AUTO SALES

~AB VCLVO FIAT

RISIOWrJ, PA. 16131

A NEW CAR

the safest on the roads with safety details never before used in automotive
design . All of SAAB's safety experience,
together with lessons learned in the intensive safety research conducted in recent years, has been taken into consideration in the design of SAAB 99.
SAAB 99 is the direct result of over ten
years automotive research and development and testing. Ten years of complete
departure from tradition-bound design
thinking. During this period several new
concepts in automotive styling and design
came to life. After stringer.t testing and
retesting, the best of these concepts were
incorporated into the dramatically new
SAAB 99.
SAAB has always been in the forefront
in the safety field. [ts aircraft parentage
made even the first SAAB models among

Our new 99's styling is a unique combination of design and dimensions. Conceived for the world's growing traffic
problems, it was built to be large and
roomy on the inside and still compact
and easily maneuverable outside.

The streamlined design, coupled with a

rare coordination of length and width,
give the SAAB 99 a sleek continental
character all its own. But there's a practical side, too. As a true aerodynamic
body configuration, it has the lowest possible air drag to improve handling safety
and mileage.

The overall outside length is short. But,

the final measurement was governed by
the need for ample room for front and
rear passengers, and for ample trunk
space. The SAAB 99 is unusually wide,
giving it tremendous stability and roadability. It also permits three adults to
ride comfortably in the rear seat.

The result of SAAB's decade of research ,

however, goes deeper than the new 99's
body. A new front wheel drive engine has
more power. efficiency and dependability
than most other power plants its size.
And , SAAB's new safety features surpass
the motoring requirements of all 30
countries in which it is sold.

IN SHORT, THIS IS WHAT

THE SAAB 99 DESIGN
GIVES YOU:

BASIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Of course SAAB 99 has front wheel

drive. All SAAB's since the first SAAB
was produced in 1950 have had front
wheel drive. The engine - with transmission - is still in front, over the drive
wheels, for the maximum in stability and
roadability. This configuration also allows the best use of the interior space,
and it gives the most favourable weight
distribution.
The location of the gas tank , between the
rear wheels. has been retained for safety
reasons.
Starting with this proven engineering
foundation, the SAAB 99 evolved into a
completely new automobile. Larger. Fast er, and more luxurious than any SAAB
ever built .

The 99 was designed to carry five adults

comfortably all day long . Maximum foot,
leg, shoulder and head room were amo ng
its primary design specifications. As an
additional transportation feature, the
SAAB 99 quickly changes to a metal
floor station wagon with a load capacity
of a bout 30 cu. ft. It's a simple matter of
folding door thru back seat.
The 99, like all other SAABs, is designed
for dependable motoring in Sweden's
rugged nordic winters. The engine, suspension , steering, heating ventilation system and body are all "over-engi neered"
to fight any automobile's worst enemy,
cold weather.

Plenty of room for five persons

Compact exterior
First class riding comfo rt
Superb heating and ventilation
Outstanding safety
High performance, with good economy
Front wheel drive
Free wheel
Excellent roadholding
JS-inch wheels
Wide track
Low center of gravity
Sidewind stability
Low air resistance
Reliable brakes, three independent
systems
Good vision
Rear-mounted gas tank
Roomy luggage compartment, convertible rear seat for extra loading space.

EXTENSIVELY TESTED

British-built engine
fn the Fall of 1962 the basic exterior
design of the SAAB 99 was determined.
Then came the question of the power
plant.
SAAB studied many possibilities in this
field, including among others the new
Wankel type rotary piston engine. The
final choice was a straight four-cylinder
engine with overhead camshaft. The
British engineering firm of Ricardo & Co
Engineers Ltd built a number of test
engines of this type which were delivered
to SAAB in the Fall of 1963. Tests at
Trollhattan determined that this was the
ideal type of a power plant for the new
car.

Through contacts between SAAB and the

large British Leyland corporation it was
discovered that both companies had plans
for similar engine types for the future,
and it was decided that the two corporations would seek to coordinate their
engine production.
The test standards applied by SAAB are
extremely dema nding - many seriesproduced engines are continually subjected to a severe test with alternating
idling speed and full throttle runnig during a period of 400 hours (5) . No valve
ad justments must be necessary during this
test , for example, which reveals the running reliability and lifetime of the engines.
The first driving test of a hand made
prototype of the new car took place in
June of 1965 . Secretly and well disguised ,

the car was tested during the summer of

1965 both in Sweden and on the European
continent. fn January of 1966 a couple
of other SAAB 99 cars were sent for
gruelling winter driving, in temperatures
as low as -45 degrees Centigrade (-49F) .
During the whole time, supplementary
tests were carried out in the SAAB laboratories - examinations of the coldstarting characteristics of the carburetor,
the function of the engine and the way
it ra n at idling speed and how fast the
passenger compartment warmed up when
the car was started a nd run at -20 degrees C (-4 F). Also subjected to severe
tests were such components in the car
as, for example, the hand brake mechanism (7), the rear axle and the suspenst0n.

11

13

12

Free fall and frontal collisions

The steel body of the car includes strong
windshield pillar profiles, reinforced door
thresholds and side members able to
stand up to lateral impact - factors
which all ensure that the passenger compartment remains intact even in case of
a severe collision. This has been verified
in really tough tests which included
dropping test cars onto a concrete floor
from a height of nearly seven feet (8 , 10).
This results in considerable impact when
the body hits the floor at a speed of
about 14 miles per hour but the roof and
the pillars stand up to it.
fn order to find out whether the new
SAAB car satisfied the safety demands
in the case of a frontal collision, several
crash tests were arranged so that the car
ran into a concrete barrier at a speed of
30 miles per hour.
The SAAB 99 has also been put through
shake bench tests (6) which are among

the worst a car can be subjected to - it

is run until something brakes. During
this test the car is fully loaded and weighs
about 3,300 pounds .
The strength of the body was also tested
by measuring the tensions in the structure and noting how it was stretched
when heavily loaded in various ways (9).

