Modern Classic: 1967-74 Saab Sonett

To qualify as "modern classics," we're choosing vehicles that are comparatively affordable now and that we think will increase in value over time. These are cars that many people would love to have: head-turners, trend-setters in their time, cars that people still see that make them smile, cars that were definitive in their own right, stylish and fun to drive. We're focusing on cars that are at least 25 years old so they can be registered and insured cheaply and aren't subject to annual inspections.


Tastes may vary, as may people's own definitions of "affordable." Our theoretical limit is $50,000 for a car in good to excellent condition, which rules out many of the traditional exotics. Our pick this time is the Saab Sonett.

History
The notion of a sports car from the Land of the Midnight Sun isn't too farfetched, given the fun-loving Swedish approach to almost everything. But Saab's brave try at two-seaters wasn't a big commercial success. The company produced six Sonett (meaning "so cute" in Swedish and pronounced "so-NET") roadsters in 1956, reversing its Model 93's 3-cylinder engine and transmission to convert the rear-drive powertrain to front-drive. A change in racing rules, and the belief that Saab would achieve more publicity racing modified production cars, relegated these first attractive convertibles to a dead end. But when an amateur Saab-based sports effort, the Quantum, attracted attention at the 1962 New York Auto Show, the Trollhattan crowd decided to build its own sports car.


After several clever prototypes, the Saab 97, soon to be called the Sonett II, bowed at Geneva in 1966. Its high-performance "Monte Carlo" two-stroke, three-carburetor, 841cc 3-cylinder engine developed 60 bhp. The car's floorpan, drivetrain, rack-and-pinion steering and front disc brakes came from the Saab 96-based Monte Carlo sedan. Front suspension was unequal-length wishbones and coil springs; the rear utilized a beam axle and coil springs, located by trailing radius rods.


The Sonett II's fiberglass body helped keep its weight low (only 1,650 pounds) and permitted 12.5-second 0-60 times and a top end approaching 110-mph. Although the Sonett II's long hoodline, wraparound rear window and distinctive cutoff "Manx" tail were unique, fussy exterior details spoiled its low (46-inch-high) silhouette. After only 230 two-stroke models were built, Sonett IIs received the 73-bhp, 1498cc, Ford V-4 four-stroke engine that had begun service in company's Model 95/96 passenger cars. Unfortunately, a prominent hood bulge was needed to clear the V-4's Solex carburetor. The new engine's forward mounting and relocation of the radiator from behind the engine to the front shifted weight distribution, adversely affecting handling. The four-speed gearbox had a column shift. It was still, after all, a Saab.