Makes › Saab › 92001 'Ursaab' prototype · Prototype · 1946–1947 One-off
Saab
92001 'Ursaab' prototype
Saab's first working car prototype (92.001), still running and in Saab Car Museum ownership; sister cars 92.002/92.003 followed
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 1 Built
- Years
- 1946–1947
- Engine
- DKW two-cylinder two-stroke, front-wheel drive
- Power
- 13.4 kW / 18.2 PSFactory: 18 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Sixten Sason (styling); project led by Gunnar Ljungström
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 1 (independently researched)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The 92.001 was the first car prototype built by the aircraft maker Saab, and its name ('Ur' meaning original in Swedish) reflects that role. Its compact front-wheel-drive monocoque layout and wind-tunnel-tested shape set the pattern for the production Saab 92 launched in 1949. The car survives in running order with its original paint at the Saab Car Museum.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model production92.001 is in working order with its original paint in the Saab Car Museum, Trollhattan; sister prototypes 92.002 and 92.003 are mentioned but their fate is not stated | 12 | Surviving examples | Independently researched |
| Total model productionthe individual prototype 92.001 | 11 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Saab agreed Project 92 in 1945 and a team of about 20 people under Gunnar Ljungström, with Sixten Sason as stylist, developed the car. A full-size wooden buck was finished in April 1946 and the body panels were beaten over it; a 1:10 scale model tested at the Royal Institute of Technology showed a drag coefficient of 0.32. The car, powered by an 18 hp DKW two-stroke twin and using many second-hand parts, was driving by the end of summer 1946. Testing exposed practical faults such as overly thick doors and front wheel enclosures that trapped snow, and sister prototypes 92.002 and 92.003 followed; together the three covered more than 530,000 km before the Saab 92 went on sale on 10 June 1949.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 92001 'Ursaab' prototype.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | DKW two-cylinder two-stroke, front-wheel drive3 Independently researched |
| Cylinders | 23 Independently researched |
| Displacement | Not yet verified |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 13.4 kW / 18.2 PSFactory: 18 hp · converted3 Independently researched |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | front3 Independently researched |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Monocoque; panels hand-beaten over a full-size wooden buck3 Independently researched |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
The museum identifies the car as 92.001, registered E14783, still wearing its original stone-chipped paint; it is a unique prototype held by the Saab Car Museum in Trollhättan.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
- 1
-
2
Ursaab history Level A The Saab Museum (independent enthusiast archive)
- Ursaab is in working order... exhibited in the Saab Car Museum
-
3
Ursaab 92.001 Level B Saab Car Museum
- DKW 18hp two-cylinder, two-stroke engine; front-wheel drive
- two-cylinder, two-stroke engine
- DKW 18hp two-cylinder, two-stroke engine
- compact, front-wheel drive
- monocoque construction; panels beaten over the wooden buck
