Saab 96s: two-stroke or V4?

By Simon Hucknall

| 9 Jun 2026

Classic & Sports Car – Saab 96s: two-stroke or V4?

You hear it long before you see it: the tranquil of this bucolic Hampshire village has been shattered by some hooligan flouting its urban speed limit. Heads turn.

The demonic roar and ring-a-ding-ding of the engine at first suggests an older two-stroke motorbike, yet the exhaust note is too mellow and the rate at which the revs climb is too slow.

But disapproval turns to curiosity as a small car, not a ’bike, heaves into view, its speed at odds with the aural fanfare heralding its entrance, and its humble appearance not squaring with the timbre of its exhaust.

The Saab 96’s chrome crest on its body-coloured grille

As it pulls into the pub car park, there’s instantly a lot of love for the new arrival.

An older resident walking her dog declares it “beautiful”, while two chaps from a passing BBC film unit double-back in their van for a closer look: they’d never seen the like of it and are enchanted by its futurist 1960s shape.

Which is not surprising, because the Saab 96’s form has always elicited strong opinions.

Its design evolved steadily from the 1950s 92, and was a slave to neither convention nor fashion: it cut a unique swathe in the mid-size car market right up to the end of its production in 1980.

The Saab 96’s space-efficient, two-stroke engine leaves room for a large cabin heater

Buyers were never ambivalent about purchasing a 96; they might not have sought the last word in driving nirvana, but with Saab’s aviation-influenced aerodynamics, pragmatic approach to ergonomics and highly laudable emphasis on safety, the 96 was the thinking motorist’s alternative to the more superficial charms of a Vauxhall or a Ford in Britain.

‘Alternative’ would have well described its initial engine offering, too. During its long life, the 96 was produced in two very distinct forms.

Earlier cars were powered by a three-cylinder, 841cc two-stroke unit, an engine type that was by then near-obsolete in Western markets.

After seven years, a larger and heavier 1.5-litre four-stroke V4 replaced the triple to drive the 96’s front wheels.

A four-stroke upgrade to the Saab 96 was inevitable

Despite sharing the same nomenclature and a largely unchanged design, these two 96s couldn’t be much more different in character.

Which is why, along with our scene-stealing 1965 ‘stroker’, we’re joined by a facelifted 1972 V4 model to discover which makes the most compelling choice today.

The 96’s roots can be traced back to the post-war years, when Svenska Autoplan AB, Swedish maker of civil and military aircraft, looked to diversify its operations.

Saab Automobile AB was founded in 1945 to supplement the aviation business and, buoyed by the promise of a large order from Sweden’s biggest car supplier, it developed its first model, the Saab 92 (its name simply following on from those of the parent company’s last two aircraft, ‘90’ and ‘91’).

The Saab 96 V4’s 60° Ford engine retains the two-stroke’s freewheel system

Designed by Saab’s Sixten Sason for the home market, the compact, practical, front-wheel-drive 92 had immensely aerodynamic monocoque bodywork (a Cd of 0.32 was recorded for a 1:10-scale model of the Ursaab prototype).

Saab’s choice of a tiny, simple two-stroke engine also meant relatively low production costs, less complexity for owners (due to fewer moving parts) and more space for a larger heater in the engine bay to cater for Sweden’s harsh winters.

DKW’s patents for its innovative two-stroke unit had expired in 1944, so Saab’s effort was little different: a water-cooled twin of 764cc displacement, mounted transversely and driving the front wheels through a three-speed transaxle.

The early Saab 96 soaks up B-road surface imperfections while telegraphing its limits via well-contained body movements

Producing 25bhp, it gave Saab’s debut car a respectable top end of 65mph or so.

A degree of familiarisation was required for new 92 drivers, though.

Pared back as its streamlined body was, there was no external boot access, so luggage required loading through the rear of the cabin.

Drivers also needed to calculate the mix of two-stroke oil needed in the fuel tank when they filled up; and, due to the correlation between throttle opening and engine lubrication meaning oil feed would be minimal on the overrun, all 92s (and every successive model, including the four-stroke 96 V4s) were fitted with freewheels to minimise the risk of engine damage.

The Saab 96 has a large steering wheel and a four-speed column shift

But the 92 was merely the start of a successful formula that endured for more than three decades.

After production commenced at the end of 1949, the 92 evolved into the 93, bringing with it a switch to a longitudinally located three-cylinder two-stroke and a rise in power to 33bhp.

Suspension was improved, with coils replacing torsion bars – although the 92’s rigid, U-shaped rear axle remained – and 12V electrics were standardised.

By the end of the ’50s, the 93 had come of age, even spawning a competition-focused GT750 version with twin carburettors, 50bhp and a fitted Halda Speedpilot.

The Saab 96’s neat dials

In 1959 there was an estate, the 95, with a 500kg load capacity and room for seven thanks to a foldaway rear bench.

By the time the 96 arrived in February 1960, Saab’s first foray into car making had become a successful export business – particularly in the USA – along with 50,000 sales per year, and a product with genuine competition potential in world rallying.

