95. I loved them all. My 95 had 7 seats 👍it was perfect when we wanted to party in the town 30km away. My friends loved this car too.

[@GeneFraxby]

I adore a 96 - My uncle had a peculiar habit of buying ex-rally cars for street use... He gave his rally prepared Singer Chamois to my grandad and got a VERY raucous 96. With it's full stainless steel exhaust it made a proper racket in 1978... He eventually sold it and got a beautiful mid-green 99 Turbo. A car I would kill for nowadays.

[@allthingsgood156]

I've owned 3 of these all in disgracefully 70's colours, love them. I used to park them back to back as its rear is pure art! The Ford engine hits peak torque low down in revs making it a great drive and a thing of beauty. Ashtrays on the door are classy too! I bid up to 16K on a recent auction for a restomod one in black with lowered roof and 9.3 engine, very sexy, shame they put 9.3 dash in, it sold for over 30k I think.

[@allthingsgood156]

My last one was a 1977 model! Rubber bumpers. Think they stopped production in 76, it had wipers on lights. Cost £400. I stupidly seized engine and swapped it with my older model, which I bought for £150. Amazing cars, utterly stunning looks.

[@marcelromijn2227]

Surprisingly they build the 96 for 20 years. 1960 to 1980.

[@allthingsgood156]

​@@marcelromijn2227 Good grief! I didn't realise. Thanks. Thinking about it 76 77 was wrong for me to say anyway. I shouldn't post facts on youtube they are invariably wrong 😀

[@andrewgurney6019]

Wow, what a fabulous car and that colour, plus column shift, that just makes it perfect! It's amazing that Saab was allowed to die, always wonderful cars for me.

[@ianjoyce5120]

In 1980 my first job was with the Warwickshire Archaeology Service. My colleague had an estate version and we were driving to our outpost in Alcester on the back road from Warwick. It was a frosty old day and he was extolling the handling characteristics of said Saab when we slid off to the nearside, got caught in a rut and, not so gently, came to a stop at a railway bridge. The old Roman pottery in the back survived. No mobiles back then so a walk back to the nearest house to borrow their telephone, always in the entrance hall on a special telephone table.

[@clivegregory4126]

That 'delicious 1970's shade' would be Verona Green

[@Rating64]

The free wheel was primarily for driving on ice (no engine breaking), on the bright orange 95 estate I owned there was also a thermostatically controlled heated drivers seat that became apparent one cold winters morning, fabulous car.

[@marcelromijn2227]

Indeed, the 95 and 96 had an automatically controlled heated seat for at least the driver. Saab considered that a safety feature.

[@chrischadwick3079]

Very solidly built car,great in the snow & once drove with 4 adults & 2 kids to South Wales from Holmfirth.

[@BITTYBOY121]

Great car ! - I had no idea that Saab used Ford's V4 engine in these - You always learn something new watching Hubnut's amazing car videos !

[@williamrae9954]

Knew there was a Triumph in the 99,didn't know about the Ford either

[@BITTYBOY121]

@@williamrae9954 That's amazing, I didn't know that Saab used Triumph engines either ! - Thanks for the info ! - I love KZbin - You always learn something new on here ! :-)

[@williamrae9954]

@@BITTYBOY121 I'm sure Y/T channel, 'Big Car' did something on Saab, he's pretty informative!

[@BITTYBOY121]

@@williamrae9954 Yes, I know Big Car and watch his videos, which are very informative and well explained - I am sure he must have made a video on Saab, as he did do a good video on Volvo..

[@niklaswejedal463]

Aww - these were such a big part of my childhood! My grandma had one 1976 V4 in Orchid White (a light pinkish colour) and my dad had a 1973 in some beige/brown colour that we used to call "meatball sause"-brown (can't remember what the colour's real name was). This was in the mid-80s. WIn the summer, we used to go to a small lake in the forest to swim and I remember the car filling up with dust from the gravel road, because the rear wings were rusted through, to the rear seat... The car tested is in the colour Verona green and it is likely I have seen it at the Saab festival at the Saab Museum, since I use to go there each year they arrange the festival (only one hour away from were I live!) - an overdose of good old Saabs!

