1974 Saab Sonett III

The Saab Sonett was produced from 1955 through 1957 and again between 1966 and 1974. For its final year in production, the Sonett III was given bumpers in compliance with U.S. safety requirements in a similar fashion to the 99 sedans. European models received headlamp wipers. The cost of the 2-passenger Coupe was $4,900. Power was from an overhead-valve four-stroke 60-degree V-4 German Ford engine displacing 103.6 cubic inches and offering 65 horsepower. They had front-engine and front-wheel drive configurations with a four-speed manual gearbox. Disc brakes were in the front with drums at the rear.

The Sonett III was introduced in 1970 as a redesigned version of the Sonett V4. It was designed by Sergio Coggiola and modified by Gunnar A. Sjogren to accommodate the existing front-wheel drive chassis. The rear compartment hatch door of the Sonett II/V4 was replaced by hinged glass. In the front, the engine compartment could be accessed by a small popup panel, limiting the work that could be accomplished to the engine. Larger jobs required the removal of the engine hood section.

The column-mounted shifter of the Sonett V4 was replaced by a floor-mounted shifter for the Sonett III. Air conditioning became a dealer-installed option. Low-speed impact-proof bumpers were added after 1972 in compliance with safety regulations.

All Saab Sonett III were left-hand drive.

The 1970 and 1971 models were powered by the same 1500cc Ford Taunus V4 engine found in the Sonett V4. Emission controls, however, reduced the horsepower output. The 1971 through 1974 versions of the Sonett III were powered by the 1700cc Ford V4, again with reduced power accommodating federal regulations. As a result, the engine output was the same as the 1500cc engine, at 65 horsepower.

by Dan Vaughan

The Saab 97, also designated the Saab Sonnett III, was the answer to the outdated look and design of the 1970s Sonett.

Introduced at the New York Motor Show in the Spring of 1970, the Sonett III was a significantly wider vehicle than previous models and weighed only 770 kgs.

Due to many modifications, Coggiola's name didn't appear on the new vehicle, but he is still credited for a vast portion of the design.

Coggiola was known for his design on Saab Sonett III, Fiat Punto Surf, Fiat Brava Sentiero, Pontiac CF 428, Lancia Thema Coupe and many more vehicles.

Using the same Ford V4 engine as before, the Sonett III had the type indicator '97' in the chassis number and 1500 cc in 1970 and 1971.

The Saab Sonett III came with pop-up headlights operated by manually operated levers, and in 1973 it received self-repairing bumpers. It also came with a hinged rear window that became the hatch to the rear luggage compartment that improved access. A small, matt-black panel in the top of the front section reveals access to the engine compartment.

With the option of installed air conditioning, the Sonett III came with a floor shifter rather than a column shifter found in previous models.

In order to handle US emissions controls, the engine was updated to a 1700 cc. With an engine of 65 hp (48 kW), the Sonett III achieved a top speed of 165 km/h.

The Sonnett was able to reach 0 to 100 km/h in 13 seconds and had a drag coefficient of 0.31.

In 1974, unable to handle the more strict automobile emission control in the US, production on the Sonett III ended.

Before production ended, a total of 10, 219 Saab 97 (both II and III Sonetts') were created.

by Jessican Donaldson