| Manufacturer | Saab Automobile |
|---|---|
| Production | 1968-1984 |
| Predecessor | None |
| Successor | Saab 90 Saab 900 |
| Class | Compact |
| Body style | 2-door coupe 3-door combi coupé 4-door sedan 5-door combi coupé van[1] |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Engine | 1.75 L Slant-4 I4 1.85 L B I4 2.0 L B I4 |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual 5-speed manual 3-speed Borg-Warner automatic |
| Designer | Sixten Sason |
The 99 is an automobile produced by Saab from 1968[2] to 1984.
Contents |
On April 2, 1965, Gudmund's day in Sweden, after several years of planning, the Saab board started Project Gudmund. This was a project to develop a new and larger car to take the manufacturer beyond the market for the smaller Saab 96. This new car became the Saab 99, designed by Sixten Sason and unveiled in Stockholm on November 22, 1967.
The first prototypes of the 99 were built by cutting a Saab 96 lengthwise and widening it by 20 centimetres (7.9 in); this created the so called Paddan (The toad), which was a disguise for the new project.
After that phase, also as a disguise, the first 99 body shell was badged "daihatsu" as that name could be made up out of letters available for other Saab models.
The 99 was built by the Finnish Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki; five years of this production (from 1979) was alongside the Finnish built version of the Talbot Horizon, which shared a similar high quality velour upholstery to the 99.
Although Saab engineers liked the two stroke engine it was decided that a four stroke engine was necessary and the choice was a 1.75 L (later 1.85 L) engine from Triumph, the same Triumph Slant-4 engine used in the Triumph Dolomite, but the Saab version was fitted with a Zenith-Stromberg CD carburetor developed specially for Saab. Forty-eight Saab 99s were equipped with a Triumph Stag V8, but the idea to use a V8 was later dropped in favour of a turbocharged engine.
A three-door station wagon (estate) version was planned from the start, but never made it into production.[3][4] In 1971 (with thoughts about a combi coupé) the work on a station wagon was restarted, this time as a five door.[5][6]
The first engine used in the original 99 was a four-cylinder in-line engine that was tilted at 45 degrees, basically half of a V8. The 1709 cc Triumph-sourced engine produced 87 PS (64 kW; 86 hp) at 5500 rpm.[7] The engine was water-cooled, but unlike most cars of the time it had an electric cooling fan. Triumph soon upgraded the engine to 1.85L: the appearance in February 1971 of the 4-door Saab 99 (99CM4 series) coincided with the adoption of the bored out 1854 cc unit.[7] Saab experienced reliability problems with Triumph sourced engines and decided to bring the design home. From September 1972 the 1985 cc Saab B engine was used; during the lifetime of the 99 model, several subsequent engine developments took place including the incorporation of fuel injection for some versions.[7] The engine was fitted 'back to front', with the clutch at the front.
The bonnet (hood) was forward-hinged and the panel extended over the front wheel arches. The windscreen (windshield) was wrap-around and very deep for the era. The A-pillar had a steep angle, providing excellent driver visibility. Writing in 1968, the English test-driver Archie Vicar wrote in Mass Motorist magazine: "The little 99 has been given a striking and wholly rational appearance. It gives the flavour of an aeroplane on four wheels."[8]
Due to the American sealed beam headlight requirement in place at the time the USA models had a special front fascia with two round headlights instead of the single rectangular unit it had in other markets. The "US front" then became a popular item for car customisers in Europe.
Early 99s carried over the freewheel transmission from the Saab 96, but the freewheel was removed with the introduction of the 1.85 L engine, likely on account of the extra power that the apparatus would have to transmit.
The handbrake was on the front wheels.
The car was wide and low and the suspension gave it handling that was very good for the time. The Cw value was 0.37 while other cars of the time had 0.4 to 0.5. The chassis was also designed for secondary safety.
The 99 was Saab's last rally car, first in EMS guise and later as the Turbo version. The Saab 99 turbo was one of the first "family cars" to be fitted with a turbo after the 1962-63 Oldsmobile Turbo Jetfire; other contemporary turbocharged automobiles were very "specialised" vehicles and were difficult to drive. Popular Mechanics lists the Saab 99 Turbo as number two on their top 10 list of turbocharged cars of all time.[9]
The UK's "Mass Motorist" magazine (1968) summarised their view of the 99 as follows: "That the 99 is comfortable, well-made, satisfying to drive and well-equipped ought to mean that other makers should take heed. The BMW 2002 and Alfa Romeo Giulia are the Saab 99's main rivals. I would contend here that Saab has the advantage of them, and should Saab choose to fit an even more powerful motor, the 99 could be a class leader in a short space of time."[8]
Wheels magazine wrote in a July 1978 road test of the 99 Turbo, "Compare the top gear times and you'll see that the Turbo is almost as fast between 60 km/h (37 mph) and 160 km/h (99 mph) in fourth gear as any five-seater in the world". Modern Motor of August 1978 wrote, "It is necessary to drive the car to believe that such a seemingly endless surge of strong acceleration is possible from a 2.0 L engine in a far from lightweight car".[10]
A police version of the 99 was also built. The hood/bonnet of the 99 (and also the 900) caused problems for the police livery team. Since it wraps around, covering the wheel arches, the paint had to be extended up onto the hood panel and not restricted to just the fenders as on other cars.
