Barn Find - or, Storefront Find. ID?

"SteveLehto" (stevelehto) 11/08/2014 at 10:27 • Filed to: None

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Going through some photos and I ran across these. Just walking down the street of a town in northern Michigan and I see this in the window. It's a car so it got my attention. At least, it WAS a car.

I do not know anything about it. Looks like some of it might be back in the shadows.

As far as I know it is still there. Looks like a Saab - if you can believe the badge - but this one is in rough shape. Any thoughts?

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PanchoVilleneuve ST > SteveLehto 11/08/2014 at 10:29

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It appears to have been a Sonett at one point.

SteveLehto > PanchoVilleneuve ST 11/08/2014 at 10:31

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I'm looking but I can't find a good pic of that angle. I suspect you are right (but I admit, I had never heard of a Sonett before).

Eggplant > SteveLehto 11/08/2014 at 10:35

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The shadow from the window frame does make it look deceptively wide, but things like the B pillar and the rear panel seem to line up

SteveLehto > SteveLehto 11/08/2014 at 10:41

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Here is a better shot of what is in the back. Is this related to the car in the foreground?

Chase > SteveLehto 11/08/2014 at 10:50

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1970-1974 Saab Sonett III, no doubt (I own one)

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > SteveLehto 11/08/2014 at 10:53

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Looks like a Saab Sonnet to me. Here's a picture of a chassis, with matching wheels.

SteveLehto > Chase 11/08/2014 at 10:55

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Very cool. Can you tell me anything about the one in the window and/or yours? I know nothing about them. (And would rather get my info from an owner than Wikipedia.)

SteveLehto > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 11/08/2014 at 10:57

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That's what I love about this site. I post a chunk of a car and someone can not only ID the chunk but they can find a photo of a matching chunk. Where on Earth did you find that photo?

Chase > SteveLehto 11/08/2014 at 11:16

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Basic rundown - 2 seater fiberglass-bodied sports car made by Saab in 3 (well, 3.5) varieties. front wheel drive, never came with more than 65hp (but also never weighed more than ~1900 lbs. Less than 10,000 made between all 3 body styles. Wikipedia is actually a pretty good source on these, Saab people are fanatics and keep it accurate.

Sonett I - 1955-1957, 6 made, was really just a made-from-pieces-we-have-laying-around prototype. Powered by the same 2 stroke engine from the Saab 96

Sonett II -1966-1969

Sonett V4 - Sonett II with a "bigger" engine, hence hood bulge. Ford Taunus v4

Sonett III - 1970-1974, same V4 engine, new body style. 5.5 inches shorter and 6 inches narrower than a Miata, for size reference.

Mine is a Safari Green 1972, #534 made that year (last year before ugly 5mph safety bumpers) Photo Shoot of sorts here - http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/my-new-friend-…

jkm7680 > SteveLehto 11/08/2014 at 11:20

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Does have Sonnet like wheels and body, but looks really deconstructed, Haha.

SteveLehto > Chase 11/08/2014 at 11:23

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Very cool. How are/were they with respect to performance etc? How many of them are still around?

SteveLehto > jkm7680 11/08/2014 at 11:25

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I think, and I'm just guessing here, that something MAY HAVE happened where the front end was dinged just a tad. It would probably buff out.

Chase > SteveLehto 11/08/2014 at 11:48

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They aren't very fast cars; the Sonett II had a 0-60 of around 13 seconds, and topped out at 103 mph. Many of them were quite successful rally cars in the 70s and early 80s.
I've been trying to find a video of one doing auto x in the rain, but can't find it.
normal autox -

Great sense of some of the noises they make (quite alot for a small car)

SteveLehto > Chase 11/08/2014 at 11:55

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Very cool. Any idea how many of them made it over here? (The US.)

Chase > SteveLehto 11/08/2014 at 12:38

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Most of them actually, they were made to be sold in the US

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > SteveLehto 11/08/2014 at 13:24

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I literally just Googled "Saab Sonett chassis" and looked for the one that seemed the closest. The wheels were the giveaway, I don't recall any other Saab having wheels quite like that x)

SteveLehto > Chase 11/08/2014 at 14:28

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How many is that?

SteveLehto > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 11/08/2014 at 14:28

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Gotta love the internet.

Chase > SteveLehto 11/08/2014 at 20:23

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10,225 between Is, IIs, V4s, and III's.
6 I's
258 II's
1,610 V4's
8,351 III's

I don't know exactly how many were sent straight here, and over the years, more of them have made their way back to Sweden and surrounding countries

SteveLehto > Chase 11/08/2014 at 21:04

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I can't recall ever seeing one other than the one in the window. Are a lot of them not on the road . . . As in, inoperable? How easy are they to maintain?

Chase > SteveLehto 11/08/2014 at 21:42

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Alot do seem to be off the road; mine hadn't been registered in 20 years when iIbought it. They are rather susceptible to rust - the floor is an integral part of the structure of the car (because the body is comparatively weak fiberglass) and it is not very well protected against the elements

kschang > SteveLehto 11/10/2014 at 15:05

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Sonnet III. There's one in South San Francisco sitting in a differential shop for sale. Black, apparently all factory.

SteveLehto > kschang 11/10/2014 at 15:07

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What do they want for it? Any idea?

kschang > SteveLehto 11/10/2014 at 15:14

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Give them a call?

http://differentialrepairsanfrancisco.com/

505Turbeaux > SteveLehto 11/10/2014 at 16:03

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totally a Sonett III with a V4. Cool cars!

Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion > SteveLehto 11/28/2014 at 17:51

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(and no the URL was not for this site)