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The Saab Sonnett is a Two-Stroke Heirloom
Saab first ventured into the world of the sports car with the Sonett I. This model had a 57.5hp version of Saab’s three-cylinder two-stroke engine. At around 1300lbs, this car maxed out at 100 mph – nothing to sneeze at in 1955. Despite it’s name, the Sonett II is not a direct evolution of the Sonett I. Instead, the MFI-13 was Saab’s muse. You may know the Sonnett II by the name of Saab 97, too. This car was crafted with a fiberglass body, rigid steel box-type chassis and integral structural roll bar. Not many two-stroke Sonnett IIs were sold in the US, which makes this Saab that much cooler.
Watch the Petrolicious video below and see why this Saab is “Two Strokes of Luck”:
Source: Petrolicious
Image Source: Curbside Classic
Anonymous
The SAAB 2 strokes won the Monte Carlo Rallye and many other international events during the early ’60s. The competition cars were the steel bodied bull nose model 96s. SAAB never stooped to marketing shenanigans and were always a marque for enthusiasts interested in engineering rather than hype. Among cognoscenti, their time has come!
John Kuhn Bleimaier, ’64 SAAB type 96 with Golde factory sunroof