14 replies to this topic

[Tomas Karlsson]

I have been trying to find the right colour for the Swedish entered Saab 93 (Nottorp-Bengtsson)that raced at Le Mans in 1959. But all I can find is b/w pictures. Is there anyone who has seen a colour picture?
I have seen a gray-painted model, but it seemed to be darker than the pictures.

[jarama]

Tomas,

according to Anders Turnberg in the book "From TWO-STROKE to TURBO / SAAB in motorsport since 1949" the car colour was "light blue", and in other paragraph says that the car was polished just before the race.

BTW, I didn't recall that there was another Saab 93 750 GT in the same event, a british-entered one, driven by a chap called Hurrell and who by midnight withdrawn the race after seizing a piston.


Carles.

[Ian McKean]

I seem to remember there was a Sid Hurrell of SAH a tuning company who specialised in Triumphs but also had an interest in Saab conversion.

I think they did a strange loking exhaust system for the Saab V4 that bifurcated near the end into twin outlets. It looked to me a real boy racer special but I resolved to ask the man on the stand (must have been at the Racing Car Show I think) what the technical reason was for this design. Actually I think it was the boss, Sid Hurrell I spoke to. So I asked him what I thought was a very reasonable question, trying not to give away the fact that I would much rather buy a works Saab exhaust if only I could afford it.

But his answer was "Why should I talk about it to you when I know you aren't going to buy it anyway?"

God's gift to selling? Or maybe just very good at qualifying punters?

[Tomas Karlsson]

The Swedish Saab was built by Rune Bertilsson, who had moved to Saab in 1958. He is better known as Scuderia Ferrari Svezia's chief mechanic. So he knew what he was doing.
Apart from a specially tuned engine they had a new gearbox (with four gears) and water-cooled brakes.
Bertilsson remembered how the speaker made fun of the Saabs and made a big number of when the English (black) car broke down. But when the crowds realized that the Swedish car might make it, they got a lot of support and got a big reception when they reached the finish.

[Tomas Karlsson]

according to Anders Turnberg in the book "From TWO-STROKE to TURBO / SAAB in motorsport since 1949" the car colour was "light blue", and in other paragraph says that the car was polished just before the race.

I have recieved a picture of the car today, and it seems that Thunberg was wrong. It was light gray.
That is also what Bertilsson told me, but I was getting confused by that model and by Saab's official 93 colours.

[Ian McKean]

Reference the new 4 speed gearbox, was this a prototype at this point in time? I think it was in 1960 that Carlsson used an estate 95 in the Monte because it was the only version with a four speed gearbox, so in 1958, if I am correct, the 4 speed may have been still a prototype.

Also I am curious as to the history of the Saab gear casings. I had a steel casing with a "spec 2" gearset in my V4, but I know that there was an earlier steel casing that could be used, which did not have the ribs on the casing. I presumed this was a casing that dated from the 2 stroke days. Did all production Saabs have alloy casings and the steel ones were only for competition? Or were these earlier non-ribbed steel casings originally production components that became necessary and popular for competition as power outputs increased? Was it only when the V4 came out that they needed a steel casing?

[Tomas Karlsson]

Yep, the 4-speed was a prototype.

Sorry, I don't know anything about Saab's gear casings.

[D-Type]

Originally posted by Ian McKean
Reference the new 4 speed gearbox, was this a prototype at this point in time? I think it was in 1960 that Carlsson used an estate 95 in the Monte because it was the only version with a four speed gearbox , so in 1958, if I am correct, the 4 speed may have been still a prototype.

~

Although the SAAB website says this, the other reason for using the estate was the handicap. A heavier car got a better handicap and the estate was heavier. See contemporary [color="green"]Motor Sport

[Ian McKean]

I don't remember hearing that the weight handicap had a bearing on the choice of a 95 on the 1960 Monte. Interesting! I just had a quick look at the Tunberg book again and it does not confirm this.

It does confirm that I was a year out! It was 1961.

I also noticed from the Tunberg book that a Saab won its (the 750) class in the 1957 Mille Miglia driven by Harald Kronegard and Charlie Lohmander. Something else I had forgotten from when I first read this book. There were 25 entries in the class.

As I reach my late fifties I am beginning to think my memory is getting worse, by the way. I guess it's to be expected and should serve as a reminder that we all (especially those who've got more interesting tales to recount than I) should try to get our reminiscences down in black and white.

Can anyone confirm if "Hurrell" in the Saab 750GT was indeed Sid Hurrell. (SAH did a very good conversion on the Triumph Spitfire. Much quicker than standard but really not expensive).

The Tunberg book refers to three huge Solex carburettors on the Le Mans car but the picture on page 42 of Tunberg's book looks to me like a car with two carburettors. Perhaps the picture is wrong?

[bradbury west]

Ian

Hurrell, IIRCwas the same Sid, as in S A H Accessories. I think there was an artcile about him and the SAAB in Autocar/Autosport/MSport in period, possibly linked to an article on "the Tuners", being etc. Perhaps I recall that he entered some club races and the 750MC/Birkett relay in period, or perhaps, like you, also being of a certain age, memory plays tricks.

Roger Lund

[Ian McKean]

Originally posted by Tomas Karlsson
The Swedish Saab was built by Rune Bertilsson, who had moved to Saab in 1958. He is better known as Scuderia Ferrari Svezia's chief mechanic. So he knew what he was doing.
Apart from a specially tuned engine they had a new gearbox (with four gears) and water-cooled brakes.
Bertilsson remembered how the speaker made fun of the Saabs and made a big number of when the English (black) car broke down. But when the crowds realized that the Swedish car might make it, they got a lot of support and got a big reception when they reached the finish.

Tomas, when you write "the speaker" do you mean the (French) commentator on the Pubic Address system?

[Tomas Karlsson]

Yes! A little bit of "Swenglish" there I'm afraid. It's actually called "speaker" in Swedish...

[Tomas Karlsson]

Charlie Lohmander and Harald Kronegård at the start of Mille Miglia 1957.

[Tomas Karlsson]

The Tunberg book refers to three huge Solex carburettors on the Le Mans car but the picture on page 42 of Tunberg's book looks to me like a car with two carburettors. Perhaps the picture is wrong?

The car had two Solex carburettors. The picture is right.

[Rainer Nyberg]

As the original question asked for a colour pic, here is one, and yes, it seems like the 93B is light-grey colour.