ABOUT THE SAAB 95 & SAAB 96 1959-1980

Quick 95 Overview

The Saab 95 was introduced as a new model in the autumn of 1959, ten years after the inception of Saab automobiles. The engine in the 95 was a 2 stroke, 3 cylinder that was a mere 38 horse power. One of the most remarkable features of the 95 was its ability to hold up to 7 passengers by revealing a rear-facing seat for two that was located under the rear luggage cover! The basic form and function of the 95 was to serve as a family wagon. In-order to provide some much needed improvements on the 95, the 96 was introduced in the early part of 1960. Changes in the new 96 were significant. The front and back end of the car were redesigned by making the rear glass over 100 percent larger! The dash was redesigned and the B-pillars and the rear lights were simplified, but the engine remained the same. The 96 would become a mainstay for Saab and would be produced until 1980 while Saab continued to make improvements by modifying the ventilation system and by introducing the notorious 64 horsepower V4 engine in 1967.

Quick 96 Overview

The Saab 96 is an automobile made by Saab. It was introduced in 1960 and was produced until January 1980. Like the 93 it replaced, the 96 was a larger car for Saab, and opened new markets for the company. It was replaced in 1980 by the 900 and by Saab's still-larger car, the 9000 in 1984.

As first designed it had an 841 cc, 38 hp (28 kw) three-cylinder Saab two-stroke engine. In 1967 the 96V4 with a Ford four stroke 1498 cc V4 engine, originally developed for the 1962 Ford Taunus 12M, replaced the two-stroke 96. The V4 engine produced 65 hp (48 kW) and the car made 0-100 km/h in 16 seconds. In terms of bodywork, the front differed little from that of the Saab 93, but the rear was a new design which gave the 96 more internal space and a larger rear window.

The Saab 96 was also available as an estate version, marketed as the Saab 95.

The Saab 96 was driven by Erik Carlsson in several rallies in which he finished first: the 1960, 1961 and 1962 RAC Rallies, and the 1962 and 1963 Monte Carlo Rally.

One of the last Saab 96s produced was in 1979 and in a limited edition for the Dutch market, to commemorate 25 years of Saab imports into the Netherlands (1954-1979).

The last production date for the Saab 96 was January 11, 1980 (VIN 96806002814),
the last VIN (96806002820) was produced on January 3, 1980. These cars were built by Valmet in Uusikaupunki, Finland. The Saab 96 was outlived by the Saab 99 and ultimately replaced by the Saab 900, introduced the previous year.

A total of 547,221 were made.