Saab 96 Specs and Overview: Generations, Power, and Which to Buy
Full saab 96 specs overview: a coupe built from 1960 to 1980 with 38–68 hp, one generation, five modifications, all manual and front-wheel drive.
The Saab 96 is a coupe produced from 1960 to 1980 with outputs ranging from 38 to 68 hp. Every version pairs a manual gearbox with front-wheel drive, so the saab 96 specs are refreshingly uniform: this is a car for classic-car enthusiasts who want a simple, single-generation model with a long production run rather than a maze of trims and drivetrains.
Saab 96 generations
1 generation (1960–1980)
The 1 generation Saab 96 was built from 1960 to 1980 exclusively as a coupe. Power spans 38 to 68 hp across 5 modifications, all with a manual gearbox and front-wheel drive. Three versions stand out in the data. The Saab 96 1.5 MT (65 hp) uses a 1498 cc engine and was the mass-market choice of the range. The Saab 96 1.5 MT (68 hp) shares the same 1498 cc displacement but delivers the highest output of the entire model at 68 hp. The Saab 96 1.7 MT is the later addition, with the largest engine of the lineup at 1698 cc while producing 65 hp.
Because the model stayed in one generation for two decades, the spread between the weakest and strongest versions — 38 hp at the bottom and 68 hp at the top — captures the full evolution of the car within a single body style and drivetrain layout.
Which Saab 96 to buy
- 1.5 MT (65 hp) (1 generation): the mass-production version with a 1498 cc engine and 65 hp, which means the largest pool of cars to choose from.
- 1.5 MT (68 hp) (1 generation): the most powerful Saab 96 at 68 hp from the same 1498 cc displacement — the top of the model's power range.
- 1.7 MT (1 generation): the freshest version in the lineup, with the biggest engine at 1698 cc and 65 hp.
Buying used here is simplified by the model's structure: one generation, one body style, one gearbox type, and one drive layout mean any 1960–1980 Saab 96 you find shares the same basic mechanical formula, and the choice comes down to engine displacement and output rather than generation or configuration.
Which Saab 96 to avoid
The data shows a clear power hierarchy within the 1498 cc engine: the Saab 96 1.5 MT (68 hp) offers 3 hp more than the 1.5 MT (65 hp) from identical displacement, the same manual gearbox, and the same front-wheel drive. If the two are otherwise equal candidates, the 65 hp version is the dominated choice on paper — though as the mass version it will be easier to find. Versions at the 38 hp bottom of the range give up 30 hp to the strongest variant, the widest gap in the lineup.