Saab MFI13
Encyclopedia
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
for the Saab 97, later known as Sonett II. It was built at the Malmö Flygindustri
Malmö Flygindustri
Malmö Flygindustri was a small aviation and car company in south Sweden which specialized in small single-propeller aircraft and various plastic objects. It was later acquired by SAAB.-Products:Aircraft* MFI-9* MFI-10 Vipan* Saab SafariAutomobiles...
as they had some experience with plastic manufacturing. The body of the prototype was made of steel though. A second prototype was designed by Sixten Sason
Sixten Sason
Sixten Sason was a Swedish industrial designer.Sason started working for Saab, designing aircraft throughout World War II. Following the war, he was asked to contribute to Project 92, the result of which would be the first Saab automobile, the Saab 92 which began production in 1949...
and delivered a month later by ASJ (Aktiebolaget Svenska Järnvägsverkstäderna - the Swedish Railroad Works) in Arlöv
Arlöv
Arlöv is the seat of Burlöv Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden. It is statistically not defined as a locality of its own, but forms part of the contiguous Malmö urban area, 5 km northeast of downtown Malmö. Out of Malmö's 280,000 inhbitants, 11000 live in Arlöv...
.
Trollhättan
Trollhättan is a city and the seat of Trollhättan Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 44,498 inhabitants in 2005. It is located 75 km north of Sweden's second-largest city, Gothenburg....
for examination and the MFI car was determined to be the most suitable for further development. Both cars had the two stroke Saab Sport engine of 60 hp
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
(45 kW) and were capable of 160 km/h. By spring 1966 the project 97 had advanced enough so that 24 cars could be built in Arlöv
Arlöv
Arlöv is the seat of Burlöv Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden. It is statistically not defined as a locality of its own, but forms part of the contiguous Malmö urban area, 5 km northeast of downtown Malmö. Out of Malmö's 280,000 inhbitants, 11000 live in Arlöv...
, in the south of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. When series production started by the end of the year, many details had been altered: brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
s, ventilation system, grille and parking lights. Prototypes were shown at both the Salon International de l'Auto
Salon International de l'Auto
The International Geneva Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Geneva Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport...
(Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
) and 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 Geneva a car was available for test driving.
Both cars are now on display in the Saab Museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in Trollhättan.