Makes › Saab › Sonett › Sonett II (two-stroke) · Rare production · 1966–1967 Very Rare
Saab
Sonett II (two-stroke)
Two-stroke Sonett II built at ASJ before the switch to the Ford V4; 258 built
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 258 Built
- Years
- 1966–1967
- Engine
- three-cylinder two-stroke, three carburettors · 841 cc / 0.8 LFactory: 841 cc
- Power
- 44.7 kW / 60.8 PSFactory: 60 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 150 km/hFactory: 150 km/h
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Bjorn Karlstrom (MFI13 design basis)
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Sonett II was Saab's first series coupe, a fibreglass sports car built partly by hand for US buyers. Its two-stroke version was short-lived because buyers preferred a four-stroke engine.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Saab Sonett II (two-stroke) (Wikimedia Commons: Saab Sonett II)
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Saab Sonett II (two-stroke) (Wikimedia Commons: Saab Sonett II)
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Saab Sonett II (two-stroke) (Wikimedia Commons: Saab Sonett II)
Photo: Lukasz19930915 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Saab Sonett II (two-stroke) (Wikimedia Commons: Saab Sonett II)
Photo: Jelger Groeneveld · CC BY 2.0
_Sonett_II_1967.jpg){kind=link}
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productiontwo-stroke cars built before the V4 change | 2581,2 | 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
The Saab 97 project, based on the MFI13, was shown in Stockholm in winter 1966, and production began at ASJ in late 1966 with 28 Sonett IIs made practically by hand, three of them pre-production. The show car had an extended nose and a tilting front section. The engine was the Monte Carlo three-cylinder two-stroke, giving 60 hp with three carburettors.
The price of $3,500 to $4,000 was above the $3,000 dealers had asked for, and US sales forecasts were cut from 3,000 a year to 500. After 258 two-stroke cars Saab switched during 1967 to the Ford V4, creating the Sonett V4.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Sonett II (two-stroke).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | three-cylinder two-stroke, three carburettors3 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 841 cc / 0.8 LFactory: 841 cc4 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 44.7 kW / 60.8 PSFactory: 60 hp · converted3Silodrome gives 59 bhp. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | 4-speed manual, column shift4 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
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 | Not yet verified |
| 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 | 150 km/hFactory: 150 km/h4 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| 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.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
The most interesting treasures of the Saab museum Level B Autocar
- Saab made 258 examples in this configuration
-
2
Hagerty UK – Cars that time forgot: Saab Sonett II Level B
- 258 two-stroke cars built before the V4 change
-
3
Saab Sonett II/V4 history Level A The Saab Museum (independent enthusiast archive)
- same as in the Monte Carlo ... delivering 60hp ... three carburettors
- delivering 60hp due in no small respect to the three carburettors
-
4
For Sale: A 1971 Saab Sonett III - Sweden's Strangely Brilliant V4 Coupe Level B Silodrome · 2026-09-20
- 841cc two-stroke triple from the Saab Monte Carlo 850
- a 4-speed column shift manual
- Top speed was a respectable 93 mph (150 km/h)
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