The Saab 93 is a 2-door coupé from Saab Automobile, built from 1955 to 1960, at the height of the post-war boom. Under the bonnet: 750 cc Saab 2-stroke I3. Sixten Sason drew it.
How it came about
The Saab 93 (pronounced ninety-three) is the second production automobile that was manufactured by Swedish automaker Saab. Styled by Sixten Sason, it was first presented on December 1, 1955. The 93 was powered by a longitudinally-mounted three-cylinder 748 cc Saab two-stroke engine giving 33 hp (25 kW). The gearbox had three gears, the first unsynchronised. In order to overcome the problems of oil starvation on overrun (engine braking) for the two-stroke engine, a freewheel device was fitted. In 1957, two-point seatbelts were introduced as an option. The 93 was the first Saab to be exported from Sweden, with most exports going to the United States. A Saxomat clutch and a cabrio coach (large cloth sunroof) were available as options.
On September 2, 1957, the 93B was introduced. The original two-piece windshield was also replaced with a one-piece windshield.
In late 1959, the 93F was introduced, featuring front-hinged doors from the Saab GT750. 1960 was the last year of production for the 93. The 93 was replaced by the Saab 96, although the two models were sold side by side for the earlier part of the year. A total of 52,731 Saab 93s were made. The Saab Sonett I roadster shared many of its components with the 93.
The hardware
Power comes from 750 cc Saab 2-stroke I3. It weighs 787 kg. It shifts through a 3-speed manual. The layout matters: the engine drives the front wheels, the packaging choice that gives a small car a big cabin. The wheelbase is 2489 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Family and rivals
Its family tree is legible: it took over from the Saab 92; its successor was the Saab 96; assembly was at Trollhättan (Trollhättan Assembly), Sweden. Its contemporaries in the catalogue — the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the Chevrolet Corvette — show what else the money bought that year. Its Saab Automobile stablemates include the Saab 60 and the Saab 600.
What it costs now
There is no federal ownership record for the Saab 93 — it predates the complaint database or was never sold in the United States — so MotorJury publishes no running-cost figure for it. For a car of this age the price is set by the collector market and the condition of the individual example, not by a formula.