Saab 99 turbo development car
Discussion
One of my relatives is a good friend of the owner of this car. It’s one of two original development cars from the turbocharged 99 project. Still the first owner, he’s just had it restored after 42 years off the road and drove it all the way to Sweden and back last summer.
https://www.turbotechnics.com/saab-99-pilgrimage-t...
https://www.turbotechnics.com/saab-99-pilgrimage-t...
Chunkychucky said:
Thanks for sharing, cool story!
"One of the landmarks in the SAAB history was the introduction of the 99 Turbo, generally credited as being the first series production turbo car." - I'd always presumed this was the BMW 2002 Turbo, or even the Chevrolet Corvair Turbo?
The first production turbocharged road car was the Oldsmobile Cutlass Jetfire, followed very shortly afterwards (a matter of months, iirc) by the Corvair Turbo-Air. "One of the landmarks in the SAAB history was the introduction of the 99 Turbo, generally credited as being the first series production turbo car." - I'd always presumed this was the BMW 2002 Turbo, or even the Chevrolet Corvair Turbo?
Turbos didn't reach the roads in Europe until the BMW 2002 Turbo, which was a low-volume specialist product initially developed for motorsport. The Porsche 911 Turbo was a high-performance, low-volume and very expensive sports car. Then came the Saab 99 Turbo which was the first European four-door saloon with a turbocharger expressly designed from the start for mass production and ordinary road use.
So the 99 Turbo is very arguably Europe's first 'series production' turbocharged car, but the Americans got there over a decade earlier.
Chunkychucky said:
Thanks for sharing, cool story!
"One of the landmarks in the SAAB history was the introduction of the 99 Turbo, generally credited as being the first series production turbo car." - I'd always presumed this was the BMW 2002 Turbo, or even the Chevrolet Corvair Turbo?
Actually despite being a low volume manufacturer TVR claimed the 'first series turbo production car on sale in the UK' launched in 1975 - TVR 3000M Turbo. "One of the landmarks in the SAAB history was the introduction of the 99 Turbo, generally credited as being the first series production turbo car." - I'd always presumed this was the BMW 2002 Turbo, or even the Chevrolet Corvair Turbo?
2xChevrons said:
Chunkychucky said:
Thanks for sharing, cool story!
"One of the landmarks in the SAAB history was the introduction of the 99 Turbo, generally credited as being the first series production turbo car." - I'd always presumed this was the BMW 2002 Turbo, or even the Chevrolet Corvair Turbo?
The first production turbocharged road car was the Oldsmobile Cutlass Jetfire, followed very shortly afterwards (a matter of months, iirc) by the Corvair Turbo-Air. "One of the landmarks in the SAAB history was the introduction of the 99 Turbo, generally credited as being the first series production turbo car." - I'd always presumed this was the BMW 2002 Turbo, or even the Chevrolet Corvair Turbo?
Turbos didn't reach the roads in Europe until the BMW 2002 Turbo, which was a low-volume specialist product initially developed for motorsport. The Porsche 911 Turbo was a high-performance, low-volume and very expensive sports car. Then came the Saab 99 Turbo which was the first European four-door saloon with a turbocharger expressly designed from the start for mass production and ordinary road use.
So the 99 Turbo is very arguably Europe's first 'series production' turbocharged car, but the Americans got there over a decade earlier.
Yeah thought the Yanks had got there first, so despite being cool the Saab wasn't quite the first series production turbo car.
2xChevrons said:
The first production turbocharged road car was the Oldsmobile Cutlass Jetfire, followed very shortly afterwards (a matter of months, iirc) by the Corvair Turbo-Air.
.
a slight anorak correction, any Corvair engine is classed as a Turbo-air, the ones with the turbos are 'Super Charged Spyders' the Spyder been the specific model name for a car equipped with the special uprated turbo power unit, unique dash etc.
Chunkychucky said:
2xChevrons said:
Chunkychucky said:
Thanks for sharing, cool story!
"One of the landmarks in the SAAB history was the introduction of the 99 Turbo, generally credited as being the first series production turbo car." - I'd always presumed this was the BMW 2002 Turbo, or even the Chevrolet Corvair Turbo?
The first production turbocharged road car was the Oldsmobile Cutlass Jetfire, followed very shortly afterwards (a matter of months, iirc) by the Corvair Turbo-Air. "One of the landmarks in the SAAB history was the introduction of the 99 Turbo, generally credited as being the first series production turbo car." - I'd always presumed this was the BMW 2002 Turbo, or even the Chevrolet Corvair Turbo?
Turbos didn't reach the roads in Europe until the BMW 2002 Turbo, which was a low-volume specialist product initially developed for motorsport. The Porsche 911 Turbo was a high-performance, low-volume and very expensive sports car. Then came the Saab 99 Turbo which was the first European four-door saloon with a turbocharger expressly designed from the start for mass production and ordinary road use.
So the 99 Turbo is very arguably Europe's first 'series production' turbocharged car, but the Americans got there over a decade earlier.
Yeah thought the Yanks had got there first, so despite being cool the Saab wasn't quite the first series production turbo car.
2xChevrons said:
Then came the Saab 99 Turbo which was the first European four-door saloon with a turbocharger expressly designed from the start for mass production and ordinary road use.
99 Turbos were three door 'Combi' (Hatchback) though. A booted two door arrived for '79 iirc. The 900 Turbo was the 4/5 door, the 900 being the 99 Combi with a longer front end, new dash etc.Such a cool old car though. I see a late 900 Turbo 3 door in red with the three spoke wheels now and then. Such a shame GM made a complete balls of Saab.
guru_1071 said:
a slight anorak correction, any Corvair engine is classed as a Turbo-air, the ones with the turbos are 'Super Charged Spyders' the Spyder been the specific model name for a car equipped with the special uprated turbo power unit, unique dash etc
Touring442 said:
99 Turbos were three door 'Combi' (Hatchback) though. A booted two door arrived for '79 iirc. The 900 Turbo was the 4/5 door, the 900 being the 99 Combi with a longer front end, new dash etc.
