Saab 92

Saab
	Saab 92 De Luxe (1951)
92
Production period:	1949-1956
Class :	Lower middle class
Body versions :	limousine
Engines:	Otto engines : ; 0.76 liters ; (18.4–20.6 kW)
Length:	3950 mm
Width:	1620 mm
Height:	1450 mm
Wheelbase :	2470 mm
Empty weight :	880 kg
Previous model	Saab 92001
successor	Saab 93

The Saab 92 was the first production car from the Swedish aircraft manufacturer Saab and founded its automotive division, which later became Saab Automobile AB .

history

Although Sweden did not take part in World War II , the effects of the war were clearly felt. The import of motor vehicles from the major industrialized countries, all of which were involved in the war, had come to a complete standstill, and the only Swedish automaker at the time, Volvo , only produced vehicles from the middle class upwards. The need for smaller automobiles remained unmet. In this situation, Saab decided to get into the automotive industry and thus expand the product range, as aircraft construction declined sharply after the end of the war.

Technically, it was based on DKW , one of the most popular import brands in Sweden before the war. Both the front-wheel drive and the two-stroke engine had proven themselves in the harsh Swedish winter. From 1945 to 1947 Saab developed the prototype Saab 92001 - the so-called "Ursaab" - which was initially equipped with a DKW engine. For series production from December 1949, the aerodynamically designed shape, with its fully encased wheels, was toned down and made usable. The engineer Gunnar Ljungström was in charge of the project. In competition with the DKW F93 and IFA F9 , which were imported in large numbers , only the successor Saab 93 was able to assert itself .

construction

The Saab 92 had a transversely installed water-cooled two-cylinder two- stroke engine ( thermosiphon cooling without circulation pump) with 764 cm³ displacement, a compression of 6.6: 1 and 18.4 kW (25 hp) at 3800 rpm and a maximum torque of 55 Nm 2300 rpm. It drove the front wheels via a partially synchronized three-speed gearbox with freewheel . The crankshaft, clutch and transmission input shaft were in alignment. The wheels were sprung with torsion bars and individually suspended: the front of pushed crank arms and the back of solid swing . The car had rack and pinion steering and a steering wheel shift. The drum brakes on all wheels were operated hydraulically. The self-supporting two-door body had four seats and a trunk in the rear that was only accessible from the inside . The extremely streamlined shape with a drag coefficient of around 0.3 came from the Swedish designer Sixten Sason .

With the appearance of the Saab 92B in 1952, some modifications were made. The car got an externally accessible trunk and a larger rear window. About a year later, the engine output was increased to 28 hp at 4000 rpm. This model has already been exported in small numbers.

In 1952, Greta Molander won the 'Coupe des Dames' of the Monte Carlo Rally in a 92 tuned to 35 hp (26 kW). Erik Carlsson won in 1955 with a Saab 92B in the 800 km long Sweden rally. In the same year, the successor model Saab 93 appeared . The Saab 92B was manufactured until 1956. A total of 20,128 vehicles were produced.