The Saab Monster was an experimental car built by Saab in 1959. Engineers took a Saab 93, stripped it of excess weight and fitted two 748 cc three-cylinder two-stroke engines driving the front wheels, producing about 138 bhp and a top speed of 196 km/h.
Saab Monster at a glance
| Built | 1959 |
|---|---|
| Basis | Saab 93 in Toreador Red |
| Engines | two 748 cc three-cylinder two-strokes |
| Layout | split in-line, driving the front wheels |
| Power | about 138 bhp (103 kW) |
| Top speed | 196 km/h, at Sätenäs airfield |
| Weight saving | bonnet replaced by a plastic one |
| Ignition | two distributors |
| Cooling | enlarged radiator |
| Behaviour | rear tending to lift, severe understeer |
| Fate | restored, now in the Saab museum |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Monster.
History of the Saab Monster
The Monster was a 1959 project that grew out of Saab’s motorsport work and the wish to get more power from the two-stroke engine. The starting point was an ordinary Saab 93 in Toreador Red, from which all excess weight was removed; even the bonnet was replaced with a plastic one.
The engineers then installed two transversely mounted 748 cc three-cylinder two-stroke engines in a split in-line arrangement, driving the front wheels through a modified clutch and gearbox assembly. The drivetrain used two distributors and an enlarged radiator. Together the two engines produced about 138 bhp, enough for a top speed of 196 km/h, reached at Sätenäs airfield.
The car was difficult to drive. Its low weight and the aerofoil shape of the body made the rear end tend to lift as it approached top speed, and the combination of great torque and front-wheel drive produced severe understeer. It was this mixture of enormous power and poor handling that gave the car the name Monster.
A speed record attempt was made during the project but was not recognised because of discrepancies in scrutineering and recording. The project was eventually abandoned as impractical. The restored Monster is now displayed in the Saab museum in Trollhättan. In the early 1970s Saab and Sportpromotion built a similar vehicle powered by two V4 engines giving 144 hp.
Design and features
- Two engines: a pair of 748 cc three-cylinder two-strokes joined in a split in-line layout.
- Weight saving: excess weight removed, including a plastic bonnet.
- 138 bhp: roughly four times the power of a standard Saab 93.
- Notorious handling: a lifting rear end and severe understeer at speed.
Saab Monster versions
- Monster (1959): the twin-engine experimental Saab 93.
- Sportpromotion car (early 1970s): a later twin-V4 experiment with 144 hp.
The Monster was built from the Saab 93, the same car that gave Saab its rally reputation. Its search for more power led towards the Saab 99 Turbo. More cars are in the Saab collection.
Sources
- Saab Monster, English Wikipedia: design, performance, history