The new 96 was completely redesigned from the door pillars rearward, affording a more capacious cabin, a larger boot (which had been externally accessible for some years) and a new dashboard design.

The 93’s in-line triple, with its aluminium 12-bolt head, nickel/aluminium block and four-bearing crank, was enlarged from 748cc to 841cc, with power rising from 38 to 42bhp.

The Saab 96’s steering is accurate and has good feel

The unit’s inherent durability, particularly in adverse climes, had always been its key strength.

It also left scope for tuning and, following on from the GT750, Saab introduced Sport and Monte Carlo derivatives of the 96, with triple carburettors, oil injection and a 52bhp output.

Dean Jennings’ 1965 model was originally a Swedish home-market car that was imported to the UK in around 2000.

It represents the first year of the only significant change in the 96’s design during the 1960s, when the front end of the original ‘bullnose’ model was extended in readiness for the later V4 engine’s installation (there was a short period when both two-stroke and V4 sales overlapped).

The two-stroke Saab 96’s Westach tachometer

Having once owned not only a 1972 V4, but also a ‘long-nose’ 1966 two-stroke similar to this, I can recall my UK-market car making do with a single carb and ‘three-on-the-tree’ transmission.

Dean’s car, however, benefits from triple Solex carbs and a four-speed ’box, marking the difference between model specifications in each country.

Other than that, it’s near-identical to the car that beguiled me exactly 40 years ago.

There is hardly a flat surface anywhere along its teardrop-shaped body and, were it not for the rather austere grey paint, even in period it would have been eye-catching among the Ford Cortinas, Vauxhall Vivas and Morris Minors with which it would have shared British road space.

The Saab 96’s aerodynamic, teardrop lines

Tight and even panel fit is made neater still by the rubber beading running between the rear wings and the boot.

The body has a solidity about it, too: you can thump the roof without fear of denting it due to the built-in roll-over structure, and the doors close with a vault-like clunk.

And yet there’s a thoughtful simplicity when you step inside.

From the safety sunvisors to the clever through-flow ventilation system that demists the side and rear windows without needing a heated element, the 96 bristles with design intelligence.

This 1965 Saab 96 sports a longer nose, ready to accommodate the planned V4 four-stroke

Dean shows me a wooden frame beneath the rear bench’s squab that adjusts the angle of the seating; the rear seat also folds flat to turn the compartment into a sleeping area (which I once used in my car during a camping holiday).

Up front, the large, two-spoke steering wheel incorporates a horn ring.

Dials for fuel, temperature and speed are set into the metal fascia, with heater/vent sliders on the left.

This being a left-hand-drive car, the gearlever is on the right of the column (right-hookers had it on the left) and, other than a notable pedal offset to the centre, the driving position is comfortable as you peer through the shallow ’screen along the domed bonnet.

The early Saab 96 is the more characterful on the move

The Saab’s little triple starts immediately, settling to a vocal, crackling idle.

But as soon as you add some throttle to move away, the inherent smoothness of the 42bhp three-pot is apparent.

With firing impulses every 120° of crank rotation, revs rise rapidly but are not exactly commensurate with your road speed.

There’s some telltale blue smoke as you pull away (Dean runs a 33:1 fuel/synthetic-oil mix), but this quickly clears.

I’ve been told to rev well beyond what I would regard as the safe limit for a 60-year-old car and, while the 96 is no Kawasaki H1, the frenzied roar from its small-bore exhaust is manic and infectious.

The V4 engine puts more weight in the Saab 96’s nose, so the steering is heavier and some of the chassis balance is lost, but overall it feels more composed

There’s no powerband as such, but revving the bejesus from it does have you spooling along at a fair lick.

The steering is relatively high-geared, precise and communicative.

At 60-65mph on twisting B-roads, the 96 feels light and is unflustered by surface irregularities, pitching into bends adroitly with just enough roll to signpost the limits of its skinny Hankook radials (which replaced the original crossplies).

The unservoed drums need a decent shove to slow you, all the more so because the freewheel removes any semblance of engine braking.

The Saab 96 V4’s bold grille

When you do reapply throttle, there’s a knack to bringing up the revs smoothly to meet the road speed.

The 96 two-stroke rewards a ‘keeping up momentum’ driving style, but the engine’s frenzied wail alone has you believing you’re driving at twice your actual speed.

It all sounds very charismatic today, but in the early ’60s there were many voices at Saab’s Trollhättan base who felt four-stroke power was the future.

Despite resistance from CEO Tryggve Holm, a team led by senior engineer Rolf Mellde initiated ‘Operation Kajsa’, which tried a number of four-stroke engines in the 96, including a Lancia V4, Volvo’s B18 and Ford’s 1498cc 15M unit.

There’s a more modern feel to the 1972 Saab 96 V4’s trim

It was Ford’s 60° V4 that made the cut, though, being compact, relatively torque-rich and a good fit in the 96’s engine bay.