[@scottshure3389]

My dad had a 1959 93 and a green 1968 95. I was a kid but drove the 95 some. It was greeb and with a 3 cyl 2 cycle engine. What wonderful cars! I went on to own many 900s and my wife has a 2007 93 Cambi . Thanks for the look back

[@chinnyvision]

Spent the first 10 years of my life being ferried around in one of these (blue M-Reg). Our had light brown seats in a kind of suede style. Possibly also edging in fake leather stuff. The thing I remember about the seats is they absolutely stank. Not sure why but it was a musty chemical type smell which I’ve only ever experienced with aged foam furniture innards. Being a kid I spent my life in the back. No rear doors was probably good from a child safety point of view but not good when said child is about to vomit from the bouncy ride and said smell. Sometimes I was ejected in time, sometimes I wasn’t (and thus contributed to the seat smell). On at least one occasion I can remember I managed to vomit out of the rear window gap (quite an achievement considering how little the windows open). My Dad always carried a large container of water behind the rear passenger seat. I always wondered what this was for until a hot day in London when the car overheated on Waterloo bridge. The car seemed impossibly slow as a passenger. Uphill runs with 2 adults and 2 kids seem to impossibly tax it. The sound of the change down, pause and then the time it took to ‘catch’ is drilled into my mind. I don’t recall the front seatbelts being in the style in the video. But it’s a long time ago. We had none in the back. What we did have was an AM radio + a speaker in the rear. This seemed like real luxury until I rode in my cousins early 80’s Granada that had a STEREO cassette with FM! In 1988 the Saab was sold to a local bloke to be his daughters first car. Saw it around town for years after. However neither my sister or I missed it. My Dad got an XR3i (was supposed to have been a 5 door Orion) and this seemed impossibly modern and comfortable. It would also do 100 down the A3. We never gave the Saab a second thought. So mixed emotions seeing this video. As a kid I hated being in it and was glad to see the back of it. But I can appreciate the engineering.

[@jo05dk]

I briefly owned a brown 95 when i was young. The most roly-poly car i've ever owned, by quite a lot. I loved the quirky looks, the sound of it (when my in the long run futile attempts to plaster the hole in the exhaust with Gun Gum for a short time worked), and being a young guy with such an unconventional car. ..but it was a mess, free wheel mechanism including, which led to "interesting" moments when the car would disengage halfway out from a side road, leaving me to frantically having to shift out of gear, and back into gear, hoping it would catch, and bring me forwards. ..but courtesy of of the way my broken brain works, the first thing that hit me when this video started was that my first danish teacher owned a 96 like this one, and that i feel horrible for back then inviting my teacher and her husband to my "konfirmation" as a 14 year old, having not seen her for five years at that time, and almost not speaking to her the whole evening. I do enjoy coming down on myself for previous fuckups or unfortunate moments, and this story actually does make me feel horrible. Anyone have a connection to whomever owns the MIB memory eraser thingie? I'd love to borrow it for a minute or two ;) Anyways.. Despite unwanted trip down memory lane, i really did enjoy hearing that V4 again. ..and i LOVE the shape of the 96.

[@peterriggall8409]

What a beautiful example. Full credit to the owner. Never really knew much about these although I always knew they were something special. I would LOVE to turn up to a car show in this. 😍

[@briantitchener4829]

When I was a boy my dad had a 1965 Saab 96 two-stroke. That was a great car. We hit 87 mph (140 kph) in it once and the 'free-wheel' worked perfectly smoothly every time he drove the car. In the video, he was too slow in second gear, hence the kangerooing. Great cars.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

That’s a genuinely interesting car - as were all SAABs up until the early 90s.

[@TheHenkepenke]

Karlsson on the roof. My nans sister had one of them when I was as a little lad back home in Sweden. When she passed away it was passed on to my uncle. Great quirky little cars.

[@markhealey9409]

😍😍 Love the old quirky Saabs! The green is awesome!

[@ivanvisanich]

There is no other job i want to do in my life except yours. Love these videos Ian. What a cool feature on one of my favourite cars. Keep them coming.

[@johnwelch6490]

I had a 69 V4 Propane because I worked in a factory that made 4 cylinder indoor outdoor sweepers with the same motor.

[@660einzylinder]

Fantastic cars, I once looked after a very late 96 with the big black bumpers for a customer. It was a very pleasant if relaxed drive, it went well with his 200cc Aerial Arrow.