Acid bath shows resistance to corrosion

Of course the car was subjected to further checks on the SAAB test tracks at
Trollhattan , which include all types of
surfaces calculated to subject the suspension, body rigidity, shock absorbers and
the entire car to maximum stresses ( 11,
12).

Jn order to measure eventual rusting, the

car has been driven through extremely
corrosive baths made up of acetic acid
and road salt (13).

Unique tests tributed

private drivers con-

The SAAB 99 made its public bow in

ovem ber 1967 - before the final test
drivings had been completed - in order
to make it possible to carry out realistic
tests quite openly on the Swedish roads.
Testing has been carried out by SAAB
test drivers but, in addition to this, a
large number of cars were allocated to
ordinary motorists all over Sweden with
the right to use the SAAB 99 cars in their
daily work and with the obligation to
send in regular reports to SAAB concerning all their observations.
The objective of this long and extensive
testing programme has been to make it
possible for the SAAB company to present the customers with the SAAB 99 as
a car in a fully developed condition
without any "teething troubles".

14

15

16

17

18

EXTERIOR
Aerodynamic shape
The very first SAAB car, SAAB 92, was
one of the world's most streamlined cars
at its time. Its successors have retained
the same streamline styling for lowest
possible air drag. In the design of the
SAAB 99 this factor has been considered
absolutely essential , and the car has been
given a truly aerodynamic body configuration.
Extensive wind tunnel tests were con ducted before the final SAAB 99 shape
was agreed upon, with the result that the
car has as low air drag coefficient as
0.37. This has been reached not only
because of the streamlining of the upper
parts of the spacious body, but also by
th e smooth floor board - the engine
compartment is covered underside by a
metal plate, and the exhaust pipe is recessed in a tunnel. (The risk of knocking
the bottom on bad bumps and damaging
vital parts is almost eliminated.)

In comparison it can be mentioned that

most modern standard ca rs have air drag
coefficients 'Of between 0.40 and 0.50.
The SAAB 99 styling with its low air
resistance provides for extra savings in
fuel consumption . Less power is needed
to drive the car forward. The fue l saving
becomes especially noticeable at hig her
speeds.
The streamline styling also gives other
advantages: The wind noise is extremely
low at all speeds, and the car is unusually
free from protrusions and sharpe edges.

Sidewind stability
The need for stability in heavy side winds
was also taken into consideration in the
design. The car's low front end and raised
rear end mean that the point of attack
of side winds - the imaginary point
where all sideways air currents affect t he
car - is located very near the ca r's center of gravity. The motion that, in a

heavy gust of wind from the side, tries to

take the car off course, becomes minimal - and SAAB 99 will stay on course
regardless of the winds.

Good vision
Large windows and narrow but strong
roof supports provide for good vision in
all directions - the total glass area is
3,600 square inches .
The windshield pillars are placed so that
they will not restrict the driver's field
of vision , and there are no vent -panes in
the side windows. The sloping engine
hood provides for a good view of the
road close up. The windshield is made of
tough, laminated glass - high impact
glass - designed to resist heavy impact
without shattering . The other windows
are made of hardened safety glass.
The windshield wiper motor has two
speeds. and the pressure of the blades
against the glass is maintained even at
high speeds. The large capacity wind-

20

21

22

23

24

shield washer is operated electrically.

Wiper arms are made of dull finish metal.
The rear-view mirrors are designed to
give the driver a clear, undistorted view,
and are made to break off on impact.

Wide doors -

safety locks

The doors are wide enough to allow for

easy entering and exiting. The door width
is 37.8 in., and the doors have an opening angle of 60 degrees.
The door opening contour is recessed at
the lower end - instead of following
the lower outer edge of the body it forms
a deep cut-out and runs close to the sill
beam. The door locks are of course of
the safety type, and equipped with heavy
overlapping at striking plate, so they
can not come open even at heavy collision impact.

Good lighting
SAAB 99 has dual headlights. Adjustment screws for the headlights are easy

to reach from inside the engine compartment. Automatic backup lights and blinkers that can also be used as warning
flashers, are part of the standard equipment.
The headlights are automatically switched off with the ignition current.

19. The hood is stamped in one piece

with the upper parts of the front fenders.
Ir opens from the rear for safety and
srands up vertically in front of the grille
making the engine compartment completely accessible from both sides.

20. The safety-type door locks can withstand severe loads.

14. The SAAB 99 is designed to give

low air resistance and to be roomy inside,
compact outside.

15, 16. Glass ureas are large and the

pillars thin. The windshield is manufactured of high impact laminat ed glass. It is
widely curved, while the full-width rear
window is almost flat.
17, 18. Wide doors, and openings that
form "cut-outs" at the lower body edges,
allow for easy entering and exiting.

21, 22. SAAB 99 has dual headlights.

The rear light assemblies include rear
lights, backup lights, brake lights, blinkers
and reflectors. Side marker lamps are
standard. Bumper overriders have rubber
inserts.

23. To fully utilize the body width and

also to give clean surfaces the SAAB 99
has no conventional waist line.
24. SAAB 99 has 15-inch wheels and
radial ply tires. Splash guards and towing
hooks are part of the standard equipment.

25

27

26

INTERIOR
Protective beams for safety

Roomy inside -

compact outside

SAAB 99 measures 171.4 inches in

length, 66 inches in width and 57 inches
in height. It is thus one of the more compact cars in the medium size range - but
only on the outside. The inner dimensions are well proportioned. For example:
the rear seat at shoulder height measures
all of 55.2 inches and at el bow height,
59.9 inches. Height at the rear seat is 37.7
inches and at the front seat, 38.4 inches.
The front seat space allows plenty of leg
room for even quite large persons. The
backseat (28) will comfortably seat three
persons even during Jong trips. The center
position in the backseat is as comfortable
as the side positions because of the front
wheel drive and the absence of a bulky
drive shaft tunnel.

Driver a nd passengers sit well protected

inside a "cage" of beams. Strong side
beams absorb collision impacts both
lengthwise and sideways, along with the
thick sheet metal in the rear quarters
(0.047 in.). The windshield supports (31)
are made of safety profi les to keep the
roof from caving in in case of a roll over.
The roof line a lso has an extra protective
profile all around. Front and rear ends
are designed to absorb impact.

