Which year is this SAAB model 96?

It looks a lot like this '71 on eBay:

or

Cheers

This grille was a first in 1969

1972 had all rubber bumper stops

Round sealed beam for US market

''middle blue'', only 1970 - 1972. so the car must be 1970 or 1971

MH,

Excellent and thanks!

So could you show me a grill to compare to in 1972 that has "rubber stops"? I'm not sure what that is compared to this one.

This car was in the U.S. at the time of the photo, and bought here, yep.

This color is called "middle blue"? Interesting, I was thinking "cloud" or something cool!

So it must be 1970 or 71 huh?

These are like your pic, with rubber inserts in the bumper 'horns' but with European H4 headlights

These have all rubber 'horns' and a later grille (1974+) This is the 1978+ front (rubber bumper, large turn indicators)

Saab Guy Here's a 72 brochure front page showing the rubber bumper stops:

MH,

So it's either a 1970 or 1971.

I wonder how I can tell the difference?

SaabGuy

Saab Guy How many strips did the 71 have on the side? I don't have a 71 brochure, but the 70s all seemed to have two chrome strips.

Saabyurk,

All I have is that one photo, if you look closely, it looks like 1 big strip, can you see it?

I am going to google for 1971 Saab 96s to see what they look like on the side.

SaabGuy

By checking the VIN:

1970: Swedish: 96 560 001 - 96 592 844 Finnish: 60 60 0001 - 60 60 1540

1971: Swedish: 96 60 0001 - 96 627 413 Finnish: 61 60 0001 - 61 60 2639

From 1972 on the VIN was like this:

96 72 20 00001 - 96 72 20 21567 where type:- 95/96/97... year: 72 - 80 production line: Trollh=E4ttan, Sweden =3D 20 Uusikaupunki, Finland =3D 60 Arl=F6v, Sweden (for Sonett) =3D 50 car serial number

See also "The Saab Way":

--=20 MH '72 97 '77 96 '78 95 '79 96 '91 900i

MH,

We don't own the car any longer, we apparently sold it back in the early ei= ghtees. I believe that's the last photo we had of it.

Thanks for the info, I wish I could get the VIN to perhaps track where it w= ent.

- Ryan

This one looks like it has the black rubber cap on the rear fender at the stripe, and probably the rubber and SAAB logo on the bottom of the front fenders...71, then?

Dave,

I asked my Father who owned it, just in case because he originally said he did not know so before I gave him clues that it was either a 1970 or 1971, I just asked him if it was a 1969-1974, and he said it was a 1971 so that confirms it. :)

Now if I can get the VIN from my Father and somehow track that thing down, probably 99 out of 100 it's been in a scrap yard for the last 10-15 years, or crushed and turned into a Toyota or Washing Machine by now, but it would be cool if it was "together" and "somewhere"!

Can't I just contact the DMV to see? Do they have records that go back that long?

I'll ask my Father to check his records to see if he might have the VIN somewhere.

Thank you.

- Ryan

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and ask. Maybe somebody knows about the car.

Up to 1970 they had one short trim strip over the wheel openings.

In 1971 this was changed to one strip low on the side, extending to a SAAB badge on the fender

1971 was also the first year of the 1700 cc engine for the US market (vs earlier 1500 cc, and still for the rest of the world, up to 1980)

Looks like your dad's old car was of model year 1971, that means it was actually built between August 1970 and July 1971

Right, which is what I think I see on that one?

MH,

Thank you, I wonder if I could get the VIN from the DMV and some history on it?

That is of course, if I cannot obtain the VIN otherwise (which presumably I cannot)

SaabGuy