The overhead-valve unit brought the desired increase in outputs, raising power from the two-stroke’s by-then 42bhp to 65bhp, while torque was up from 60lb ft at 3000rpm to the V4’s 86lb ft at 2500rpm.

Not only was the new engine cleaner and easier to live with, without the need for an oil/fuel mixture at fill-ups, but performance was also in another league, with the 0-60mph time dropping from 24.1 secs to 16.5 secs, and top speed lifted from 76mph to 92mph.

Fuel consumption improved markedly, with the V4 achieving nearly 30mpg versus the two-stroke’s 22mpg.

Understeer is noticeable in the Saab 96 V4

For 1967, the 96 was available with both engines, but in ’68 the two-stroke was dropped.

In 1969, Björn Envall’s design team completed the 96’s overhaul, refreshing the exterior with a new, polished-metal slatted grille incorporating rectangular headlights, plus larger front and rear ’screens, while inside was an all-new dash, a padded steering wheel with telescopic column and even an automatically heated driver’s seat.

Engine braking was obviously now possible, supplemented by front discs for the first time, but the 96 retained its freewheel, which could be deployed via a floor-mounted T-handle.

The Saab 96 V4 has a gear map on the dashboard, between the dials

David Parmiter’s Verona Green V4 is the spit of the ’72 car that preceded my two-stroke, and in every respect it’s a more grown-up machine.

Subjectively, the exterior refresh worked well and at the time modernised the car, without making it look like a 1940s design with flares.

The rectangular lights integrate well with the sloping front end, and the new grille makes it look less dowdy.

Inside, the makeover is more radical, with additional padding around the dash and control areas, along with a smaller steering wheel with a textured central bar.

The Saab 96 V4’s stylish interior clock

There couldn’t be a more contrasting noise upon start-up. The Ford V4’s rather lumpen soundtrack plays out before you, but doesn’t excite in the way that the stroker did.

While its offbeat timbre is distinctive, and a balancer shaft is used to tame the configuration’s natural coarseness, you would never say it was the sweetest motor on the block.

Set off and the unassisted steering is heavier, which you would expect in a car carrying 170lb more than its predecessor.

The Saab 96 V4’s rear vent draws air from the cabin

All V4s were fitted with four-speed gearboxes and, thanks to this car’s higher gearing, cruising speeds of around 60mph are not only easier to reach, but also require less effort to maintain.

However, with the all-iron engine’s weight slung ahead of the front axle, some of the two-stroke’s sublime chassis balance has been lost – although much-improved straight-line stability is the upside.

Understeer is more prevalent during spirited cornering, and the general sensation of the 96 being light on its feet has been eroded somewhat in its V4 guise

The higher-geared Saab 96 V4 is a relaxed cruiser and feels more stable in a straight line

Nonetheless, as a car to live with over a long distance – especially on high-speed routes – it has the measure of its predecessor in every way.

I can think of no car that has undergone such a transformation by dint of an engine change as the Saab 96.

Swapping two-stroke triple for V4 four-stroke allowed the model to survive for 13 more years while retaining its unique character and design.

But having lived with both versions in a previous life, the delightful two-stroke remains my choice for driving pleasure – and for that thrilling soundtrack.

Images: Max Edleston

Thanks to: Saab Owners’ Club (GB) Ltd

The Saab 96’s rallying legacy

Erik Carlsson (above), whose name will forever be connected with the now-defunct Saab marque, both as a rally driver and later as a roving ambassador for the company, perfected the art of left-foot braking in the works two-stroke 96s, and in doing so he was able to keep the little cars on the boil (and frequently on their roofs).

Carlsson and the 96 dominated international rallies soon after the model was launched, winning Britain’s RAC Rally in 1960, ’61 and ’62, as well as taking victory on the Rallye Monte-Carlo in 1962 and ’63.

The 96’s toughness and reliability were further confirmed in 1964, when Carlsson took second on the East African Safari Rally.

After the V4 was launched, while its competition success in World Rally Championship events in the 1970s dropped off as more modern and accomplished machines took to the stage, the 96’s capability in adverse conditions was still evident: Stig Blomqvist won the Swedish Rally in 1972 and ’73, and Per Eklund was victorious at the same event in ’76.

Factfiles

Saab 96
(two-stroke, long-nose)

Sold/number built 1960-’67/547,221 (all 96s)
Construction steel monocoque
Engine aluminium/nickel-block, alloy-head 841cc two-stroke triple, three Solex carburettors
Max power 42bhp @ 4500rpm
Max torque 60lb ft @ 3000rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, FWD
Suspension: front independent, by double wishbones, anti-roll bar (to 1972) rear trailing U-beam axle, radius arms; coil springs, telescopic dampers f/r
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes drums
Length 13ft 8in (4166mm)
Width 5ft 2in (1575mm)
Height 4ft 10in (1473mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 1½in (2488mm)
Weight 1792lb (813kg)
0-60mph 24.1 secs
Top speed 76mph
Mpg 22
Price new £729 (1966)
Price now £4500-12,500*