| Product Details- 128 Pages
- 135 Photos & Illustrations
- Paperback
- Colour
- Published in 2010
- Part of the Rally Giants Series
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| Saab 96 & V4 - Rally Giants
By Graham Robson | Features • Full detailed history of the Saab 96 & V4's rally career
• Complete story of concept, design and development
• Unrivalled coverage of people and influences behind the cars
• Step-by-step account of technical evolution
• Description of cars: why, how and when evolved
• Details of principal people involved
• Packed with colour pictures
• Comparison with rivals
• Complete listing of important successes
Description The front-wheel-drive Saab 96 made the brand into a rally icon in the 1960s. It succeeded in events as diverse as the Monte Carlo, Britain's RAC Rally, special stage events in every Scandinavian country, and the rough-and-tough Spa-Sofia-Liége Marathon.
The big change came in 1967, when the 96 became the V4. Works cars continued to be competitive in carefully chosen events for many years, and when they became outdated, the V4's successors – the much larger and more powerful 99 and 99 Turbo types – proved that Saab wasn’t done with rallying yet.
More than any other car of its era, the 96 and V4 models proved that front-wheel-drive allied to true superstar driving could produce victory where no-one expected it.
Synopsis The front-wheel-drive Saab 96 made the brand into a rally icon in the 1960s. Superstar driving from Erik Carlsson, his wife Pat Moss-Carlsson and – later – from Stig Blomqvist, all brought real publicity and admiration for a car that always lacked the sheer straight-line performance of its rivals.
Saabs like this, however, never wanted for strength, or for amazing handling and traction, and they succeeded in events as diverse as the Monte Carlo, Britain's RAC rally, special stage events in every Scandinavian country, and the rough-and-tough Spa-Sofia-Liege Marathon.
The big change came in 1967, when the 96 became the V4, looking almost the same as before, but with a new and more powerful four-stroke Ford-Germany V4 engine. Works cars continued to be competitive in carefully chosen events for many years, and it was only the arrival of much more specialised rivals that made them outdated. Saab, though, was not finished with rallying, as the V4's successors, the much larger and more powerful 99 and 99 Turbo types, proved.
More than any other car of its era, the 96 and V4 models proved that front-wheel-drive allied to true superstar driving could produce victory where no-one expected it. | Table of Contents
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Acknowledgements
- The car and the team
- Inspiration
- The importance of the Saab 96 in rallying
- Facing up to rival cars
- Homologation – meeting the rules
- Engineering features
- 93 – ‘Father’ of the 96
- Enter the 96
- V4 replaces straight three
- Motorsport development improvements
- Was the Saab 96 (and the V4) unique?
- Building and running the ‘works’ cars
- Personalities and star drivers
- Competition story
- The ‘works’ Saab’s career
- 1960
- 1961
- 1962
- 1963
- 1964
- 1965
- 1966
- 1967
- 1968
- 1969
- 1970
- 1971
- The long goodbye
- 1972
- 1973
- 1974
- 1975
- 1976
- Past its best? What rivals took over?
- How could Saab replace the V4?
- World/major European rally wins
- Index
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