[@RHM6x4]

Had two 96s back in the eighties - fantastic cars, one of mine was a performance machine, 1700 engine, Saab competition rally exhaust, twin webbers on Saab competition manifolds, it was great fun but apparently made passengers feel sick with the noise (she never did appreciate a fantastic engine note) - surprised you did not explore the wipers and the continuous washer pump setting, that both mine had, also the fact that the front demist setting clears the rear screen too, with ducts in the headlining that go to outlets above the rear screen, oh and by the way the clutch does not disengage when you free wheel - the rollers in the free-wheel run down the ramps, disengaging the drive to the gearbox.

[@mopedder2621]

Coo, that brought back some childhood memories! My late Dad had a 95 V4 Estate (in what he described as "sh*tty brown) for years when we were kids. We loved sitting in the rear-facing extra seats on long journeys 😊

[@captaccordion]

Thanks Hubnut. These never much made it to Australia, so it's good to know a bit more about them.

[@nomdeplume2724]

Excellent video! Best colour ever! Hubnuttery at it’s finest 👍

[@christopherhunter2892]

What a great review of such an interesting and beautiful Saab. I love the very ergonomic headrests. Such a shame the brand is no longer with us.

[@paulboon1100]

What a beautiful example, always liked the Saab because they were different, have to have guts to be different. Good on them.

[@H4lminator]

This must be one of the most beautiful cars in the world! 😍

[@drd6416]

Nice catch again Ian.. omg I so want one, and in that cool colour.... ! Going to have to investigate that meet one day...!

[@camil721]

As usual, a very nice peaceful road adventure with a lovely little car! Because you'rea 2 CV driver, you have a very comprehensive nature and love this tiny jewels of the past! Thank you for presenting them to us, to enjoy just a little of their flavour, stories and...sound! I have a 2 stroke Trabant and I now what you're talking about ! 😉

[@lukemallory7832]

4-Saab owner checking in. Great video. Off to buy another Saab..

[@blacksquirrel4008]

“Morris Oxford Empire Saloon” is the most British sounding car name I have ever heard.

[@leecudmore-ray6697]

HUBNUT! I have missed you. Thanks to your youtube channel I found Pete Sparrow..... my AMI 6 is gonna be rebuilt!

[@peterkelly2492]

This reminds me to do something about the 96 languishing in my garage......

[@trevorphillips3055]

My mother had the same year and colour car. I have fond memories of driving it, really good fun 1st car for me 😊. I remember we were looking at vw beetles at the time. When I spotted a 96 private sale and suggested to my Dad, we took a look. IMO, these were a much better car.

[@replevideo6096]

I had a Mk.2 Zephyr 6 with an overdrive box. It had 3 forward gears with overdrive on second and third, effectively giving it 5 gears. The overdrive unit incorporated a freewheel which operated on both second and third. It was originally an export model sold to an RAF officer stationed in Gibraltar, and he must of brought it back to England at the end of his Gibraltar tour of duty. Sadly I lost first gear eventually and bought a standard 3 speed box I was offered for a fiver.

[@harmonicres]

Wonderful episode Hub Nut. Makes me proud to still drive a Saab. Superb condition as well. Cheers from across the pond!

[@alanjones4622]

The Saab 96 was very aerodynamic. There is a long, seven miles of hill in the Scottish Highlands between Glen Shiel and the Great Glen which I often drove down. In freewheel mode the Saab would accelerate most of the way. It saved a great deal of petrol and on those trips I regularly got over 35 mpg. In those days petrol engined cars relied on manually tuned carburetors so were not so frugal as in later years when electronic engine management arrived. My next car was a Volvo 340 with manual gearbox and on the same hill if I dipped the clutch the vehicle slowed down due to the drag of the non-streamlined shape and engine power was needed to maintain downhill speed. The Saab steering not being power assisted was quite heavy but with one advantage, if in bad weather conditions, if it suddenly became light, the road surface was iffy and care was needed. For a front wheel drive only car, traction and grip in snow was incredible, surpassing my nerve to try vigorous rally style driving in such conditions. I once drove up a steep twisty road on Sky in the snow and a friend in his Range Rover waited for me at the top in case I got stuck and needed towing up. He was amazed when my Saab shot past him with no difficulty. The only concession to winter or off road driving was a pair of mud & snow tyres on the front wheels. One big advantage I found with the freewheel was when the hydraulic clutch seals failed, which happened a couple of times. You could continue driving without needing the clutch pedal until I could either get home or to somewhere where I could get the spanners out and replace the seals. Unlike the brakes there was only a small amount of oil in the system and bleeding the air out was quite easy. The pipe connecting the master and slave cylinders was made of clear plastic and you could see if there were air bubbles in the circuit. I always ways kept a spare set of seals in my car tool kit. As well as the decent boot capacity, due to the flat floor, there was quite useful amount of storage space under the back seat to carry lots of non-perishable food on camping holidays.

