Saab 99 History

Development of the 99 began in 1964 under the codename Project Gudmund, tasked with moving Saab upmarket beyond the compact 96. Designed by Sixten Sason and unveiled in Stockholm in November 1967, the first production cars reached customers in autumn 1968. The 99 shared its engine (sourced from Triumph and progressively developed in-house) with no other model, and introduced a larger, more safety-focused body with deep crumple zones and a padded interior — ahead of contemporary norms.

The 99 Turbo, launched in limited pre-series form in 1977 and fully for 1978, was a landmark moment not only for Saab but for the industry: it was among the first turbocharged family sedans available to ordinary buyers. The Garrett T3-turbocharged 2.0-litre four produced 145 bhp, making the 99 Turbo genuinely fast while remaining practical. The concept proved that turbos could be tamed for daily use, influencing virtually every European manufacturer that followed.

The 99 remained in production alongside its successor the 900 until 1984, by which time over 588,000 had been built. Its platform and engine architecture underpinned the 900 and gave Saab a technological springboard for the turbo era that defined the brand through the 1980s.