Saab's engineers turned the Sonett's engine and gearbox a full 180 degrees to fit behind the front axle — a swap that only worked because the two-stroke engine could simply run in reverse.
Lead trim: 748 cc two-stroke three-cylinder (57.5 PS)
Saab Sonett I94 · 1955–1957
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Saab Sonett I yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactSaab's engineers turned the Sonett's engine and gearbox a full 180 degrees to fit behind the front axle — a swap that only worked because the two-stroke engine could simply run in reverse.
A two-seat roadster prototype designed in a barn near Trollhättan by Saab engine developer Rolf Mellde and colleagues on a 75,000-kronor budget, first known as the Saab 94 and renamed by designer Sixten Sason from the Swedish "Så nätt den är" ("how neat it is"). It had a riveted aluminium stressed-skin chassis under 70 kg and a glass-reinforced plastic body. Its 748 cc three-cylinder two-stroke, rotated 180 degrees and mounted behind the front axle, made 57.5 PS. Introduced in Stockholm on 16 March 1956; only six cars were made, all right-hand drive.
Collectors Spotted in the Saab Sonett Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Saab Sonett yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 748 cc two-stroke three-cylinder (57.5 PS) | 1955–1957 | 0.7 L Inline-3 | 57 hp | — | — | FWD | manual | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Saab quietly tested something wild in the Sonett III: prototype versions powered by a Rankine-cycle steam engine, decades before anyone cared about alternative powertrains. One survived and hit a Stockholm auction in 2019.
1967 marked the end of an era: the two-stroke Sonett II was the last two-stroke-engined car ever sold new in the United States, done in mid-model-year by emissions rules.
Saab's engineers turned the Sonett's engine and gearbox a full 180 degrees to fit behind the front axle — a swap that only worked because the two-stroke engine could simply run in reverse.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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