SAAB Sonett III 1700 V4 — 1972

The current owner has had the car since June 1985, when it had covered 82,584 km. Today the odometer reads 127,710 km, which means that in just over 40 years he has only driven the car approximately 45,000 km.
It has always been a sparingly used summer car. During his entire ownership it has never been driven in winter, and as far as he knows it was never winter-driven previously either. This is a car that has led a rather quiet life over the years and has mainly been taken out when the weather was right.
The owner used it mostly during the latter part of the 1980s. At that time the car received, among other things, a repaint at Frittes on Lidingö, in the classic Sonett yellow shade from Glasurit. In connection with this, undercoating was also applied and the front suspension was lowered slightly, further enhancing the car's sporty character.
The car has additionally been equipped with the SAAB factory tuning kit, which includes a twin-choke Weber carburetor. With this equipment, the output is stated at around 100 hp, compared to the original 65 hp.
Over the years the car has received the service and refurbishment it has needed. It underwent a major workshop overhaul in 2012, when it received a new radiator, among other things. Further workshop visits were made in 2016 and most recently in 2025, when the brakes were attended to and the carburetor was rebuilt, among other work. The car also has relatively new tires and battery.
There is also an interesting part of the car's earlier history documented, a receipt from 1982, when it received a new gearbox. The car has the correct gearbox and gear ratio for the Sonett, which distinguishes it from the SAAB 96.
In summary, this is a Sonett with a long and documented ownership history, limited mileage over the past 40-plus years, and a clear focus on preserving the car as a summer and enthusiast car. It also has an interesting technical history with the original factory tuning kit and the correct Sonett gearing. The car comes with two sets of keys and some documentation, see photos.

• Zustand technisch

  The engine and drivetrain run well. The brakes engage smoothly and evenly.

• Zustand Interieur

  The interior is in driver-quality condition with signs of use, see photos. Needs some polishing.

• Zustand Exterieur

  OK older paint in normal driver condition relative to its age. The underside appears to be in good condition.

• Zustand gesamt

  Attractive yellow Sonett in nice and usable condition. Low weight and fine road manners make the Sonett a quick and fun-to-drive car.

Fordonsstatus: Itrafik 2026-04-27
Ursprungsbesiktning: 1972-05-25 (regbes)
Datum i trafik första gången: 1972-06-30
Senast godkända besiktning: 2025-07-17
Besiktningsbefriad: Ja
Skattebefriad: Ja
Körförbud: Nej
Antal ägare: 7

In the mid-1950s, ideas began to take shape within Saab to develop a small, lightweight open competition car with suspension and drivetrain taken from the regular production of the then brand-new Saab 93. At the Stockholm Motor Show in March 1956, Saab's first Sonett was displayed. Only six examples were built. A few years later, the regulations were changed, making it possible for Saab to compete with prepared 93s instead. In the early 1960s, two formula cars were also built, but they were not competitive enough in the Formula Junior class, so the effort was soon discontinued.
In 1961, Volvo had begun selling its new sports car, the P1800, built with standard components but with a sports body manufactured in Great Britain and assembled by the car manufacturer Jensen Motors. At Saab, questions came in, especially from the USA, asking whether it wasn't time for them to build a sports car as well. Saab did not have the in-house resources to develop one, so a design competition was arranged between Sixten Sason and AB Svenska Järnvägsverkstäderna, ASJ, and Björn Karlström and Malmö Flygindustri, MFI. Björn Karlström with MFI emerged victorious. The body was made of fiberglass.
Of what would be called the Sonett II, 258 examples were built with a three-cylinder two-stroke engine. For the 1968 model year, the Sonett received a larger V4 under the hood, originally sourced from Ford.

The Saab Sonett III was presented in New York in the spring of 1970. It received considerably better reviews than its predecessor, which was regarded in many respects as a hobby/competition car project on Saab's part. The Sonett III was more refined and user-friendly, featuring, among other things, a proper luggage compartment accessible from the outside. The entire body, with the exception of the doors, had been given a new look. The front became lower and was equipped with pop-up headlights. The rear was reworked with, among other things, taillights from the Saab 99. The gear lever was placed on the floor. In 1973, it also received modified bumpers from the 99. In 1974, which was the final year of production, the Sonett received stripes on the lower part of the body. Of the 1974 model year, 2,500 cars were built. In total, just over 10,000 examples of the Saab Sonett were produced.

Location: Mora

For viewing the vehicle, contact the inspector/case manager:

Nisse Brandt
+46 707 50 89 99
nisse@bilwebauctions.se

Collection must take place before: 2026-10-28.

NOTE! Payment (deposit to our account) must be made within 5 days and before collection.