The Saab Gt850 Sports Car - A Most Collectible Mid-60's

By: Ralph P. Stofman

Before the strange Saab Sonett sports car reached full
production in 1967, Saab's performance leader was the
unconventional GT850 sports sedan. Powered by a three cylinder
engine, triple carbureted two stroke engine, its mechanical
specifications seem more like competition dirt bike than an
automobile.

The GT850 called the "Saab Sport" in Europe made its entry debut
into the American market as a 1963 model. It featured front disc
brakes, an oil injection system that eliminated the need to pour
2 stroke oil into the fuel tank at every fill-up and a most
mighty 841 cc engine that made 57 barrel horse power - fifteen
more than the 96 on which the Saab GT750 was based. Saabs had
always been front wheel drive cars, and the GT850 had a four
speed manual gearbox box with a freewheeling feature that
allowed it to coast down hill.

Intended primarily as a rally car rather than a family
grocery-mobile, the GT850 featured VDO instruments, including a
120 miles per hour speedometer, along with a wood -rimmed
steering wheel. A Halda Speed Pilot rally meter mounted in front
of the passenger was a state-of- the -art options highly prized
and valued among rallyists.

The two-stroke engine provided very little power below 3000
revolutions per minute (rpm) and its spark plugs were easily
fouled. Prudent GT850 owners always carried one or more sets of
new pregapped spark plugs, when they set out on a trip or long
journey. When theGT850 "came on the pipe" as a two stroke
motorcycle enthusiast would refer to it as, it would out-hustle
and out-handle nearly all of its larger engined contemporaries
including the Triumph TR3s and the MGAs. Its 50-80 miles per
hour acceleration was especially strong and under ideal
conditions a GT850 could top 100 miles per hour (mph). Not bad
for a sporty car that cost only $ 2790 back in 1963.

Under the hood the GT850 is more than remarkable. In all
pre-1965 Saabs, the radiator is mounted behind the engine, with
the fan directly in front of it. The fan is turned by an
overhead shaft that runs from the front of the engine, by the
generator belt. Saabs got a longer nose in 1965, and the fan was
moved to a conventional North American location. The hood which
hinges forward for extra easy access to the engine could be
removed in just minutes.

Saab enthusiasts credit the GT870's rally successes to front
wheel drive, light weight, long spring travel and a simple but
robust rear suspension with good anti-roll characteristics. The
car had a tendency towards overseer and can easily be steered
with the throttle. Flat out is the way the GT850 liked it.

It can be more than difficult for the vintage sports car
enthusiast to find a GT850 in good condition. Many were used up
and worn out, running hard over unpaved roads and mountain
passes. If you are fortunate, indeed lucky enough, to find such
a car - it is wise to check the exhaust system for restrictive
build up of burned -oil deposits. It is an interesting footnote
to this more than classic sports car that the very manufacturer
of the car .Saab, recommended changing the rear muffler every
18,000 miles and the entire auto exhaust system every 36,000
miles.

Article Source: http://collectibles-articles.com

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