Saab Sonett III - last Sonett 1970 - 1974
It was considered that the Sonett should be further developed and changed. The assignment went to the Italian designer Sergio Coggiola. However, the middle party would be largely identical to Sonett II. He designed a "timeless" modern design, which however had to be slightly modified by Gunnar A Sjögren (a.k.a GAS) to adapt to the production. Further demands were also placed on pressure from the important US market that the model should have a floor gearbox switch and that it would be possible to provide it with air conditioning.
It became easier to load luggage in it but on the other hand more difficult to access in the engine compartment due to the foldable headlights.
The flip-front that Sonett II had had was replaced by a fixed mounted hood where you could open a door to access the most necessary.
Data:
Front wheel drive, gearbox with freewheel. 4-speed drawer with floor lever.
Long-mounted, four-cylinder four-stroke engine.
Sprial springs front and rear, telescopic shock absorbers.
Set rear axle. Tubeless tires.
Disc brakes at the front, drums at the back. 12 volt power system.
Power 65 hp.
Acceleration 0-100 km/h 13 sec.
Top speed 165 km / h.
Weights and Measures:
Shaft spacing 2149 mm.
Track width 1232 mm.
Length / width 3900/1500 mm.
Service weight about 880 kg.
VIN:
Year 1970 number 705 00001 - 705 00303
Year 1971 number 715 00001 - 715 01265
Year 1972 number 977 25000001 - 977 25002000
Year 1973 number 977 35000001 - 977 35002300
Year 1974 number 977 45000001 - 977 45002500
After more than a total of 10,000 manufactured Sonettes, production was discontinued in 1974, mainly due to the stringent US exhaust requirements. The majority of the Sonets were exported to US and today there are just over 300 cars of the different model variants left in Sweden.
