
1965
The MFI13
was the creation of Björn Karlström and Björn Andreasson.
Karlström was a designer who had many ideas about Swedish cars
in the 1950s and he succeeded in getting a manufacturer enthusiastic
about one of his ideas: a sports car project based on standard Saab
components.
The manufacturer
was Malmö Flygindustri (MFI) and project number 13 was chosen
since there was no way the number would be used by superstitious airmen!
With
the knowledge of Saab work began on the MFI13 in 1964. The body was
produced from sheet steel by Heinel's, a coachbuilder in Malmö,
care being taken so that the panels could be used as a mould for the
future production of plastic bodies.
An anticipated
development grant never materialised so Saab stepped in. It transpired
that the MFI13 was a superior car to Sason's Catherina so it was chosen
as the basis of the forthcoming Saab Sonett II. The car was renamed
Saab 97 and the car was ready for production within six months.
The Sonett
II was not identical to the MFI13 but the basic lines of the prototype
have been retained. The MFI13, the only one of its kind, has a three-cylinder
two-stroke engine with three carburettors and a (very) loud exhaust
note. It has achieved a top speed of 150km/h with 0 to 100km/h taking
just 13.7 seconds - a figure that was as good or better than its contemporaries.
Saab
Sonett II -->