Top comfort for safe driving

Safe driv ing depends to a large extent
upon the comfort of the driver. That is
why SAAB 99 has been equipped with
comfortable separate front seats that can
be adjusted to fit all drivers. The rake
of the backrests ca n be adjusted within
two wide ra nges by a turn of a wheel
(33). T he first ra nge is ca lled the driving
range and a llows a rake between 12 and

40 degrees. The other range is for resting and allows the reclining of the seat
from 45 to 68 degrees. A safety catch
prohibits the backrest from being turned
from driving to rest positions by accident. From the rest position the seat back
can also be moved to a nearly horizontal
position, but only after the catch once
again has been released. The front and
rear edges of the seats can be independently raised and lowered by 0.7 in . and
1.0 in. respectively (32) - so that both
the height and the angle of the seat can
be properly adjusted. The seats can of
course also be moved forward and back,
for a total distance of 6.3 in. Both doors
hold roomy pockets in combination with
elbow rests (29). The dashboard contains
a glove box with lock.

Injury

prev~nti ve

safety

The backrest is designed to give at a

heavy impact from the rear, to protect
fro nt seat passengers from so-called
whiplash injuries.

28

29

30

31

32

33

Also a part of the SAAB 99 safety equipment are the unique full visibility headrests (30) designed to protect 'driver
a nd front seat passenger at impact, while
a lso allowing full visibility in all directions for both front a nd back seat riders.
The doughnut shaped headrests are manu fa ctured of steel tubing with a protective padding.
An a utomatically locked latch keeps the
back rest firmly in position during driving, but can be easily released to allow
backseat passengers to get in or out .
All window frames are covered with impact absorbing upholstery. The soft metal
instrument panel will give at impact and
is covered with padding on top. All seats
a re securely fastened to the body, and
the upper edges of the front seats are
padded with foam plastic.
The three-point safety belts for the front
seats are easily adjustable. The back seat
has lap-type belts.

SAAB 99 inside dimensions

H
H
L
L
L
L
L

61 ,
63,
34,
51,
7,
17,
40,

W 5,
W 6,
W 3,
W 4,
WE,

Effective head room, front seat ....... . ..... . ..... .. . . . . .. .

Effective head room, rear seat ...... . ..... . ...... . ....... .
Max. effective front leg room - accelerator .. .. .. .. .. .. . ... . .
Min. effective rear leg room ... . ... . .......... . ......... .. . .
Steering wheel to torsoline ... ... . .. .. ...... . .. . ....... . . . .
H Point travel (seat adjustment) ........ . ... .. ..... . . ... ... .
Front seat back angle ... . ... . .. .. .. . .......... . ........... .
(Adjustable from 12 to 40 and from 45 to 68 )
Front hip room
........................................
Rear hip room
........................................
Front shoulder room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear shoulder room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Elbow room rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(All measurements with the front seat in the lowest and rearmost position paper 662A)

38.4
37.7
39.l
36.9
13 .0
6.3
20

in.
in.
in .
in.
in.
in .

51.9
51.4
53.2
55.2
59.9

in.
in.
in.
in.
in.

SAE

34

35

37

36

38

39

INSTRUMENTATION AND
CONTROLS

Safety dash
The SAAB 99 dash board is constructed
of thin metal , so it can give on impact.
The upper part of it is upholstered with
impact absorbing cellular plastic.

Easy-to-read instruments
Tn a black , non-glare instrument cluster
- directly in front of the driver - are
three round instruments (34, 40): speedom eter plus two combination gauges. The
left ha nd combination dial contains the
fuel gauge with a warning light to advice
the driver when he is running short of
fuel , and a tempera ture gauge. In the

center is the speedometer, which has easyto-read white figures on a black background, and is graduated to l I0 mph. It
also contains an odometer. The right
hand dial contains indication lights for
high beam and blinkers, and warning
lights for low oil pressure, loss of battery
charge, pulled handbrake, as well as a
large red lamp to alert the driver to any
possible brake line failure , by indicating
if the brake pedal has to be pushed
deeper than normal before necessary
brake effect is reached.

Safety belts
SAAB 99 has three-point safety belts for
the front seats. They are easy to operate
and separately adjustable for the lap and
chest sections. The back seat is equipped
with lap belts.

Easy-to-reach controls
Wearing his safety belt, the driver can
easily reach all controls on the dash and
on the steering column .
On the left hand side of the dash are the
cold start device (choke) and the headlight switch . The headlights are connected
with the ignition lock so that there is no
risk of leaving the car with the headlights on.
fn the instrument cluster, directly in
front of the driver (40), is a rheostat control for the instrument illumination. The
knob can also be pulled out to turn on
the parking lights, regardless of whether
the ignition is on or off. To the left of
the speedometer is the warning flasher
switch - with a built -in indicator light.

40

~~'f' .
"""'"

Kl!NZU!

41

44

On the dashboard , to the right of the

driver, are the switch for the two-speed
fresh -air fan , the electric clock (42) and
the cigarette lighter (45). Below the clock
a re the controls for heating and defroster.
On the steering column, to the left of the
wheel (35) , is a lever for operating the
blinkers and to switch from low to high
beam.
At the right of the column (36), another
lever operates windshield wipers and
wa sher, as well as the signal horn. The
windshield washer will work in two positions: if you bring the lever downward,
you get both washing and top speed of the
wipers; if you move the lever away from
the driver, washer will work without any
wiping .

42

45

All controls are clearly marked with explanatory symbols.

fn a console between the front seats (38)
are located the combined ignition and
gear shift lock , the gear shift lever (39),
the free wheel control lever, and controls
for the rear seat heating and rear window
defroster. Also placed between the front
seats is the hand brake lever. The ignition
lock is illuminated, and the key is rubber covered.
To the left , under the dashboard, is the
handle to release the hood lock (41).
The control pedals (37) are suspended
from above (American style) with large,
nonslip pads.
There are two ash trays in the car, one
on the da shboard (44) and one for the
rear seat passengers (46).