[@andrewentwistle515]

This is one of my all-time favourite cars. This is one of top 2 cars on my Bucket List of cars to drive along with the 2CV.

[@CB-fn3me]

The SAAB 95/96 V4s usually topped out at around 145-150km/h but my 1972 SAAB 96 V4 had a top speed that was faster than 160km/h. A friend of mine borrowed it and he managed to drive 145km in 57 minutes giving him an average speed of 153km/h. I was impressed but also a little concerned about him having pushed my car to the limit flat out for almost an hour but that trip didn't harm the car in any way so it was OK with me. Only half of the distance was freeway and there are some steep hills on the rest of the road but it was in the middle of the night so it was pedal to the metal all the way except when going downhill. Then you let go of the gas pedal as to not over-rev the engine, let the engine cool down and use gravity assist to reach over 180km/h. That car was fast! I've had two SAAB 95s as well but neither of them had an engine like that one had. It had one of those 1 in 10 000 engines in a production run that's perfectly balanced and goes like stink. It was also a great car in the winter. Excellent in snow, the heater worked well and even had a thermostat which was a very rare luxury feature in the 1970s and my SAAB 96 started right away when it was -27°C (-17°F) on the coldest night that I've ever experienced in my life. She was a good car, may she rest in peace...

[@keredrellit3992]

Bought a 72 in 1989 when I was a kid for $500. It's the only car I miss owning.

[@davidp7414]

Always loved these. These were a common sight in New England in the 70s

[@stefanholmstrom1968]

Pea stew green. Love it. In Finnish it was called the kayak, the suppository, the carrot drill and the ... syöksysämpylä... erggg.... the dive bread roll / attack bread roll? Lost in translation, Bill Murray might say. My friend's family had one (green as this one), and we called it the vibrator, as it had this specific sound and vibration...

[@richardwheatcroft6065]

Awww! I very nearly bought a 96 as my first car in 99. It was powder blue, could have been mine for £100, excellent condition, just leaky brake master cylinder which I was told was an engine shuffling job, hence I could have it for a song. Sadly I had no driveway, not a lot of money, and any insurance was expensive where I lived. It was just a little too soon for me. I had to pass up such a tantalising opportunity😢

[@tauncfester3022]

The 96, at least the newer long nose engined cars had the brake master cylinder (made by Ate..) high on the firewall right next to the heater plenum, this normally would be a doddle to work on, especially compared to modern cars.

[@richardwheatcroft6065]

@@tauncfester3022 maybe it wasn’t the 96 then. It was quite a long time ago for my little brain 😅

[@willmason3452]

Possibly it was a 99 then, as the brake master cylinder is slightly lower down on the left side of the engine bay.

[@tauncfester3022]

@@willmason3452 the bullnose models had a single circuit remote reservoir brake master down on the bottom of the firewall that was a pain to remove. But you didn't need to pull the engine. If you've seen the older early 60's SAAB they had the pedals mounted like a VW Beetle; hinged at the bottom, until 1965 and the long nose models.

[@willmason3452]

@@tauncfester3022 yes, my 2 stroke, being a 1964 model bullnose, has the floor pivot pedals and awkward to reach reservoir.

[@HologramJones]

Awesome car, awesome video Ian. I have always been curious about these.

[@1171karl]

This was interesting as I always wanted to get one of these (when I grew up) as a kid. By the time I grew up they weren't really considered a practical choice by my elders (too old, expensove parts etc, etc.)

