This 1968 Saab 96 is a mostly complete project that was extensively prepped for rally duty by the previous owner. It features many cool competition touches and though the car will need finishing to be turn-key, it looks like it would make a great vintage rally entry once finished. The Saab V4 revs freely with a good gearbox, upgraded brakes, performance suspension, and full safety gear including a fuel cell, race seats, harnesses, and roll cage. The sale includes a large spare parts package consisting of a spare engine, several transmissions, body panels, Weber and Solex carbs, and much more detailed below. As photos show, the car is very nearly complete with most major work already complete.

The seller purchased it from the builder’s ex-wife who was left with the car after a hasty divorce. Bodywork and trim are a bit scruffy but perfectly acceptable for vintage rallies. Minor rust is present in a few places photographed in detail below. Glass is in good condition, and the rear window still retains its factory-fitted “Saab Air Conditioned” decal. Up front the nose has been fitted with auxiliary Bosch driving lights, beneath which the builder installed a heavy duty skid plate protecting the engine, transaxle and front suspension. The rear decklid is steel but an uninstalled fiberglass spare is included that is painted orange.

The interior is prepared for competition with a welded-in cage, race seats, Simpson cam lock harnesses, and Terratrip 303 rally computer with separate Terraphone helmet intercom system. The cool three-spoke Saab Sport steering wheel is correct for the period Saab 96 rally cars, and other features include a brake bias adjuster and dash-mounted custom switch box.

Saab enjoyed real competition success in the 1950s and 1960s, winning the Monte Carlo Rally in ’62 and ’63 along with a number of strong finishes in the European Rally Championship. The car on offer here is fitted with a custom built brake pedal setup with balance bar adjustment for dual master cylinder operation and a handbrake lever that operates directly on its own third master cylinder for the rear drums to rotate the car in tight corners.

Power comes from a 1.5L Saab V4, and the seller notes it’s hard to say if it is original or rebuilt but says it starts easily, revs out nicely, and produces no smoke or odd noises. The gearbox shifts smoothly with positive clutch engagement, and the car is fitted with a free-flow exhaust system and Jacobs electronic ignition. The suspension consists of reinforced lower control arms in front and stock springs all around. The front runs newer-looking Konis, and the seller says the set-up feels tight with no looseness or other signs of worn components. Stock front discs with rear drums will need to be bled before regular use, and the fronts utilize stainless braided flex hoses. Note the blue Saab oil filter.

The light bar still needs to be wired and wipers need to be connected both mechanically and electrically, but otherwise the car is running and driving. A sizable collection of spares includes a second stock V4 engine, three transmissions (one of which is believed to be a close-ratio box), two additional doors, four front fenders, various lenses, fiberglass trunk lid, two new brake calipers, wheel cylinders, braided flex hoses for the rear, axles, axle boots, KYB shocks, spare intake manifold, Weber and Solex carbs, four steel wheels, four Saab Soccerball alloy wheels, valve covers, and additional gauges.