SPECS
YEAR
MAKE
MODEL
TRANSMISSION
ENGINE SIZE
MILES
1974
saab
sonett III
4 speed manual
1,700cc Ford v4
74,255
EXTERIOR
INTERIOR
TITLE
CONSIGMENT
LOCATION
PRICE
yellow
black
clean
yes
pompano beach, FL
highlights
This car was purchased and fully restored by a former Saab dealer, at the time it had around 70,000 miles. In 1999 when the restoration was complete material cost for the rebuild was $30,000. The current owner reports a recent service including timing belt and waterpump, as well as a general service and inspection.
The German Ford V4’s note is great and a bit raspy which perfectly compliments the car’s looks.
The Sonett III’s hidden headlights are operated manually using a large lever inside the cabin. Another interesting feature on the Sonett III is a shock tower cross-brace which doubles as a coolant overflow reservoir.
features
The Sonett III’s light weight fiberglass body introduces a more modern design by legendary Italian designer Sergio Coggiola, which alters the existing Sonett II chassis without expensive manufacturing-line changes. A hinged rear-window glass replaced the Sonett II/V4’s rear compartment hatch door and a sleeker and angular hood was introduced as well. A total of 8,368 Sonett IIIs were manufactured between 1970 and 1974. The built in roll bar adds some race flare as well as functionality.
The model years 1971 to 1974 of the Sonett III used the 1700 cc Ford V4, but to meet increasingly strict federal regulations, net power output remained the same as the 1500 cc engine, at 65 horsepower. The Sonett III accelerated from 0–62 mph in 13 seconds, and—due to a higher differential gear ratio (42 teeth on the ring gear and 9 teeth on the pinion gear) than the standard 95/96 transmission (39:8)—achieved a top speed of 103 mph, aided by a drag coefficient of 0.31 cd.
heritage
The Saab Sonnet (meaning “So Neat” in Swedish) was manufactured between 1955 and 1957 and again between 1966 and 1974 by Saab of Sweden. The front wheel drive Swede is quite sporty looking and is bound to turn a few heads. David Tracy, from Jalopnik did a full right up on the little swede in 2019 and his article can be found by clicking here
condition
report
A
interior
a
The interior feels fresh and seats look as new
exterior
a-
The paint doesn’t appear to show any blemishes or orange peel and is bright and vibrant. All trim pieces are in place and look to be in good condition
mechanical
a
The car works flawlessly and does not exhibit any corrosion
photographer's notes
- paint is really nice, I didn’t see any issues with paint or corrosion underneath. Didn’t notice any orange peel. Color is vivid and bright
- Interior is really clean. Seats look brand new. Window seals looked pretty solid
- In the door jams where the a pillar meets the door frame is the only issue where the welds aren’t perfect, may be a factory thing as I see on both sides
(images 282 and 249)
- Sounds like it could use a new battery.
- Runs fine but shifting is what you might expect with an older car
- trunk has a few very minor spots of surface level rust (image 186)
- considering the cars age I’d say it’s been pretty good shape overall
