This 1974 Saab Sonett III is said to have been stored in an aircraft hangar for approximately 10 years in Minnesota, and the seller tells us it was acquired by Tom Donney of Tom Donney Motors in Iowa, circa 2010. Work following the seller’s acquisition in 2012 included refurbishing the fuel tank and radiator, rebuilding the carburetor and clutch slave cylinder, and installing PerTronix electronic ignition, an MSS exhaust system, an electric fuel pump, and a fuel pressure regulator. The clutch, tires, valve cover gaskets, engine mounts, and assorted ignition components were also replaced. Powered by a 1.7-liter V4 paired with a four-speed manual transaxle, the car is finished in True Blue over brown vinyl and cloth upholstery. This Sonett III is now offered at no reserve with an owner’s manual, service records, spare parts, a car cover, and a clean Minnesota title in the seller’s name.
The fiberglass body is finished in True Blue, and exterior details include pop-up headlights, auxiliary driving lights, bullet-style side mirrors, impact bumpers, and dual exhaust outlets. The keys for the door locks are missing, the trim around the left taillight is cracked, a piece of the right drip rail is missing, delamination is noted on the lower right corner of the windshield, there are cracks on the bottom rear section of the right door and above the right door hinge, the weather stripping is shrunken and would benefit from replacement, and additional photos of exterior imperfections are viewable in the gallery below.
The 15” soccer ball wheels are mounted with 155-series Vredestein Sprint tires that are said to have been mounted in 2013. The car was factory equipped with rack-and-pinion steering as well as coil springs with telescopic shock absorbers. Braking is handled by front discs and rear drums. The front brake lines were replaced under previous ownership in 2012.
The fixed-back bucket seats are trimmed in brown vinyl and cloth, and interior appointments include a roll bar, adjustable lumbar supports, and a heater. The dashboard rheostat is inoperative, and a toggle switch for the lights is mounted under the dash. The rear 6×9″ speaker has been removed, there are cracks in the left door cap and door handle surround, there are cracks in the center console mounting flanges, and imperfections are noted on the seating surfaces.
The three-spoke sport steering was fitted with a protective wrap by the seller, and it frames VDO instrumentation including a central tachometer flanked by a reconditioned 120-mph speedometer and a combination gauge for engine temperature and fuel level. The five-digit odometer shows 43k miles, approximately 2,300 of which were added under current ownership. The speedometer cable is noisy and the speedometer needle bounces.
The 1.7-liter V4 was factory equipped with a single-barrel carburetor and was rated at 65 horsepower and 85 lb-ft of torque when new. An Airtex electric fuel pump was fitted along with a mechanical fuel pump blanking plate, PerTronix electronic ignition, and a fuel pressure regulator under current ownership, per the seller. The seller notes that the carburetor was rebuilt and the fuel tank removed, cleaned, and resealed in 2012, and additional work that year included replacing the fuel level sending unit, fitting silicone valve cover gaskets, and a valve adjustment. The radiator was removed, cleaned, repaired, and repainted in 2013, and the spark plugs and ignition wires were replaced. The engine mounts were replaced in 2014, and multiple oil changes were performed under current ownership.
Power is routed to the front wheels through a four-speed manual transaxle. A removable access panel for the master cylinders was installed in the left front wheel well under previous ownership, and a replacement MSS exhaust system was installed following the seller’s acquisition. The flywheel was resurfaced when the clutch was replaced in 2014, and the slave cylinder was rebuilt in 2019. Rust is present near the master cylinder access panel, and corrosion is visible on portions of the underside.
A collection of spare parts is included in the sale along with an owner’s manual, a car cover, and service records.