Mellde, Molander, Carlsson, Moss, Skogh, Blomqvist, Eklund, Lampinen. Monte Carlo, RAC, Swedish Rally, Finnish Rally, Liege-Sofia-Liege, Midnight Sun – even a stint in Australia! Swedes, Finns and the odd bit of English. Two strokers, formula juniors, V4s and 99s. Snow and Safari.
The Saab Club Nederland YouTube channel has just blessed the rest of us with this fantastic video from the Saab Rally Department, documenting Saab’s rally history through the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.
It’s absolutely brilliant. If you can’t watch them now, bookmark them and come back.
Kudos to the SCN guys. An outstanding catch.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKxRiP2RLQs
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httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEjYkweyCPE
Wow! Competition is probably too direct for SAAB to fund directly but I hope VM and JAJ are looking for a rally partner who will use SAABs. Wonderful films.
Ever wonder why Saab’s are such great driving cars? Here’s the answer.
The sound of the rally 2 strokes and especially the formula junior cars is fantastic.
I saw the formula car run at the track during the 2007 Saab festival, and it was really sweet.
The shot of the ultra rare 16v 99 engine are really great. What a great clip. I’ll want to watch this a few times….
Ok, tell me this…after watching these videos, who can resist the temptation of a vintage Saab?
That was so freaking cool.
I want a 96 with 160 horses, that would be ridiculous.
I want a Sonett with that engine. Actually, I just want a Sonett.
After those wallpapiers on your mac??? Yeah, me too. At least for a while.
Just wonderful when the #178 is lifted in through the floor!
Hirsch released some figures for the new 1.9 TTiD engines:
TTiD4 130 -> 170 bhp / ? Nm
TTiD4 160 -> 200 bhp / 430 Nm
TTiD4 180 -> 200 bhp / 430 Nm
And the NG9-5:
TiD4 160 -> 180 bhp / 400 Nm
Beautiful, but with these figures, why bother to buy the TTiD4 180?
You get larger brakes and I think the gear ratios may be different.
Hi Jacob,
you are right, it is a strange move from Hirsch. But, the TtiD180 is the only one you can get with the normal gear ratio as TtiD 180 Aero.
Furthermore, using the Hirsch update the car emits more than 120 g, so maybe people think that 180hp is enough as long as it stays below 120g.
You can also buy a TtiD130 and update it to 170hp, in Germany for instance, this combination is cheaper than the stock Linear TtiD160.
All in all, there are many reasons to buy this or that combination, and it is very market dependant.
As a side note Hirsch has an update for the 210 BioPower XWD engine from the 9-3 to 240 hp and the 163 BioPowerXWD engine can also be updated to 240 hp, at the same price.
By the way, the man who does the voice-over in the first video. Isn’t that the same guy that does (ord did) all the voice-overs for SAAB Bofors Dynamics in their weapons demonstration and sale videos? 😀
“Ok man, great job. SAAB rallye history take 2 – done. Now let’s move on to the BILL-2 anti tank system”.
That was first rate!!! I need to get my hands on a 99T!!! LOVE that car……
I would love to have a 93 2-stroke with a “massive power” of <40 Hp, that would be something!
I only had time to see the first clip. And i love it!! One of the best so far. I can’t wait to see the next one in the morning.
Un-Cool: I’m sick today.
Cool: Watched both rally videos!
It makes me want to enter a race or at least a road rally.
WOW!! I just want to watch that over and over again. I love the sound of those 2 strokes…..they sounded MEAN!! I would love to have a 93 bullnose rally car! Makes me homesick for that 93b we had when I was first driving.
Swade keep this stuff coming if you can find it! I love that the Saabs beat the 911 Porsches!
Can not see enough of movies like this.
Small error in the movie Saab competed with the 99 Turbo CC in RAC 1978 a few months before Swedish rally 1979. SUHRT team 99 CC are replicas of the two VERY first Turbo racers.
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They say a tale come to its end when Saab retires from WRC in 1980. Well why not a restart of Saab competition old vintage rally cars we do that at SUHRT right now we have 6 vintage cars. Why not work hand in hand with Saab and develop a future with both NEW Saabs as well as old.
This is Saab spirit.
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SUHRT are desperately looking for movies and pictures of the RED 99 Turbo Stig drove in 1979 RAC Rally in England, the same goes for the BLUE 99 Stig drove in Swedish Rally 1982 Sponsored bu Monaco based PUBLIMMO VENERE.
We are working on recreating these two 99 Turbo Sedans.
So all in all by summer we will have 4 99 Turbo Rally cars!
Happy all liked it, we have found and have been given a huge amount of old VHS tapes etc, which we are digitising and are showing via http://www.saabclub.nl.
Keep an eye on the media container at the bottom of the frontpage where you will see regular updates and new footage added.
Swade,
Sure you are a Sonett man?
I was thinking I was. Bought #376 from the US.
Had it for some years. Never liked it sold it and bought a 9-3 NG Convertible. So much more joy and bliss! Sonetts are museum pieces not fun to ride or handle.
Yes, 2-strokes sounds so coool (but smells less good).
Amazing to see the relatively classic (old) 94 competing on the same day in the same race with the space age-looking Stratos – proof of the classic Saab’s virtues…
You gotta use the right oil like castor bean oil and make it smell great!!!
During the viewing of these fine videos of Saab´s rally history a lot of memories came up to me. Specially the 19-sixties rallies had come to my knowledge by the newspapers and in this way my love for the brand was born and I wanted to get a Saab one day. But I had to wait several years until I had earned enough money to buy one. In 1973 we purchased a red 99, the first of our own 8-Saabs history.
Now I am glad that I actually have seen in the films what I only had read in some news sentences at the beginning.
Does anyone else see a corrilation between Saabs winning competition races and retail Sales?
I do..
As in NASCAR days of old… “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday”
SUHRT can set You up with the wildest SAAB 99 Turbo Rally in the world.
Exact factory spec rally chassis with all the special bells and whistles. High output turbo engine and the BIG gearbox. Modern FIA Standard safety equipment including the rollcage.
I can not take on another car myself have 5 already. This is of course a costly car ready to drive approximately 100000 US dollars. Well spent dollars. Probably worth twice when completed.
All prices on historical vintage rally cars have skyrocketed in the last years. Get one now so You do not have to be angry on Yourself 5 years from now.
Please feel free to contact SUHRT on this vehicle or any other Saab You are looking for!
+46709589632
Awesome – I already had Part 1 and have watched it many times!
I tried finding part 2; the search is over!
This film was a blast! Thanks to everyone who posted it.
Cheers