43

46

Two-speed windshield wipers electric washer

The windshield wipers have a two-speed
motor, and wiper blades are designed to
maintain constant pressure on the windshield even during high speed driving.
The electric windshield washer is of the
high-capacity type with a container for
three pints of washer liquid .

47

48

49

so

51

52

53

HEATING AND
VENTILATION
Individual heat controls for front
and back
The heating and ventilation system in the
SAAB 99 is really outstanding (47). It has
a very high capacity and includes such
features as separate outlets for the rear
passenger compartment and a thermostatically controlled heater.

Effective air exchange

Air is circulated throughout the passenger
space. ft enters - cold or hot - through
the heater outlets, and is evacuated
through openings in the rear window
pillars to vents in the body sides (49 , 50).
The location of the vents has been wind
tunnel tested to attain the best suction,
and to avoid any possibility of a reverse
flow of exhaust fumes in heavy side
winds.

Both front and rear seat passengers get

warm air through separate outlets in the
floor , and back seat passengers can personally adjust the air flow to the rear
outlets (47, 51). The fresh air intake is
located just in front of the windshield
(48). During regular highway driving, the
speed is enough to force plenty of air into
the system. At lower speeds, a two-speed
electric fan will force in the air. The fan
(48) can be adjusted for summer use,
a nd will then increase the fresh-air flow
into the car by some 30% .

Defroster for windshield, side and rear

windows
Two large defroster openings above the
dash keep the windshield clear. Defrosters are located so that the airstream can

reach all parts of the windshield. Through

openings in the doors (53), warm air is
directed to the side windows. Warm air
- or cold - is also forced through ca nals and hoses to outlets at the rear window (49) to allow clear vision through
this window, too. The airstream to windshield and side window defroster outlets
can be adjusted with a separate dashboard control (52). The airflow to the
rear window outlets is adjusted with a
lever between the front seats (51 ).

Extra cold-air outlets

The dashboard also has two additional
air outlets for cold air. Air flow can be
adjusted independently of the heating system and can be directed to where it is
needed. At lower speeds the heating fan
can be used to force cool air through
these outlets (53).

56

57

58

59

BAGGAGE AND CARGO

SPACE

Semi-Station Wagon

Roomy luggage compartment

The SAAB 99 trunk capacity is 12.3 cubic
feet , measured according to SAE standards. The spare tire is placed against the
rear edge of the trunk for easy accessibility (54). It is covered with protective
material and can be used as a support,
when heavy loads have to be removed
from the trunk. Tools and other accessories are placed in a covered compartment near the rear edge of the trunk. The
~runk lid is spring balanced, and a light
1s automatically turned on when the trunk
is opened .

The baggage space can easily be increased by a simple relocation of the rear
seat. The sea~ing pad of the back seat is
folded forward to rest on its front edge
behind the front seats (57, 58) . A latch on
the rear deck is released and the back
rest is folded forward, revealing a metal
covered floor and a cavernous cargo
space which together with the regular
trunk space has a flat floor 69 inches
long. The full cargo floor capacity (56,
59) is 51 inches wide (43 in . at the wheel
wells). As a semi-station wagon the
SAAB 99 has 23 square feet of cargo
space, with a practical payload capacity
of 800 pounds .
SAAB 99 is also designed so that a trailer
hitch can be easily attached.

60

61

62

ENGINE AND
TRANSMISS ION

SAAB 99 has a modern engine that is

agile. and still tough. Thousands of test
hours under the most adverse load and
temperature conditions have proven its
dependability as well as its suitability for
the size and weight of the car. It has an
overhead chain driven camshaft . The
crankshaft rides on five main bearings
for strength and balance. The clutch has
been placed at the front of the engine
for maximum cooling and ready accessibility. Power is carried from the clutch
by a primary gear to the transmission
and differential. Both are located below
and to the side of the engine. Because of
the location of the clutch and transmission, most of the usual compact car
transmission noise is kept out of the passenger compartment.

The powerplant is designed by the engineering firm of Ricardo & Co., Engineers Ltd ., in Great Britain, manufactured by Standard-Triumph, and thoroughly
tested by SAAB.
The engine is a straight four-cylinder
unit with a displacement of 105 cubic
inches. Maximum output is 87 horsepower, SAE, at 5,500 rpm . The engine
has very good hard pull characteristics
- the torque is higher than 75 lb . ft. over
a la rge speed range (fro m about 1,000 to
5,000 rpm). Maximum torque is 98 lb. ft.
at 3.000 rpm .

The modern design is exemplified by the

bore and stroke which is 3.29 in., and
3.07 in ., respectively. The engine is thus
so mewh at "over square". The specific
effect is only 51 bhp., SAE, per 1,000 cc.
cylinder volume. Tt is by no means a
super tuned sports car engine, but instead
a tough a nd still agi le workhorse.
The fuel consumption, according to the
DIN standards (co nsumption plus 10% at
half load a nd constant speed, equals 3/4
of the top speed) is 26 mpg. Top speed
is about 95 mph . Acceleration , 0-62
mph is 14 .5 seconds, and the quarter mile
- (0 to 400 m) is rea ched in 20 seconds.

Five main bearings

The engine block is manufactured of
special cast iron, and the crankshaft has
five main bearings. The crankshaft itself
is made of forged steel and has overlapping pivots . It is a solidly built engine,
extremely durable and tough. For adequate lubrication , even during hard run ning conditions , it has been equipped with
sepa rate lubricating oil canals from the
main bearings to every connecting rod
bea ring.

Overhead camshaft
The overhead camshaft is driven by a
single track chain at the rear end of the
engine. As there are no push rods and
rocker arms (60) , and the camshaft operates the valves almost directly (via light
valve depressors only) , the valve mechanism can withstand high rpms without
noise or damage, and valve adjustments
are needed less frequently than with a
more conventional system.

Aluminum head
The cylinder head is manufactured of
aluminum alloy and is of the cross-flow
type with inlet manifold on one side and
exhaust manifold on the other. This way
the manifolds have been made sufficiently large and have been given the right
shape to assist the strong pulling abilities
and the " free breathing" of the engine.
The one row of cylinder head bolts is
loca ted at an angle so that all bolts can
be reached without the need for first removing camshaft and valve mechanism .
The SAAB 99 engine is probably the
only overhead camshaft plant to offer
this service facilitating detail.

