Tuned to Perform at Goodwood: Erik Carlsson’s Saab 96 Rally Car
FOR RELEASE: May 30, 2001Tuned to Perform at Goodwood: Erik Carlsson’s Saab 96 Rally Car
DETROIT – Spectators at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed will be in for a treat when the legendary Erik Carlsson "on the roof" releases the clutch and hammers the throttle on a Saab 96 rally car. The ninth-annual festival takes place July 6-8, in West Sussex, England.
Factory-prepared Saab 96 replica slated to grace the Goodwood Festival of Speed stage
The music will emanate from rallying legend Erik Carlsson’s howling two-stroke, three-cylinder Saab 96 rally car, a factory-prepared replica of the one in which he won back-to-back Monte Carlo Rallies in 1962 and 1963. Adding to the harmony will be another representative icon from General Motors veritable gold mine of significant heritage vehicles, Carlsson’s Saab Sonett II.
"Erik Carlsson’s Saab 96 rally car was known far-and-wide as a perennial front-runner, and it seems only fitting the Saab form should run at Goodwood, in the company of some of General Motors most memorable and historic vehicles," said Scot Keller, staff director, corporate brand communications. "Erik’s Saab 96 led races in much the same fashion GM heritage vehicles have always paced the field in automotive development and invention."
The Carlsson Saab is scheduled to make what is described as a "demonstration" run up the Earl of March’s famous driveway at the 2001 festival. But given the wide-open, foot-to-the-floor philosophy of the man at the wheel, the run is likely to be a highly spirited demonstration of the laws of adhesion; a demonstration in the manner of Vikings teaching trade to Anglo-Saxons. Mr. Carlsson did not earn the nickname "on the roof" for conservative driving.
Carlsson’s Saab a classic example of stock production transferring to the course
By today’s exotic competition standards, Carlsson’s Saab 96 is a remarkably stock automobile. Its stock-displacement 841-cc. engine, which was borrowed from the original rally winner, generates a modest 70 hp, although 32 hp more than the production version. The transmission is a close-ratio 4-speed that shifts from the steering column the way all production Saabs did in 1963. It also incorporates a free-wheeling device that was used to eliminate the surging on overrun that is characteristic of two-stroke engines.
And despite Carlsson’s well-earned reputation for getting cars upside-down with his exuberant road behavior, the rally Saab carries no roll cage or body reinforcements, because none were really necessary. Being basically an aircraft company, safety has always been a high-priority item at Saab organization. Saab automobiles were well ahead of their time with advancements such as reinforced roof pillars, crush zones, head restraints, pop-out windshields, dual brake systems and shoulder belts. The production Saab 96 body structure was judged adequately fit for high-speed rally duty just the way it rolled off the Trollhättan, Sweden, assembly line.
Odometers and seat support the sole supplements to a stock Saab interior
The only modifications to the car’s passenger compartment were additional trip odometers for the navigator and a driver’s seat with additional side support to counteract lateral g-forces, which were undoubtedly large and frequent whenever the massive Swede was at the helm. The interior found in Carlsson’s Goodwood Saab is the original one that was in his Monte Carlo-winning car.
The component that most radically departed from stock were the rally Saab’s tires, tailored to meet a variety of adverse road conditions, and on certain occasions, such as glare ice, bristled with over 300 tungsten carbide studs at each corner. Thus equipped, Carlsson’s Saab could traverse iced-over roads, that would have been dangerous to ordinary traffic at 20 mph, much less 90-plus.
Carlsson’s Saab an underdog? Maybe. A winner? Definitely
With a mere 70 horsepower and three cylinders in hand, and stock sedan bodywork to boot, the Carlsson Saab quickly established itself as a black sheep, an underdog and, frequently, the giant-killer among bigger, more powerful competitors.
Key to the Saab’s rallying success (if one were to rule out the almost super-human determination, courage and skill of its driver and co-driver, which is not possible) was its combined light weight, balanced performance and inherent ruggedness. A 70 hp, two-stroke triple isn’t a lot of engine, but it also doesn’t weigh a lot, and in Saab’s case it endowed the 96 with remarkably good handling and bad-weather traction.
Rain, sleet, snow and the occasional clear road were no obstacles for Carlsson’s driving
Weather can be a great equalizer, and when the roads were covered with water, snow and/or ice as they often were in the major European rallies, it was the factor that tilted the playing field in the tiny Saab’s favor. It was therefore not uncommon to find the flying Carlsson and his trademark red car besting the likes of Mercedes-Benz, Lancia and Porsche through the special high-speed stages where, in theory at least, greater horsepower and speed had the advantage.
Carlsson was undeterred by lack of horsepower. Rallies such as the Monte Carlo, the Midnight Sun the RAC and the Liège-Sofia-Liège were long, brutal endurance contests. Carlsson’s strategy with the Saab 96 was seemingly to wind himself and the Saab up to 6,000 rpm and operate that way until the car broke or the finish line appeared. As fate would have it, both car and driver were of the same indefatigable disposition.
Aggressive driving occasionally placed the Saab upside-down
If the Carlsson Saab didn’t end up on the roof (and even when it did, there were instances where the powerful Swede was known to lift it back on its wheels and continue on), there was a better than average chance the unlikely-looking sedan would end up victorious.
The howling red Saab and the big, affable Swede were unquestionably an effective combination, and one of the most colorful duos in motorsport history.
Erik Carlsson’s Saab 96 is one of an array of intriguing heritage vehicles that have been assembled under the GM Powered banner at this year’s Goodwood event. The collection celebrates GM’s worldwide history of innovation and the creativeness of its people. From Chevrolet to Holden, from Vauxhall to Saab: a virtually infinite array of vehicles exists, with many rarely seen beyond their country of origin.
The annual Goodwood Festival of Speed is expected to attract thousands of guests over the course of two days in July. Considered by event organizers as "the greatest gathering of motor racing machinery on the planet," the festival provides both celebrities and automobile lovers a rare opportunity to observe motorsports heritage first hand.
General Motors heritage reflects a tradition of excellence continuing in production models today
General Motors, the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer, is a leader in automotive branding, technology and design. Its heritage has been and always will be an integral element in shaping future endeavors.
1963 Saab 96 Group 2 Rally Car Specifications
Engine: |
Two-stroke, three-cylinder 51-cubic-inch (841 cubic centimeter) engine |
Horsepower/kilowatts: |
70/52 @ 6000 rpm |
Torque (pound-feet/Newton meters) |
74/100 @ 4000 rpm |
Transmission: |
Four-speed close-ratio transmission |
Chassis: |
Front engine, front-wheel-drive sedan; four-passenger, two-door steel body |
Front Suspension: |
Independent front |
Rear Suspension: |
Solid-axle |
Brakes: |
Front disc, rear drum brakes |
Tires: |
155 x 15 inch Dunlop SP tires |
Wheels: |
15 inch pressed steel |
Dimension/Capacities
Weight: |
1785 pounds (810 kilograms) |
Wheelbase: |
98 inches (249 centimeters) |