Makes › Saab › 'Toad' V4 test car · Prototype · 1966
Saab
'Toad' V4 test car
Widened 96-lookalike mule disguising Saab 99 chassis/V4 development; up to four built, one survivor at the Saab Museum
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
- Not yet verified
- Years
- 1966
- Engine
- Not yet verified
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 4 (independently researched)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Toad was a secret Saab test vehicle that let the company road test the new chassis and V4 engine of the coming Saab 99 inside what looked like an ordinary Saab 96. Only one Toad is known to survive, kept by the Saab Museum in Trollhättan.
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 production'as many as four Toads' road tested; one survives | 41 | Surviving examples | 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 fitted a V4 engine in place of the three-cylinder two-stroke and found the engine bay had room for it, while the forthcoming 99 was harder. To keep the new model secret the test cars wore a special 96 body widened by 20 cm, and most road tests were run at night. The Swedish newspaper Expressen revealed the existence of the Toad, though it did not know that as many as four were being tested.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 'Toad' V4 test car.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | Not yet verified |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 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 | Saab 96 body widened by 20 cm2 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.
A Toad looks like a Saab 96 but is 20 cm wider; next to a normal 96 of the same colour the difference was immediately apparent, as the Expressen report found.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Saab Museum (saabmuseum.com) – Toad Level B
- 4 'as many as four Toads' road tested; one survives
-
2
The Toad Level C The Saab Museum (independent enthusiast archive)
- a special 96 body that was widened by 20cm