[@RetroRich2000]

The engine sound is incredible and fills me with much want! 😁

[@niallsommerville9813]

Lovely example and exhaust note. My 1970 teenage self had a thick ear for days after trying to explain to my mother how the freewheel mechanism worked and why she was diriving our 998cc 3 cylinder Wartburg 353 Tourist incorrectly. The 353 was also rallied quite successfully in the Eastern bloc

[@WilliamParmley]

Loved the old 93s! ring ding ding ding ding...

[@waltertaljaard1488]

Engine from the Ford Taunus 15m. Excellent little power plant. But a little rough running. Like all V4 engines. And you really had to watch the oil, because it always uses oil. And it is very vulnerable for breaking down when not sufficiently lubricated.

[@Blackadder75]

is their a reason why a V4 uses more oil than a V6 or straight 4?

[@bennyhannover9361]

Yes and the P6 Ford Series produced between 1966 and1970 was a frontwheel drive car which was sacrificed to import the Escort to Germany with rearwheel-drive and the Escort flopped against the Kadett and the Old Beetle, most customers went to Opel or Fiat with the 128.

[@larszenthio1012]

It was probably only the first "silver engine" in 1966-67, that had these problems. 1968 got blue engine and 1971 black engine. I have owned over 50 SAAB 95/96 V4 1967-1980 and had no problems with unusually high oil consumption. Yes, by the way. One had unusually high consumption. I checked in the engine compartment once and saw a hole in the block and parts of a connecting rod lying there. That was the reason. 😄

[@HowardLeVert]

Did the German V4s use that fibre 'pencil' drive to the oil pump, like the British 'Essex' V-engines did?

[@waltertaljaard1488]

@@HowardLeVert Really don't know. Might have been the relatively higher wear and tear at the piston rings of a V4 engine. But that's just a guess. But when kept well lubricated it's an excellent little power plant.

[@hunchanchoc8418]

I believe these were surprisingly economical on a fast cruise, compared with contemporaries, because of the splendid aerodynamics.

[@alecbrown66]

My dad rallied a 96 in the rac rally, in 76 or 77, holding the record for the heaviest car entered. He worked for a major stable dealership, and one of the first which helped. May sound lousy hp, but the aero meant they were rapid. I loved the 95's (the 99 estate), 96, 99, and 900. It's interesting that the 96 and 99 had an extended millimeter, as they would regularly reach 100,00 miles.,sadly the UK 96's never had the freewheel, that ending with thev92 here.

[@erikgranqvist3680]

The SAAB 96 was soooo much fun tossing around on dirt roads. They also had quite a fragile gearbox. Also, if you drain the oil from the oilplugg under the engine, you are probably emptying the gearbox. The oilplugg for the engine was right behind the bumper, almost in front of the engine.

[@jamescoe764]

Superb little car. Another one I have always liked. Thank you Ian

[@MrBonnuus]

I owned 2 of then, last one was a 1968 4 stroke, with still the nicer old dashboard. Sold it in 2022. Lovely car. The nice sound was similar to my father's Ford Taunus 12M back then. You would love to visit the little museum of Saab in Dalfsen where Johan has a '56 2-stroke in mint condition. The instruction manual tells you how to sleep in the car with the backrest of the seat down and the seat as a pillow. Ian, if you're back in Netherlands, you're welcome to drive my Fiat 850 sport coupé.

[@HubNut]

Thank you. Please email [e-mail] with location.

[@MrBonnuus]

@@HubNut Done

[@MollysPa]

Great cars. My 1971 Model 96 had a displacement of 1.7l (1,698cc). Without engine braking in freewheel, the money you save in fuel you get to spend on brake pads.

[@hectorshouse7348]

Wonderful car, so much character. I think you should get one for the fleet, before the prices sky rocket🚀🚀🚀🚀…better than money in the bank

[@reneegudjon3204]

Very robustly made! And good Swedish steel

[@jefforceone]

I am so heartbroken. That saab It’s not around anymore. I can’t imagine. What kind of car it could be producing right now sadly will never know

[@darrenwilson8042]

a lad I went to school with his Dad had one in vivid orange and a Bond Coupe as a back up. He had survived open heart surgery and was an ex-RAF pilot - you met more interesting people in the 70's which were more interesting times.