A detail on Saab 99 (sedan model) was that it had a heating duct leading to the rear window. With a lever between the front seats the airflow could be controlled to help defogging the rear window. Another Saab feature that has been used even on later models is that the ignition lock is on the floor. Unlike most cars, where the steering wheel is locked by the ignition key, this car locks the gear stick. It has the side effect that the driver would always have to park the car with reverse gear activated (except for automatic versions). It was supposed to be safer, since the anti-theft lock would not affect safety if forced or at malfunction. However, car thieves discovered that it was very easy to force the lock and for that reason Saab was a very popular brand for car-thieves. The system has been improved on later models (Saab 9-3 and Saab 9-5), and nowadays an electronic lock is included.
The 99 was first shown on November 22, 1967.[12] The first production cars came in autumn 1968.
In 1970 the interior was given a facelift and became more luxurious, with a new dashboard. The exhaust system was now made of aluminum. In March, the 99E Automatic was introduced. It had a 1.75 L engine with electronically controlled fuel injection, giving 95 PS (70 kW; 94 hp). A four-door version was also introduced.
In 1971 the 99 was given a larger and stronger engine, a 1.85 L engine giving 86 PS (63 kW; 85 hp) on the carbureted model and 95 PS (70 kW; 94 hp) for the fuel injected model. The 1.75 L engine was now only available with a carburetor. Saab also introduced headlight wipers. The dashboard was given a redesign along with new instruments.
In 1972 the 1.75 L engine was no longer available. The power of the engine was increased to 88 PS (65 kW; 87 hp) for carbureted models and 97 PS (71 kW; 96 hp) for fuel injected models. The 2.0 L engine became available. The major change this year were new plastic bumpers that could take impacts up to 8 km/h (5 mph) and still retain their shape. The suspension was stiffened and received stronger dampers. An electrically heated driver's seat was also introduced.
In January 1972 the 99 EMS (Electronic-Manual-Special) was introduced. It was a sportier model that was originally only available in a two door version; but became available in the wagonback body beginning in 1974 (Europe). It had stiffer suspension and also silver or copper ('bronze')-colored metallic paint as option. The engine had 1985 cc displacement and Bosch D-Jetronic electronic fuel injection giving 110 PS (81 kW; 108 hp) and a top speed of 170 km/h (106 mph) .
In the USA, a special 99 SSE was available to satisfy demand while the EMS was not yet available there. The SSE had a black or burled walnut vinyl roof cover and an automatic transmission (by Borg-Warner). It also had the 1.85 Triumph engine installed.
In 1973 a low cost model called the 99L was introduced. It was a two door with a 1.85 L engine giving 88 PS (65 kW; 87 hp). All other models had the 2.0 L engine. The LE model had electronic fuel injection giving 110 PS (81 kW; 108 hp). The LE model was mainly made for export.
In 1974 the 3-door hatchback combi coupé (marketed as a "Wagon Back" in the USA) was introduced. It was 10 cm (3.9 in) longer than the sedan.
In 1975 the brakes were improved and the hand brake now worked directly on the primary brake pads instead of on separate pads acting as drum brakes inside the brake rotor. The 99 was now available in two versions, one with a carburetor with 100 PS (74 kW; 99 hp) and a fuel injected version using Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system giving 118 PS (87 kW; 116 hp). In February a model using Zenith-Stromberg 150CDS(E) dual carburetors was introduced. It was only available for the combi coupé.
In 1976 nothing major was changed, but a self adjusting clutch was introduced. The engines were adapted for tougher emissions requirements and several models with an electrically heated rear window were introduced. A luxurious 4-door sedan model was available, the 99 GLE. it came with power steering, an automatic transmission, a fuel-injected engine, luxurious upholstery on the seats and an armrest in the rear seat.
In 1977, the front lights and the sedan's tail lights were enlarged.
In 1978 a turbocharged version of the car, the 99 Turbo, was introduced. It was only available as a combi coupé until the next year. A turbocharged engine produced 145 PS (107 kW; 143 hp) giving the car top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph). The turbochargers were designed and built by Garrett AiResearch.
In 1979 the 99 Turbo came in a four door version and the Turbo also came in a metallic green two-door coupe.
In 1980 the 99 came in many different models. It was also given the new and safer seats from the Saab 900. Later in the year the transmissions on all models were the same as in the four-speed turbos. This was also the last year for the 99 in the United States.
In 1981 the 99 was available in only two engine options, the 99GL with 100 PS (74 kW; 99 hp) and the 99 GLi with 118 PS (87 kW; 116 hp), both with a four-speed manual transmission. The GLi was a bit more luxurious and had power side mirrors.
In 1982 came the H engine, built by Scania at Södertälje, making it possible for all cars to run on 93 octane gasoline. The two and four door 99GLs came with a five-speed manual transmission and low profile tires. All models except the Turbo and EMS came with a single carburetor, manual transmission and the grille from the EMS and the Turbo.
In 1983 a number of smaller technical and cosmetic changes were made.
In 1984 some minor changes were made. 1984 was the final year for the 99. It was replaced by the Saab 90 and the Saab 900.
A total of 588,643 were made.
| Type | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| Compact | 92 | 93 | 95/96 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact executive | 900 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GT | GT | Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | 94 | 97/Sonett | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | |
| Compact | 600* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 99 | 90 | 9-2X | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compact executive | 900 | 900 | 9-3 | 9-3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Convertible | 900 | 900 | 9-3 | 9-3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Executive | 9000 | 9-5 | 9-5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SUV | 9-7X | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CUV | 9-3X | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9-4X | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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