Idler shaft
Power to drive the fuel pump, the water
a nd oil pumps as well as the distributor
is tra nsmitted by a special idler shaft
which is driven by the camshaft chain .

The CD type was selected to give maximum performance both for economy and
for engine effect over the entire speed
range. It has a special emulsion system
for cold starts. To allow steady idling
and to meet SAAB's high demands for
long service intervals, the metering
needle is mounted so that it is always self
centering and does not require adjustments . Oil for the carburetor's damping
cylinder need not be checked or changed
until after 6,000 miles of driving.

96 octane fuel

Fast heat after cold start

The engine has a compression ratio of

8.8 to I, but it still does not have to be
run on premium grade gasoline. Fuel
with an octane rating of 96 (according
to the research method) is sufficient. This
is possible thanks to the fact that the
cylinder head is of light metal alloy, and
very effectively cooled . Not even during
forced high -speed driving is there any
risk for spontaneous ignition or detonations.

The cross flow type radiator (62) is capable of cooling the engine even during
mountain driving with a trailer. It has a
separate expansion tank to minimize the
risk of loss of coolant during expansion.
The expansion tank takes the temporary
overflow and returns it automatically to
the system when it cools.

The strong pull of the engine over the

entire speed range is also helped by the
advantageous design of the intake manifold and the "bathtub" shape of the combustion chambers . The inrushing fuel-air
mixture is set into a strong turbulence
with the result that the fuel is effectively
mixed with the air and is more completely
burned , even at low speeds.
The mechanical fuel pump with filter is
located. easy to reach , on the upper part
of the block. An arm on the pump allows
a person to hand pump fuel should the
fuel system lines, for one reason or another, become empty.

Low intake noise, pre-heating device

The air cleaner which has an easily replaced paper filter , also functions as an
intake muffler. The intake pipe is tuned
to give the most efficient muffling and
the least air stream resistance.
A handle on the air cleaner (66) makes
it possible to change the air intake from
not pre-heated air (for summer drivi ng)
to pre-heated air (for winter driving).
The engine intake manifold is also heated
by hot coolant so that the distribution
of the fuel-air mixture is more even and
effective. This helps purify the exhaust,
and the engine will run evenly almost
immediately following a cold start.

45 degree angle
The block is set at a 45 degree angle to
the right. This eases the accessibility to
such items as carburetor, distributor, fuel
pump and oil filter. The angle has also
enabled the designer to lower the hood.
for increased close-up visibility.

Carburetor for Nordic climate

The SAAB 99 engine is equipped with a
horizontal flow Zenith-Stromberg CD
carburetor (61) specially developed for
SAAB to give sure starts even in the
coldest weather. (Hard tested at tempera tures down to --49 F).

Thermostat controlled fan

SAAB 99 does not have a belt driven
cooling fan, constantly in motion and
stealing power. Instead the car is equipped with a fan run by an electric motor
(62) that is automatically started by a
thermostat control, when needed; for example, during crawl in traffic jams.

Closed crankcase ventilation

The crankcase ventilation is completely
enclosed with connections to air cleaner
and intake manifold, which allows more
efficient combustion and purer exhausts.

Oil pan with cooling fins

The SAAB 99 engine has circulation type
lubrication with a full flow type oil filter
(63). The oil pan is manufactured of light
metal and equipped with cooling fins .
ft is cooled by air from an inlet in the
sheet metal under the engine compartment.

The high capacity water pump rushes the

coolant at high speed past the hottest
parts of the engine, so that those parts
that need the most cooling get the most.
The system is thermostat controlled with
a reliable wax thermostat. The effectiveness of the cooling system allows the use
of a rather small amount of coolant, and
thus faster engine warmup after cold
starts . The fast heating is also assisted by
the fact that the fan is not permanently
in motion .

Easy to reach clutch

The dry plate clutch is of the fan type
(60), a construction which, in connection
with the hydraulic power tnu1sfer from
the pedal, makes the clutch extremely
easy to maneuver.
Placed at the front of the engine, the
clutch is effectively cooled , which helps
prolong the life of the clutch disc pads.
The front location of course also eases
service. To remove the clutch only the
radiator and the clutch housing need to
be removed. after which the clutch axle
is removed and the clutch can be lifted
right out.

Free wheel drive

Power is transmitted from the clutch
through a primary gear. ft has spirally
cut teeth for silent running, and its front
location keeps any noises from entering
the passenger compartment. After the
primary gear is a free wheel drive, easily
engaged or disengaged through a lever
next to the gearshift (38, 39). When the
lever is in its forward position, the free
wheel is locked out; when the lever is in
the rear position, the free wheel is engaged. The free wheel helps cut down
on fuel consumption, and is also con sidered a safety feature, especially during
driving on icy and slippery roads. (Automatic declutching the moment the gas
pedal is released). Driving with free
wheeling allows practically clutchfree
operation - a feature that can be extremely helpful in city traffic.

63

64

65

66

67

mary gear. Through other canals, the

oil returns to the final gear. Cooling
fins, both inside and outside the gear
box housing (67) , keep the gear box oil
at proper operating temperatures .

Short, sporty gear shift

Compact drive train
The gear box and final gear i the
SAAB 99 are placed under the engine
and mounted together with the engine
into one compact unit. This arrangement
saves space and helps give the ideal
distribution of weight between the car's
front and rear wheels. Even though the
transmissio n and the engine are in one
unit (60, 63, 64) , they have completely
independent lubricating systems. The
transmission has a combined splash and
circulation lubrication system. The crown
wheel of the final gear pumps oil into a
canal leading to the gearbox and the pri-

SAAB 99 has a short, sporty floor

mounted gear shift in a console between
the front seats. As the lever directly
moves the gear shifting forks, shifting
only requires short throws into distinct
positions. The four forward gears have
effective and fast working lock synchromesh . The fourth gear is a direct gear.