[@jkk244]

My brother used to own a 1968 Saab 96, and the repair shop where he had it serviced reminded him each time he visited that the freewheeling device was fine for the 2-stroke engine, but was it not really designed to handle the torque of the V4. They said, in other words, it’s cheaper to replace a worn out clutch then it is to replace the entire transmission because the freewheeling has been over used.

[@chriswills4064]

Always loved these (from afar). One of 2 Swedish vehicles that have long been on my bucket list; Saab 95/96 of this era plus the 121/122 Amazon from Volvo. The rear end of the 96 is utterly beautiful, but I would also love the estate, so I guess I'll have to have one of each...

[@user-tn1vc1xz5d]

Driving4Answers covers the balance issues with V4 engines. Still cool tho. Still love saabs up to the 90s. Also love the idea of these doing Paris Dakar back in the day ☺

[@kennethjohnson676]

I had a 1971 Saab 96. Unfortunately I had transmission problems. Transmission had to be rebuilt twice. I once had to drive from Spain to Germany starting the vehicle in gear as I could not get it into first. Needed a running start which was quite a challenge. Was very hard to find anyone in Germany to work on it as there were only 5 dealers in the entire country. Had to sell it before the tranny went out a third time!

[@Backwardlooking]

These were considered’Sporty’ in the early 70’s. There was a dark green one near where I lived. 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@visionsofhere3745]

I'd assume the "safety" sunvisor would deform if you hit your head against the edge. Older cars had remarkably tough sun visors. The ones on my '58 Morris are still rock hard.

[@delukxy]

I had a Brown rubber bumper '76 and that had sun visors that were black on one side and cream on the other to match the headliner. I think the ones in this car might have been from an earlier car, there just for the cool lettering. I have a pair of those in my garage.

[@waynetetley584]

So good to see. Love the free wheel transmission 😊

[@pickering746]

Lovely car and that colour 🤩

[@mattw8332]

Sweden's people's car? What a delightful little Saab this is. It's like an avocado on wheels. Shame about the lack of headlamp wipers.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

Funny, I watched the video and an hour later I stumbled across about 5 of these (2 v4s 3 two stroke) at Newark Air Museum Saab cars and coffee.

[@caw25sha]

0:33 The aircraft is a Saab 91 Safir trainer.

[@chriswalford9228]

Evergreen car in two ways

[@bengtpersson6405]

Would love it if you drive a 99 too😊

[@Neontrifle]

Wow! Its bl00dy lovely.

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

My first car, in 1982, was a ‘73 one in baby shït brown. I thought the freewheel handle was the boot opening control and nearly killed myself going down Tontine Street in Folkestone expecting to get some engine breaking… Most I ever got was 80 mph on the Autobahn.

[@differentangle2499]

My first SAAB was 2008 9-3 Vector Sport estate. Now I owe 1999 9-3. I plan 900 for my next one and than 96....

[@shieldaigbencher]

So, my dad had a 1969 one of these in white which he followed up with a 1972/3 95 estate which he kept for literally years. Reg was CAW57L. Sadly not the bright orange or green colour. It was in the Sand colour.

[@HermanKolff]

Today still a nice form factor, the rally V4 96 version came to 150 hp

[@DavidBrown-lv6ox]

That's a lot of comments! Erik Carlsson was nicknamed Carlsson-on-the-roof after a character in a children's book called Karlsson-on-the-roof.

[@MikeyMack303]

Thank you, Ian. What a very interesting automobile. I'm surprised to learn that they drive on the right hand side of the road in the Netherlands!

[@HubNut]

Cheers. It's the same throughout continental Europe. Sweden was the last to change, in 1968.

[@brianiswrong]

​@@HubNut on the 3rd of September I believe, can you imagine (regardless of new road markings etc) waking up on the morning and everybody is trying to drive in a very unfamiliar fashion.

[@alangordon3283]

Lovely little cars .

[@cheftomsd]

Great cars for skiers. Plowed through Vermont snow with ease and had amazing heaters. Lost some of its personality when the 2 stroke went away. No longer sounded like an angry swarm of bees going down the road.

[@ladahs]

When trolls in Trollhättan stopped making these, Finnish trolls in Uusikaupunki made these for quite some time.

[@pauliek.thefixer8935]

On the roof! legendary driver and a legendary car. good stuff