LAST OF THE LINE – SAAB 96 V4 SOUVENIR

A select number of limited-edition cars celebrate the demise of a long-running model with flair, style and dignity – such as the Saab 96 V4 Souvenir. Stuart Barnes’s example is not the last of the famous range to leave the production lines – but it is number 28 of the final batch of UK-market versions. These very exclusive 150 1977-model 96s had a metallic cardinal red paint finish and a dashboard plaque.

This 96 can trace its roots to 1945 when Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget decided to embark on its first motor vehicle. If that were not sufficient challenge, the Saab would have monocoque construction with a transversely mounted two-stroke engine driving the front wheels. FWD was a first for a Swedish car as the company engineers believed it was the best format to cope with winter driving in Scandinavia.

Production of the 92 began on the 12th of December 1949. Over a quarter of a century, and a vast number of rally victories later, the design had undergone several significant upgrades. Yet, despite the North-South mounted four-stroke V4 engine, the larger windows, and such decadent fittings as a heater and flashing indicators instead of trafficators, the 96 proudly upheld the 92’s traditions.

By the late 1970s, UK-based Saab devotees did not care that its lines dated from when Clement Atlee was Prime Minister and that it retained a steering column gearchange. With such a fine machine, mere fashion had no meaning. In 1972, The Observer noted: “Saab would love to concentrate on its 99 range, but full order books and insistent demand from retailers keep the old faithfuls going.” The following year, one memorable UK-market advertisement stated: “I bought a Saab because there are too many damn fools on the road.”

In 1979, Saab transferred the manufacturing from Sweden to their Uusikaupunki plant in Finland. On the 8th of February 1980, Erik Carlsson drove the last of the 547,221 96s from the works to the company museum. Stuart has owned “eight or nine Saabs – and I passed my test in a 96!”. Younger readers may be unfamiliar with a column gearchange, but he finds it “a piece of cake” to operate. Stuart also notes his Souvenir has the extremely rare optional alloy wheels – and that “Erik Carlsson has ridden in my car!”.

And perhaps a line from a 1968 Car road test illustrates why those final UK-market 96s deserved to be celebrated. In their view, it was a vehicle of “enduring virtues”, which neatly encapsulates its appeal. Alternatively, to quote Autocar: “When things get really tough and the going gets slippery, then the V4 Saab 96 is still hard to beat.”

With thanks to Stuart Barnes for his time and permission to use the images in this blog.