In the world of affordable and unusual sports cars, it doesn’t get much more unusual than the Saab Sonett. Based, as many of its competitors were, on a more pedestrian sibling, the Sonett featured the same 65hp Ford-based V4. (Wait a minute, did he just call a Saab pedestrian??) By the angular 1970 redesign, the rear glass had sprouted hinges (replacing the rear flap found on the Sonett II), the clamshell front end had been reduced to a rather small hood with very limited access, and the car got a floor shifter and optional air conditioning. And thanks to clean air rules, power went down until the end of production in 1974. Nonetheless, the Sonett III was the most popular of all Sonetts, with roughly 5 times the number of Sonett IIs produced. And so they are most likely to show up here, where, aout halfway down the page, you can find this 1974 Saab Sonett III for sale for $3300 in Snohomish, WA.
Posts Tagged ‘swedish’
Not Shakespearean – 1974 Saab Sonett III (plus bonus ’72!)
March 10, 20141980s Heros – 1983 Volvo 244 Turbo and 1989 Ford Taurus SHO
February 10, 2014What with all the emissions laws sucking the power (and filth, if you’re honest) out of our cars in the 1970s, manufacturers started finding ways to put actual performance and driving excitement back into cars after the initial blow. So you got cars like the Saab 99 Turbo, Fiat Spider Turbo, and the BMW 325i (six cylinders in a small sedan? what?) as turbochargers, fuel injection, and efficient catalytic converters made up for the Clean Air Act casualties. Somewhat later to the game, but absolutely credible as a 1980s icon, was the Volvo 244 Turbo. Unfortunately, many of the turbos have disappeared off the road, but you can still find this relatively low-mile 1983 Volvo 244 Turbo for sale for $3400 in Portland, OR.
Hoard Sale – From Alfa to Volvo
December 17, 2013Most often, sales of large collections are full of a bunch of junk, and only one or two gems. However, when the seller is a retiring European car mechanic, you’re bound to get some interesting finds. The seller’s father was in the business for 30 years, and clearly felt the same about cars as some people feel about dogs, cats, or friends with emotional trauma – they love the idea of a project. This project car collection is for sale in Olympia, WA, with no asking prices, aside from a request not to offer scrap prices (although what that is, is not clear). To start us off, here’s a 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV6 with no obvious damage, although protracted outdoor storage in what looks to be a damp forest will mean it needs a lot.


