1972 Saab Sonett III
Unveiled at the 1970 New York Auto Show, the Saab Sonett III was a fiberglass two-seat coupe styled by Italian designer Sergio Coggiola and adapted for production by Saab’s Gunnar A. Sjögren. Coggiola’s low nose required retractable headlights, and while electric operation was considered, Saab kept costs down by making them manually operated.
Buyers could choose between standard and luxury trim, the difference coming down to steel versus alloy wheels and corduroy versus leather inside.
The car shared its platform with the earlier Sonett II, though refined aerodynamics pushed the top speed to around 106 mph despite a slight weight gain over the outgoing car (curb weight was roughly 1,720 pounds (780 kg)).
The Ford-sourced 1.5-liter V4 carried over from the outgoing model, with displacement growing to 1.7 liters (1,699 cc) for 1971. Peak output was rated at 65 horsepower, as the compression ratio was reduced to satisfy US emissions standards.
Federal 5-mph impact bumpers arrived for 1973, and production wrapped up after the 1974 model year when the cost of further regulatory compliance became prohibitive. In total, 8,368 Sonett IIIs were produced, far outpacing any previous Sonett.
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