Permanently lubricated drive joints

Each drive shaft has two joints (69), the
outer of Rzeppa constant-velocity type.
Both inner and outer joints are permanently lubricated and normally need no
maintenance.

Alternator
SAAB 99 has a 12 volt electrical system
with a battery capacity of 60 amp. hours.
It has an alternator that charges already
at idling speeds, a nd has a maximum
charging effect of 420 watts. The alternator allows the use of low beam headlights even at the slowest speeds without
any risk for loss of charge 'in the battery.
The 1 hp starting motor, together with
the alternator and the large battery, guarantee sure cold weather starts.

CG

-------------------

68

,.

69

70

71

72

SUSPENSION

Smooth ride, anti-dive suspension

geometry
Through long, practical experiments,
springs and shock absorbers in SAAB 99
have become perfectly balanced with the
result that the car can offer an excellent
combination of smooth riding comfort
and fine road holding.
The suspension geometry (68) is such
that the car has almost no nose dive tendencies at hard braking, or rear end dive
tendencies at hard accelerating.

Wide track and low unsprung weight

All wheels have coil springs and double
acting tubular shock absorbers (69, 70).
The swinging arms in the front end suspension mechanism have rubber mountings, and the steering knuckle housings
are attached with permanently lubricated
ball joints. The entire front end assembly
is completely maintenance free.

The unusua lly wide track (54.7 inches

front , 55 .1 inches rear), in combination
with the widely placed springs and shock
a bsorbers, also helps give the car good
sideways stability.
There a re no separate stabilizers, which
allows for a more comfortable suspension, and less risk for wheel spin during
hard driving on sharp corners.
The rea r wheels are constantly parallel,
thanks to the light but stable tubular rear
axle. There are no changes in the track
width or variances in the wheel angles,
as can happen , for instance, in cars with
pendulum axles. The front wheel drive
also avo ids any problems with heavy
drive train components that can increase
the unsprung weight and lessen the road
holding ability on rough roads.

Well steered rear axle

The rear wheels are mounted on a
straight axle controlled vertically by two
pairs of arms, one forward and one back-

ward (70). The coil springs are set between the lower arms and the seats in the
body, along with the shock absorbers.
The rearward directed upper arms
absorb, together with the lower arms, all
longitudinal forces, as well as the brake
forces . Sideward forces are absorbed
through a long cross beam. The rear axle
is thus very well directed , so well, as a
matter of fact , that the car's road holding abilities are hardly affected at all by
changes in load inside the car.

Built for radials

The SAAB 99 suspension is designed for
the use of radial ply tires, and the swing
arm rubber mountings are balanced to
insulate against the vibrations that the
radial tires can cause when driving on
rough stone pavements or over joints in
concrete roads. Radial ply tires size 155
,SR 15" are part of the standard equipment.

73

74

75

STEERING

Proven rack-and-pinion type

The rack-and-pi nion steering is basically
of the same time tested type as that used
on other SAAB models. It is a stable design that works without any slippage and
with minimal swing action of its own.
This allows SAAB 99 to react quickly
and precisely to any steering wheel turns.
The steering ratio is such that the car is
easy to park, even in narrow spaces. Full
front wheel swing requires 3_Vi full turns
of the steering wheel.
The turning diameter - 33.8 feet - also
helps make SAAB 99 a very easy car to
park.

Steering for stability

Many factors contribute to make the
steering character tics relatively unaffected by outer forces. The tie rods are

placed so that the car's springing action

will only very slightly affect the steering
motions. The d river does not have to
compensate for any roughn ess in the
road. The car will stay on course. Throws
from road obstacles wi ll not be transmitted to the steeri ng wheel, tha nks to
the fact that the steeri ng assembly is
securely rubber mounted to the body.
The front end design is also such that
changes in acceleratio n will not affect the
steerin g. A brake line failure and resulting loss of brake power on two wheels
will also leave the steering almost unaffected, and the car will remain on the
right course.
SAAB 99 is slightly understeere d through
the entire speed ra nge. The car is designed with this characteristic, as this
helps the stability a nd lessens the risk for
rear wheel skids. The understeeri ng,
which is very moderate, has been attai ned
through, among other details, the weight
distribution .

The 99's extremely good sidewind stability

is also, to some extent, a result of the
fact that about 61 percent of the car's total weight is carried by the front wheels.
Another contributin g factor is the body
styling.

Safety steering column

The steering gear is placed far back in
the engine compartme nt and is well protected by the engine, so that a very heavy
front-end impact is required to dislocate
it. Two joints in the steering column (73)
are designed to give at heavy impact, and
the shaft itself is mounted so that it will
break away from the body fastenings
a nd bend out of the way of harm . In addition, the column is telescopic and can
be compressed at a n impact. This construction, together with the safety type
steering wheel (74, 75), is designed to give
the ultimate in protection for the driver
in case of a n accident.

76

77

78

BRAKES
Front wheel handbrake

Disc brakes all around

SAAB 99 has disc brakes on all four
wheels. The braking action is always
even with power directly in proportion
to pedal pressure. To reach full brake
power without too heavy pedal pressure,
SAAB 99 has a direct acting power assist of the vacuum type. For safety reasons, the power assist action is rather
moderate so that full braking action can
be attained even if the power assist for
some reason would be out of commission. The brakes have extra heat resistant
pads to minimize fade, even under the
worst braking conditions, such as mountainous driving with full vacation loads.

SAAB 99 has a handbrake that works

on the front wheels. The front end action
means that the handbrake can .g ive up to
50% of the total foot brake system
effect, and it can thus be used as a
very effective emergency brake. And,
since the front wheels are braked while
the rear wheels roll freely, the risk for
sideway skids has been eliminated, also in
this instance. The front wheel action of
the handbrake (76 , 78) is also a great
assist to a driver using the handbrake to
start the car on a hill.
The handbrake works through separate
drums.

Simple effect distribution

The distribution of brake power between
front and rear wheels has been attained
in the simplest way possible: The front
wheels (77) have larger brake cylinders
than the rear wheels. The more heavily
loaded front wheels receive 80'/'0 of the

79
total braking power - the lighter loaded
rear wheels get the remaining 20'/'0 This
has minimized the risk for "fish tailing"
or worse, rear end skids, even at panic
stops on curves.

