Saab GT750
Encyclopedia
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
from Saab
Saab Automobile
Saab Automobile AB, better known as Saab , is a Swedish car manufacturer owned by Dutch automobile manufacturer Swedish Automobile NV, formerly Spyker Cars NV. It is the exclusive automobile Royal Warrant holder as appointed by the King of Sweden...
produced between 1958 and 1960. It was introduced at the New York International Auto Show
New York International Auto Show
The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in New York City in late March or early April. It is usually held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weekend and closes on the first Sunday after Easter...
in 1958, and was fitted with safety belts as standard - soon afterward the practice became commonplace on most cars.
The GT750 was a sporty version of the Saab 93
Saab 93
The Saab 93, pronounced ninety-three, is an automobile manufactured by Saab. It was announced on August 18, 1955, and was first presented on December 1, 1955. It was styled by Sixten Sason and had a longitudinally-mounted three-cylinder 748 cc Saab two-stroke engine giving 33 hp . The...
, mainly aimed at the US market. It had the same body shell as the 93 but used a different interior and a high-output Saab two-stroke
Saab two-stroke
The first Saab two-stroke engine was based on a DKW design. The SAAB engine, a two-cylinder with 764 cc engine displacement and 25 hp was transversally placed in the 1950 - 1956 Saab 92, giving it a top speed of . With the 1954 model engine output was raised to...
engine. It was not retired from the market with the 93 but received the Saab 96
Saab 96
For the modern car, see Saab 9-6The Saab 96 is an automobile made by Saab. It was introduced in 1960 and was produced until January 1980, a run of 20 years. Like the 93 it replaced, the 96 was a development from the old Saab 92 chassis and, on account of its improvements and modernisation, it...
body and 4-speed gearbox in 1960 and continued in production until 1962. In 1962, it received the even larger engine from the 96, was fitted with disc brakes at the front and was re-named the GT850. It was called the Saab Sport
Saab Sport
Saab Sport is an automobile from Saab, launched in 1962 as a replacement for the Saab GT750. It used the same body shell as the Saab 96, with slight modifications and with a different interior configuration and equipment...
in the UK and 'Monte Carlo' in the USA (after the successes in the Monte Carlo Rally
Monte Carlo Rally
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rally Monte Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also organises the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and...
).
The GT had twin carburetor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
s and the two-stroke
Two-stroke cycle
A two-stroke engine is an internal combustion engine that completes the process cycle in one revolution of the crankshaft...
engine had been tuned
Engine tuning
Engine tuning is the adjustment, modification or design of internal combustion engines to yield optimal performance, to increase an engine's power output, economy, or durability....
to develop 50 hp (37 kW). An optional tuning kit was available to upgrade it to a GT 750R with the engine power boosted to 55 hp (41 kW). The engine gave most power at high revs, 3400 to 5000 rpm. The gearbox had three gears. In order to overcome the problems of overrun for the two-stroke engine, a freewheel
Freewheel
thumb|Freewheel mechanismIn mechanical or automotive engineering, a freewheel or overrunning clutch is a device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft...
device was fitted.
A 1959 review by Road & Track
Road & Track
Road & Track is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, and is published monthly. The editorial offices are located in Newport Beach, California.-History:...
commented that smooth upshifts of the widely-spaced 3-speed manual
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
required revving the engine over 5000 rpm or slipping the clutch. Saab provided a retrofit kit which leaned out the fuel mixture in the carburettor, making the car more tractable at low revs but seriously impacting performance. The magazine also tried a modified GT with 57 hp, which improved acceleration to 60 mi/h from 15.2 seconds (in the 50 hp GT) to 12 flat. For comparison, an unmodified 93B
Saab 93
The Saab 93, pronounced ninety-three, is an automobile manufactured by Saab. It was announced on August 18, 1955, and was first presented on December 1, 1955. It was styled by Sixten Sason and had a longitudinally-mounted three-cylinder 748 cc Saab two-stroke engine giving 33 hp . The...
required 27.2 seconds.
Road & Track praised the car's smooth ride and steering, as well as its high level of equipment. Even a "Halda Speedpilot", a mechanical analog
Analog computer
An analog computer is a form of computer that uses the continuously-changeable aspects of physical phenomena such as electrical, mechanical, or hydraulic quantities to model the problem being solved...
trip computer
Trip computer
A trip computer is an onboard computer device fitted to cars which can generally record distance travelled, average speed, average fuel consumption, and display real time fuel consumption information...
of the type used for rally racing, was included in the package.