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Films: Saab Sonett: Two-Stroke Heirloom
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Made To Drive | S3 E1
This Datsun Traveled 37,000 miles on a North American Road Trip
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Made To Drive | S03 E19

Saab Sonett: Two-Stroke Heirloom

In 1967, Glenn's parents special-ordered a silver Saab Sonett II from a Florida dealer and, as a result, Glenn spent his childhood riding to school not in Detroit’s muscle cars of the 1960s and ‘70s but in a 1500-pound Swedish sports car with a 70 horsepower, two-stroke engine. The Sonett has followed Glenn through life. In 1980, when he was eighteen years old, Glenn bought the car from his parents for $300 and, with the help of his father, gave the car enough energy to carry Glenn through college and into adulthood.
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This Datsun Traveled 37,000 miles on a North American Road Trip
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The average American driver puts 13,500 miles per year on their car. Mr. Scott Fisher of Las Vegas, Nevada, added that many to the odometer of his 1967 Datsun Roadster in just the first three months of a recently-completed road trip that ultimately took him to forty-eight U.S. states and seven Canadian provinces. By the time Scott pulled into his garage in Las Vegas for the first time in eight months, he had covered 37,850 miles of the North American countryside.
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We're all affected differently. Some people fall in love because their dad or uncle had one. Others fall in love out of necessity, constant breakdowns requiring them to work on their car. For Mr. Frank Mandarano a tour through the Maserati factory in the '60s was enough for him to be smitten. He bought his first Maserati a few years later, a red 3500GT, which promptly broke the day after he bought it.
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There was a time when an art form known as coachbuilding existed.Back then, the coachbuilder did not have to answer to a CFO.Back then, the coachbuilder did not have to compromise his vision due to government regulations.Back then, the outrageous was possible.The Lamborghini Countach could only have been born then.
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Praveen Dhawan
Praveen Dhawan
10 years ago

Nice curves. Beautiful camera shots from left headlight towards the driver and from the right side view mirror towards the road.

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Rich Whiteley
Rich Whiteley
10 years ago

Another great video. 70HP surprised me from that. Given that it probably doesn’t weigh more than 600kg, I bet it feels pretty flighty. 🙂

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Jorgen Trued
Jorgen Trued
10 years ago

Great video and great footage. I bought the white Sonett II V4 that was in the window of Vasek Polak Saab in Hermosa Beach CA. Brought it to Sweden and had it for some years. I have a garage full of Saab cars but the Sonett was not for me way to cramped up I am 6.2 and not so sporty. I tried to improved roadholding with adjustable dampers and better springs and polyurethane bushings. But the car simply lacks BHP.

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Raff Sajewicz
Raff Sajewicz
10 years ago

Very nice shooting – as usually on Petrolicious. This heritage aspect is touchy. I hope that my Saabs 900 and 9000 would be once a good “lifetime asset” for my son.
BTW – greetings for Dayna Holiga – another LA passionate Sonett owner! She could be even the better hero for this unit 🙂
Maybe next time…

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Ib Erik
Ib Erik
10 years ago

Love the car, so much !

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Dustin Rittle
Dustin Rittle
10 years ago

I always love to see passion like this especially when its a odd ball car cause i love the oddballs too. The Saab Sonett II was a very quirky little sports car in that it had a two stroke engine and column shifter. Those were things not usually found in a sports car. Also you have to give Saab credit for making a front wheel drive sports car and making it work quite well. I have read that these cars were able to do quite well against other small European roadsters.

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Ae Neuman
Ae Neuman
10 years ago

love these idiosyncratic cars.
back when i was a kid a blue matchbox sonett 3 was one of my most treasured possessions.

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Thomas
Thomas
10 years ago

@ Ross, I think that’s a Sonett 2 as well but from the bubble on the hood I would think it might be the later one with the Ford 4 cylinder engine. Great video, great story and a cool guy. I am looking forward to next Tuesday.

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Russ Wollman
Russ Wollman
10 years ago

What’s that red machine next door to the Saab? Looks like a Lotus to me.

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Emanuel Costa
Emanuel Costa
10 years ago
Reply to  Russ Wollman

Yes, it would be nice to know (for sure) what the red car is, and why isn’t it featured in the video!

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Alan Leroy Clarke
Alan Leroy Clarke
10 years ago
Reply to  Russ Wollman

The red car is a ’68 or ’69 Sonett II V-4. A no-brainer…

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Daniel Cooley
Daniel Cooley
10 years ago

Great video! I’ve always thought Sonett’s were really interesting. There’s a guy who lives down the street from me who has had one sitting in his driveway for years…shame to see it rust, hopefully someday I’ll be able to buy and restore it.

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Future Doc
Future Doc
10 years ago

Great video, fun car.

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