Saab · 1968–1984

Saab 99

The Saab 99 is a car produced by Swedish manufacturer Saab from 1968 to 1984, their first foray into a larger class than the Saab 96. While considered a large family car in Scandinavia, it was marketed as a niche compact executive car in most other markets. It was manufactured both in Sweden and Finland and was succeeded by the Saab 900, although the 99 continued to be produced alongside its successor. The Saab 90, an updated, less complex version using many 900 parts took over from the 99 in late 1984.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Saab 96 · Successor: Saab 90

All Saab 99 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years → + Compare

Development

On 2 April 1964, 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 the badging available for the Saab Sport. The 99 was not only built in Saab's own Trollhättan Assembly - some variants were built by the Finnish Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki from 1969 onwards; the last five years of this production (1979–1984) 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 company's existing two-stroke engine, it was decided that a four-stroke engine was necessary, and the choice was a 1.7 L (later 1.85 L) engine from Triumph. This was 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. A number of Saab 99s were equipped with a Triumph Stag V8, but the V8 was later dropped in favour of a turbocharged unit which later powered the 99 Turbo. A three-door estate version was planned from the start, but never made it into production. In 1971 (with thoughts about a combi coupé) the work on an estate was restarted, this time as a five-door.

Description and reception

The first engine used in the original 99 was a four-cylinder inline engine which was tilted at 45 degrees. The 1709 cc Triumph-sourced engine produced 87 PS (64 kW; 86 hp) SAE gross at 5500 rpm. The engine was conventionally water-cooled, but unlike most cars of the time it had an electric cooling fan. Triumph soon upgraded the engine to 1.85 L; the appearance in February 1971 of the four-door Saab 99 (99CM4 series) coincided with the adoption of the new, bored-out, 1854 cc unit. Saab experienced reliability problems with the Triumph-sourced engines and decided to bring the design in-house. 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. The 99 was front-wheel-drive, its engine being fitted in a reverse longitudinal position similar to other pre-transverse engine designs like the Citroën Traction Avant, orienting the clutch (or output) towards the front to place the weight of the engine behind the gearbox to avoid nose heaviness. Drive to the under-mounted gearbox was by triplex chain. Front-wheel-drive was still a relatively uncommon configuration at the time of the 99's introduction, although traditional in Saabs. The bonnet (hood) was front-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. The drag coefficient was 0.37 while other cars of the time had 0.4 to 0.5. The chassis was also designed for passive safety, with deformation zones front and rear. Due to the American sealed beam headlamp requirement in place at the time, the USA models had a special front

Models

E —Introduced for 1970 (available by order, not from the dealer floor), the 99E (Electronic fuel injection, four-speed manual) was originally only available in a two-door version. The 99 E had the 1709 cc engine displacement Triumph engine giving 87 PS (64 kW) thanks to Bosch Type-D Jetronic fuel injection instead of the Zenith-Stromberg carburetors. The original carbureted engine produced 80 PS (59 kW). Fuel consumption was 7.8 L/100 km (33 mpg) at 105–110 km/h (65-70 mph). EMS—Introduced in 1972, the EMS (Electronic fuel injection Manual transmission Special) was a sportier model that was originally only available in a two-door version. Engine was equipped from 1972 to 1974 with Bosch D-Jetronic and from 1975 on with Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection. Despite the fuel system change, letter "e" was kept in model name. In 1977 the EMS became available in the three-door 'wagonback' body that was introduced for standard models in 1974 (1978 in the USA). It had a stiffer suspension and was sold in yellow or a copper coral metallic paint in 1973, Sterling Silver or Sunset orange in 1974, black or Sterling silver in 1975 and 1976, black, Sterling silver, or Cardinal red in 1977, and Sterling silver or Cardinal red in 1978. The new Swedish-built engine had 1985 cc displacement giving 110 PS (81 kW; 108 hp) and a top speed of 170 km/h (106 mph). The grille badge differed from the more basic models in 1973 and 1974 only. Other features through the years included quicker steering, luxury interior, soccerball wheels, carpeted trunk, and front air dam. SSE—Sold in the US to satisfy demand while the EMS was not yet available there. The SSE had a black or burled walnut vinyl roof cover, a BorgWarner automatic transmission and a 1.85-litre Triumph engine. X7—Introduced in 19

History

The 99 was first shown on November 22, 1967. The first production cars came in autumn 1968, although only 4190 cars were built this year. Production increased considerably in 1969 and again in 1970 when the four-door model arrived. In 1970 the interior was also given a facelift and became more luxurious, with a new steering wheel. The exhaust system was now made of aluminum, engine mounts and drive joints were changed. In March, the 99E (also available with a three-speed automatic transmission) was introduced. It had a 1.75 L engine with electronically controlled fuel injection, giving 87 PS (64 kW; 86 hp). The 1970 99 was also the first passenger vehicle to be sold with the headlamp wipers in Swedish market as standard, two years before they became mandatory in Sweden. 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, as well as larger rear-view mirrors and an additional air inlet beneath the existing grille. 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 a

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Saab 99

Manufacturer

Saab Automobile

Production

1968–1984

Class

Compact executive car (D)

Predecessor

None

Successor

Saab 90, Saab 900

Wheelbase

2473 mm

Length

4340 mm (coupe)

Width

1676 mm (coupe)

Height

1450 mm (coupe)

Layout

Longitudinal front-engine, front-wheel drive

Body style

2/4-door saloon, 3/5-door combi coupé

Engine

1709 cc Slant-4 I4, 1854 cc Slant-4 I4, 1985 cc B I4, 1985 cc H I4 (1982–1984)

Transmission

4/5-speed manual, 3-speed Borg-Warner 35 automatic

Designer

Sixten Sason

Assembly

Sweden: Trollhättan (Trollhättan Assembly), Finland: Uusikaupunki (Valmet Automotive)

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q727502CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_99CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1368833137 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1969-SAAB99.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Liftarn · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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