1971 Saab 95: A Short History

This is a 1971 Saab 95 wagon, one of the original Saab models from their early days in the 1950s. The Saab 95 was essentially a Saab 93, with an extended rear end and cargo area. Debuting in 1959, the 95 was marketed alongside the Saab 93 and eventually its successor, the 96, as a seven seater family car with more space and practicality than the other two options. 

Saab developed the 95 as an alternative to those who wanted a Saab with more practicality and space, compared to their 93 sedan, a two seater family car. Like most vintage Saabs from the 1950s and early '60s, the 95 was powered by the infamous 841cc two stroke engine, coupled to a four speed manual transmission. 

Over its near 20 year production run, the 95 stayed roughly the same, despite a few cosmetic updates, and the introduction of the Ford Taunus V4 engine to all Saab models in 1967. Eventually, the design became obsolete, as the design had become too old despite the many cosmetic updates throughout the years. Eventually, the modern 99 would make the 95 obsolete, with the introduction of the Combi Coupe hatchback body style in 1974.

Saab kept these in production for almost 20 years, before the Saab 900 phased both this and the 96 out of production in 1978. The 96 would remain in production until 1980, and the 99 would until 1984.

Although these early model Saabs were pretty remarkable for their time, I feel these never caught on as much as Saab intended. While affordable and reliable, its 2 stroke engine (replaced by a Ford made V4 in '67) turned most people way, since other brands offered more user friendly cars. The Saab also looked strange, but this was because it was one of the most aerodynamic cars ever produced at the time with a drag coefficient of .30. That was unheard of, especially for a car designed in the late 1940s. Even today, the aerodynamic design is very radical, and unlike most cars on the road.

Today, these old Saabs are a rare and impressive sight to see, as most have become an enthusiast car for die hard Saab fanatics, only taken out for car shows and meet ups. Another good portion of them are also restoration candidates or survivors, like this example here. 

These are a reminder of where Saab came from and their desire to create unique, aerodynamic, and safe cars. The 95, along with the 93 and 96, are the vehicles that would set the standard for Saab all the way until their death in 2012. Saab always overengineered their cars to be extremely reliable, aerodynamic, and quirky, which led to their success and as some might argue, demise. But without that ambition to create such a well engineered car, Saab wouldn't be Saab as we know and love them, and the auto industry would never have had the influence Saab had on it with aerodynamics, safety, and turbocharged engines.