Dual diagonal system

The hydraulic foot brake system is divided diagonally into two circuits (76),
according to the same principle used on
other SAAB cars since 1964 - and hailed
by experts the world over. One circuit
works on the right front wheel and the
left rear wheel , the other on the other
two wheels. This division means that 50'/'0
of the normal braking action always remains (plus the handbrake), should one
of the circuits fail. As mentioned earlier,
a warning light on the dash shows if one
of the circuits is out of order. Another
warning light shows that the handbrake
is pulled. The hydraulic brake lines are
corrosion resistant with a coating of zink,
and are located well inside the car, at the
upper edge of the rocker panel.

80

81

82

83

Exterior color

Seat uph olstery

White ........ . ....... Black nylon tricot

Silversand ..... . ... . .. Black nylon tricot
R ed ........ . ....... . . Black nylon tricot
Green ......... . .... . . Black nylon tricot
. . . . .......... .. Blue nylon tricot
Blue
Black . .... .. . .. ...... Grey nylon / velour velvet
84

COLOR S AND
UPHOLSTERIES

Interior colors and materials

Exterior colors
The J 969 SAAB 99 is offered in six
colors: White, Silversand ivory, Hussar
blue, Sea green, Red and Black.

The interior of the SAAB 99 is a combination of wide, comfortabl e seats and

tasteful decor.
All seats are covered with soft, durable
nylon tricot (80) or, as in the black
car, nylon velour velvet (8 1) - both
ma terial's cool in the sum mer, warm in
the wi nter. Edgings are of black vinyl ,
the same both rugged a nd elegant
material as is also used o n door a nd
rear side panels (84).

The seat paddings consist of foam rubber

and foam plastics and a re shaped to
keep the riders firmly in place. The
backrest paddings are shaped to offer
both side support and lower back
support.
The cei ling is covered with light grey
vinyl (82).
Wall-to-wa ll textile carpeti ng, in grey,
(83) is standard on all SAAB 99s .

86

87

88

85

BODY
Strong and light
SAAB 99 has a two-door sedan body,
consisting of a unit-welded self supporting body shell including fenders , and
engine hood, doors and trunk lid.
To combine m imum strength and low
weight, the body shell is assembled of
only a few separate parts - body sides
and fenders, for example, are formed
in one piece. Many parts, among them
the floor board , are built in so-called
multiple welding jigs , which assure an
even and high quality to all welds .
The passenger space is protected by a
stable "cage" of beams. ft consists of
strong side beams, extra supp'Orl's arotmd
the roof line, and windshield supports
of double profile construction, one inside
the other. Both the front and rear
portions of the body are designed to
absorb impacts from both front and rear.

Rust resistant
The floor board of the SAAB 99 is designed so that all welds are pulled towards
the sides and not located at the lowest
points of the car. This keeps moisture
from collecting in the welding joints.
fmmediately before welding primer is
applied to all parts that cannot later be
reached for rust proofing. The completed
body surfaces are phosphate pre-treated
so that the surfaces become somewhat
"roughed up" and thus will better hold
the paint coats. After this has been done,
the welding seams are covered with a
special glue and the entire body given its
primer coat. Then comes the next step
in the rust-proofing process: undercoating is applied automatically and without
air, at a pressure of 250 atm. (3,500 psi.)

All cavities are sprayed with aluminum

pigment rust proofing. When the body is
later dried in the heating chambers, the
undercoating is "burnt" onto all bottom
surfaces (85) , and the rust proofing
seeps into cracks and corners through
capillary action. Finally, the body is
painted with several coats of synthetic
lacquer.
The construction and the choice of
materials has also been done with an eye
towards rust and corrosion resistance.
Hubcaps and bumpers are made of
stainless steel, as are the air outlets on
the body sides. The front grille is manufactured of eloxized corrosion resistant
aluminum, and decorations around the
wheel wells are made of plastic with
chrome foil.

"""'
..........
..... .. ...
....,..,.._

1111111111

89

90

91

SAAB - or SAAB AKTIEBOLAG as the official corporate name reads,

started its manufacture of passenger cars
in 1949. and delivered its first cars to
Swedish customers in early 1950. Since
that time, the company's automobile
production ~ s been steadily increasing
- from about 1,200 units in 1950 to well
over 50.000 in 1968. The production
schedule for 1969 is as high as 69,000
cars.
About 50 percent of the total production
is exported, with the majority of the
vehicles being shipped to the United
States, Great Britain, and the Scandinavian countries.
The automobile division is headquartered
in Trollhattan, Sweden , and the total
factory space in the automobile plants
(90, 91) now measures some 1,560 000
square feet. The total SAAB corporation

space at present, including factories and

offices, measures some 5.5 million square
feet.
But SAAB is a lot of other things besides
automobiles. The corporation has since
before the beg'inning of World War II
played a leading role in the Swedish
defense industry, and its importance
today is greater than ever. SAAB, since
1962, is the prime supplier for the largest
defense undertaking ever in Sweden System 37, the Viggen all-purpose jet
aircraft program.
In the aviation division, production at
present is primarily concentrated on the
SAAB 35 Draken of which the Swedish
Air Force has ordered some 500 units for
delivery through 1971. Besides the Draken, SAAB at present also manufactures
the SAAB 105, a two-seater training

aircraft, for which the Swedish Air Force

has placed orders for about 150. Both
the Draken and the 105 jets are also
available in export versions.
Another major field of operations for
SAAB is military and civilian electronic
products. The main items are computers,
some for military use (airborne units for
the SAAB-built aircraft) and many for
scientific and commercial industrial
a rplications.
The total number of emrloyees in all
SAAB divisions. was 14,251 in 1967, of
whom 6,754 worked at the main offices
and rlants in Linkoring, Sweden (89).
On the research and development side,
SAAB emrloys some 2,500 scientists and
engineers, making SAAB the largest
organization in Sweden for technical
research and develorment.

