The Saab Sonnet is a beautiful classic car that is very beloved by many car lovers. There are 4 editions of the Sonett. The Sonett III is the most popular edition because of its sporty look and the Ford v4 engine. The Saab Sonett series is one of the most popular series nowadays for rallies and racing with old-timers.
The brand Saab was founded in 1937 as a manufacturer for military aircrafts. The name Saab stands for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (SAAB) and is founded in Sweden. After the second World War ended the car industry really took off. Since Saab had a decent amount of knowledge about aircraft construction and thus about air resistance, Saab had a very good starting position regarding the car industry. It was a logical economic step for Saab to start producing cars in this time.
The first prototype was produced in 1947. This prototype was called UrSaab or 92001 and was designed by the Saab factory in Linköping. This prototype was used for a wide variety of tests on safety and usability. This car was revolutionary for many different reasons. The UrSaab was distinctive because of its aerodynamic design but also because of the many innovative features such as a two-stroke engine, a roll cage and front- wheel drive.
In 1949 the first real car from Saab came to the market. The first car was the Saab 92 and was produced until 1956. There where roughly 20.000 cars produced of this type.
The first Sonett car was produced in 1956. Every few years a newer and improved version of the Sonett came to the market. In 1974 the production of the Saab III was ended because of disappointing sales at that time. In total roughly 8000 Saab Sonett IIIs were manufactured. Around 2500 of those cars were imported to the US.
In the 21st century Saab had a difficult time and underwent several fusions and take-overs from different brands. The image of Saab was severely damaged because of the many take-overs and in 2011 Saab was declared bankrupt. Unfortunately, no new Saab cars have been produced ever since.
As told, the first Saab Sonett was produced in 1956. This was only a protype, so only 6 of those cars have been produced. The Sonett II was produced in 1966 and was only manufactured for a few years. The reason for this short time is because of the two-stroke engine. This engine became very uncompetive in the US and for this reason in 1967, the switch was made to the Ford Taunus V4 engine. This new Sonett with the new engine was called the Saab Sonett V4. In 1970 the design of the Saab Sonett V4 was started manufacturing and was called the Sonett III. This edition was the most produces type of Sonett and is still a very beloved car.
The Saab Sonett III was the most produced type of Sonnet. Since the Saab Sonett II became outdated a more innovative and contemporary version was produced. The new car had the same middle piece but was more usable than the Sonett II because of the larger luggage access.
The Saab Sonett III had a v4 engine. More specifically, a Ford Taunus V4 motor was used. This was at that time one of the best type of engines that could be used. For this reason, the Sonett III was very popular and can still be seen nowadays in rallies and other races. For any parts for your Sonett or v4 engine, feel free to contact us with your questions!