Such a cool old car though. I see a late 900 Turbo 3 door in red with the three spoke wheels now and then. Such a shame GM made a complete balls of Saab.
This is the sort of pedantry/detail knowledge that makes me remember why I ever started looking at PH in the first place. Thanks both Such a cool old car though. I see a late 900 Turbo 3 door in red with the three spoke wheels now and then. Such a shame GM made a complete balls of Saab.
I will say that I did know about the 99 Turbo being Combis originally and two-door saloons later - my use of the term 'saloon car' was more in the sense that the 99 wasn't a sports car or some homologation special. But technically it wasn't a saloon when launched, and technically correct is the best sort of correct...
The Corvair and its model terminology is a jungle to me, so that one was just pure error.
2xChevrons said:
This is the sort of pedantry/detail knowledge that makes me remember why I ever started looking at PH in the first place. Thanks both
I will say that I did know about the 99 Turbo being Combis originally and two-door saloons later - my use of the term 'saloon car' was more in the sense that the 99 wasn't a sports car or some homologation special. But technically it wasn't a saloon when launched, and technically correct is the best sort of correct...
The Corvair and its model terminology is a jungle to me, so that one was just pure error.
Not a four door though eh? I will say that I did know about the 99 Turbo being Combis originally and two-door saloons later - my use of the term 'saloon car' was more in the sense that the 99 wasn't a sports car or some homologation special. But technically it wasn't a saloon when launched, and technically correct is the best sort of correct...
The Corvair and its model terminology is a jungle to me, so that one was just pure error.
My mate Trevor's Mum had one new in early 1979 to replace a silver 2002 Targa, itself a nice car. That Saab was impossibly cool even then. His Dad was a farmer and drove a 1966 Morris Oxford, as farmers did.
Touring442 said:
99 Turbos were three door 'Combi' (Hatchback) though. A booted two door arrived for '79 iirc. The 900 Turbo was the 4/5 door, the 900 being the 99 Combi with a longer front end, new dash etc.
Such a cool old car though. I see a late 900 Turbo 3 door in red with the three spoke wheels now and then. Such a shame GM made a complete balls of Saab.
There was also 5 door 99 turbos ,in metallic red and also 6 black cars too , UK market ,other markets might have had a 4 door .Such a cool old car though. I see a late 900 Turbo 3 door in red with the three spoke wheels now and then. Such a shame GM made a complete balls of Saab.
I saw a metallic green 2 door in VW Autostadt Germany ,bizarrely .
The 2 door cars all on 1980 VINs but some weren't sold until 1982 , in red 400 made and black , 200 made ,again UK market .
Edited by Dieci on Friday 25th November 21:19
rallycross said:
Interesting story, interesting car, thanks for sharing.
I remember as a youngster being taken to the Scottish rally and seeing Hannu Mikkola driving the new Saab turbo.
Also remember there was an earlier special edition Saab 99 the EMS model think it may have been a 16v?
EMS was the top of the range 99, but a full production model. Fuel injection, but only 8 valve. Still a proper Saab though!I remember as a youngster being taken to the Scottish rally and seeing Hannu Mikkola driving the new Saab turbo.
Also remember there was an earlier special edition Saab 99 the EMS model think it may have been a 16v?
sideways man said:
EMS was the top of the range 99, but a full production model. Fuel injection, but only 8 valve. Still a proper Saab though!
3rd time you said that but incorrect as the 4 door GLE would have been the most expensive 99 until the turbo arrived .Although the EMS was launched before the GLE ,so was top dog for a bit .
EMS means electric manual special by the way as the first cars had an early ECU based electric injection ,D jetronic ,replaced by the much more common K jetronic later .
Wikipedia is also incorrect ,stating that the first 99s had a 1.75 litre engine ,it was 1709cc , the next engine was 1854cc as per the Dolomite and the final 99 engine 1985cc .
Edited by Dieci on Friday 25th November 21:47
Chunkychucky said:
Ha - had to Google that Oldsmobile!
Yeah thought the Yanks had got there first, so despite being cool the Saab wasn't quite the first series production turbo car.
When they mean series production car they mean, mass produced in significant numbers, and in that regard the 99 Turbo was the first.Yeah thought the Yanks had got there first, so despite being cool the Saab wasn't quite the first series production turbo car.
All the previous turbo cars in the USA in the early 60's, just never really worked, and never sold much before being dropped from prodcution, and as said, the 2002 turbo, the TVR and the 911T were small volume specialist cars, not 'series production' in the truest sense.
My uncle had a red 99 Turbo back in the 80s - impossibly cool car to be driven to Silverstone for the F1 in as a child! Mate's dad with a magpie tendency to buy anything that he classed as a 'bargain', with usually 30+ cars littered around their house, had a black one - my mate (late teens at the time) managed to sheer the key off in the ignition lock because he wasn't aware it needed to be in reverse for the key to be removed lol
We straddled the 99 era - had a 95 with the fairly hateful V4 lump, and much later a 1990 900 Turbo 16V convertible (pre-S high pressure turbo). Lovely things, and I too mourn the GM era and where it led.....
We straddled the 99 era - had a 95 with the fairly hateful V4 lump, and much later a 1990 900 Turbo 16V convertible (pre-S high pressure turbo). Lovely things, and I too mourn the GM era and where it led.....
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