TECHNICAL DETAILS,
SAAB 99, 1969
Dimensions and Weights
Overall length: 171.4 in.
Overall width: 66.0 in .
Height. unladen , approx.: 57 in.
Ground clearance (at curb weight +
driver), approx. : 6.7 in.
Front track: 54.7 in.
Rear track : 55.1 in.
Wheelbase: 97.4 in .
Front overhang: 34.0 in.
Turning radius (between curbs), approx. :
16.9 ft.
Frontal area : 20.7 sq. ft.
Curb weight (with tools, oil, fuel and
wa ter). a pprox.: 2,350 lb.
Max. weight , fully loaded: 3,308 lb .
Weight distribution at curb weight: 61 %
front. 39 /' rear.
umber of seats: 5
Trunk space (SAE rating): 12.3 cu. ft.
Hill climbing ability (with driver only):
2nd gear 31 "/
3rd gear 20 I
4th gear 13.5 fl

Engine
The engine is tilted 45 to the right and
mounted in unit with the clutch, the
transmission and the differential.
Number of cylinders: 4.
Cylinder a rrangement : in line.
Bore: 3.29 in. (83.5 mm).
Stroke: 3.07 in. (78 .0 mm).
Piston displacement: 104.3 cu. in.
( 1,709 cc.)
Compression ratio: 8.8 to I.
Maximum power, SAE: 87 b.h.p. at
5.500 r.p.m.
Maximum power, DIN: 80 PS at
5,200 r.r.m.
Specific power : 50.8 b.h.p / litre (SAE)
Ma ximum torque, SAE: 98 lb. ft.
a t 3.000 r.p.m.
Ma ximu m,.torque, DIN: 94 lb . ft.
at 3.000 r.p .m.
Cams ha ft: Overhead , with chain drive.
Valves: Overhead , operated by the camshaft vi a light depressors.
Number of main bearings: 5
Number of camshaft bearings: 5
Firing order: 1-3-4-2.
Engine lubricant cap:icity: 3.7 US qts.

Fuel system
Fuel tank capacity: 12.6 US gals .
Ca rburetor: Zenith -Stromberg 175 CD,
horizontal-flow type.
Fuel pump: AC Delco, mechanical.
Minimum fuel octane rating: 96.

Cooling system

Steering

Water-cooling .
Cooling system capacity: 8.5 US qts.
Radiator: cross-flow type, with expansion tank.
The cooling fan is electrically driven and
thermostat controlled. (ft operates only
when required).

Steering gear: rack and pinion type.

Ratio, steering wheel to road wheels:
19.l to I.
Number of steering wheel turns, lock
to Jock: 3 1/3.
Divided and collapsible safety type steering column.

Transmission

Wheels and tires

Front-wheel drive.
Free wheel device .
The clutch is mounted at the front end
of the engine and connected to the
gearbox via an intermediate gear.
Clutch type: single dry plate, with resilient hub.
Number of gears: 4 forward, I reverse.
Clutch operation: hydraulic.
All forward gears synchronized.
Gear ratios, engine to driving wheels:
I st gear
13 .6 to I ;
2nd gear
8.6 to I;
3rd gear
5.8 to I;
4th gear
4 .0 to I;
reverse gear 13 .6 to I .
Intermediate gear ratio: 0 .95 to I.
Final drive ratio: 4 .22 to I.
Theoretical speed at 1,000 engine r.p.m.:
1st gear
5.2 m.p .h.;
2nd gear
8.3 m.p .h.;
3rd gear
12.2 m.p.h.;
4th gear
17.7 m.p.h.;
reverse gear 5.2 m.p.h.
Gearbox and differential lubricant capacity: 3.2 US qts .

15 in . wide base special ledge steel disc

wheels.
Rims: 4.5 in. J SL X 15 in.
Tires: Tubeless radial ply, 155 X SR 15 in
Normal tire pressure, front and rear:
At light load 21 psi.
At full load 24 psi.

Brakes
Disc brakes front and rear, ATE make.
Vacuum-operated servo assistance.
The hydraulic system is diagonally
divided into two independent circuits,
each acting on one front wheel and
opposite rear wheel.
The foot brake system is calibrated to
work with about 80 percent of its total
power on the front wheels.
Brake disc diameter: 10.6 in.
Friction area on front wheel discs:
186 sq. in.
Friction area on rear wheel discs :
165 sq. in.
Total swept braking surface: 351 sq. in.
Handbrake: mechanically acting on the
front wheels through separate drums.

Electrical system
Voltage: 12.
Battery capacity: 60 Ah.
Starting motor: I b.h.p .
Generator: Alternator type .
Max . battery charge/voltage: 35 amp ./
14 volt.
Number of fuses: 12 (8 amp).

Body
Se lf-supporting all-steel body with two
doors.
The rear seat bench and seat back can
be folded to provide a steel -covered loading deck extending from the regular
trunk and giving a total luggage floor
length of about 69 inches.
I ndividua I front seats with reclinable
backs ( 12-40 in sitti ng position, 45 68 in resting position). Safety seat back
locks.
Both front seats individually adjustable
in height and inclination.
High capacity heating and ventilation
system with separate outlets to the rear
compartment (can be operated by the
rear seat passengers) and to the rear
window .
Inside dimensions: Shoulder room front
53.2 in.; shoulder room rear 55.2 in.;
elbow room rear 59.9 in.; front head
room 38.4 in.; rear head room 37.7 in.
The body is thoroughly treated against
corrosion. Undercoating app li ed before
fina I painting.

Suspension

rndependent front wheel suspension ,

transverse wishbones.
Tubular. rigid rear axle with two pairs of
longitudinal arms and a transverse
(Panh a rd-) beam.
Coil springs and double-acting telescopic
shock absorbers front and rear.

The manufacturers reserve the right to

change specifications and equipment at
any time and without notice.

SAAB AKTIEBOLAG Works Trollhattan/Export Department Linkoping, Sweden

B 20019. Am. 12.000. 3. 69. Printed in Sweden .

Enbart for spridning utomlands.

S T P.LHAMMAR / ZETTERQVIST