| Author |  Topic  |
Woody
V4 Guru
United Kingdom
2763 Posts |  Posted - 08 Jan 2021 : 23:49:12  
| In the beginning, rally parts for Saabs could be ordered from the Competitions Department in Trollhattan. The department's prime function was to prepare up to 8 cars each year to be used by Contract drivers in home (Sweden) and International rallies.
It is well known that Saab, being a small company, would use Competition as a means of testing components for strength and efficiency and feed back to the production departments to make the necessary changes to make the standard car more robust and driveable for the type of roads experienced in Scandinavia.
In order to meet the demand needs of the Competitions Department and National And International competitors the procurement of parts and kits was handed over to Saab-Ana, a wholly owned subsidiary of Saab AB. See link for more interesting reading:-
https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aktiebolaget_Nyk%C3%B6pings_Automobilfabrik
In November 1971, the collection of rally parts was pooled together and marketed under the banner "Saab Sport & Rally" and operated by Saab-Ana. An example of the first parts catalogue can be seen at the vsaab.com link :http://www.vsaab.com/SportRally/preface.htm
The information page 1:1A dated Nov 1971 remained the same until an update in March 1976. The assortment which was quite comprehensive was constantly being added to. Interesting that the 1971 edition does not show the cross-over manifold set available as a kit except for being present on the Competition Engine on page 2:1 A. The Vsaab edition however does not show all the bottom of the pages for issue date but every rally part is represented by 4 digits. By November 1972 the numbering system was increased to 5 digits.
I wonder if it was a missed opportunity by the Marketing Dept as none of the cars competing on the November 1971 RAC Rally, which was won by Stig Blomqvist/Arne Hertz in their 1815cc V4, displayed any advertising for Saab Sport & Rally. RAC rules allowed 8 pairs of adverts for the cars although the Saabs displayed 10, one of which was Lombard North Central on the front wings and a round decal on the rear wing which I haven't been able to identify. These two may have been part of the RAC Rally promoters decals as an addition to the limit. My photo library which is not comprehensive has the earliest evidence of the medium SS&R logo in Blue on White being used on the February 1972 Swedish Rally just below the rear window each side.
Note that all the spectators are wearing Saab Polarmate rally jackets. https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/w139/SaabyWoody/CompDept7.300.jpg
The assortment was furnished in an orange A4 4-ring binder which appears to only have been available to Saab Distributors and Dealers. It wasn't made available to private customers until 1973. I ordered mine in March 1973. https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/w139/SaabyWoody/SS&Rfolder.jpg
The binder had 10 thick card dividers marked 1 - 10. There was an introduction card and an Index Card. Card 1 was marked with an arrow and Price Lists.
Section 1 was Information
Section 2 was Competition Parts
Section 3 was Tuning Kits
Section 4 was Accessories
Section 5 was Personal Equipment
Section 6 was Tuning and assembling
Section 7 was Guarantee stipulations
Section 8 was Bulletins
Section 9 was Recognition (ie FIA recognition forms for 1500 & 1700)
Section 10 was Rallies etc
Alec has already uploaded to Technical the Tuning Manual Section 6 and a sample of pages from the rest of the assortment.
By the time I got my binder there had been at least two updates -Nov 1972 and March 1973 that there wasn't a great deal of space to add pages with out straining the rings. I enquired about getting another orange binder but none were available at the time.
There were updates in July 1975 for sections 2 to 3 and an update in Sept75 for sections 4 & 5 though this came as photocopies of poor quality. There was a further update in March 1976 for Section 5 and these too were photocopies of poor quality.
The binder catalogue was superseded in 1979 by a new catalogue which was more compact covering only sections 2 to 5. I am investigating putting this onto pdf for Alec to host. https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/w139/SaabyWoody/1SSRCat79-FC.jpg
Hope you enjoy and will add more as I go through my archives in this period of Covid lockdown. |
Edited by - Woody on 10 Jan 2021 16:42:09 |
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RhysN
V4 Fanatic
United Kingdom
411 Posts | Posted - 09 Jan 2021 : 10:32:49
| That's fantastic that you would share.
I first spotted this in about 1974 when I was rallying a Skoda in NZ (I actually made a small profit from the 54 events!) I really wanted a Saab for a step up, but as they were not imported to NZ officially, and import licence restrictions would have prevented importing either a car or parts, let alone my impoverished wages as a teacher, so it didn't happen.
Something to liven my interest, even though I won't get to afford any!
I can't find the sharing on technical, where to be found please.
Thanks Woody. |
Edited by - RhysN on 09 Jan 2021 10:36:24 |  |
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melle
V4 Guru
United Kingdom
3833 Posts | |
Woody
V4 Guru
United Kingdom
2763 Posts | Posted - 09 Jan 2021 : 20:10:27
| | You beat me to it Melle, Just been browsing your version of the assortment which is upto Sept 1975. | |
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Woody
V4 Guru
United Kingdom
2763 Posts | |
GeoffC
V4 Mad
United Kingdom
507 Posts | Posted - 13 Jan 2021 : 16:30:00
| Brought back a few memories Woody thanks for posting! I visited the competition dept in the mid 1970's just before the cars were being shipped out to the RAC - a great visit! I too had the Orange Sport and Rally folder and ordered a full Gp2 exhaust system from it after saving up for a year. Fitted it by turning the car onto it's side in my navigators back garden! That exhaust lasted many events and the down pipes and y piece were still on the car when I sold it. The folder has since disappeared but I still have photocopies of it - I think I must have lent ot to someone but can't remember who!!
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Woody
V4 Guru
United Kingdom
2763 Posts | Posted - 13 Jan 2021 : 20:23:29
| | My orange folder is well thumbed and the tabs started to suffer. So I photocopied everything and started a fresh binder for everyday use and put the orange binder away in a case along with other Saab articles and data. The trouble is there is so much I need another binder for related articles etc. | |
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Dirtbiker
V4 Guru
United Kingdom
1061 Posts | Posted - 28 Jan 2021 : 09:58:56
| Great info and photos Woody.
Always interested to see photos and hear stories from rallying in the seventies whenever you got a chance to post.
Cheers
Gareth | |
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GeoffC
V4 Mad
United Kingdom
507 Posts | Posted - 29 Jan 2021 : 15:19:49
| | Dirtbiker Having a problem with Imgbb web site in that it just hangs and won't load my photos. I was going to put some more up seeing as how you would like to see more of Saab rallying days. Don't know if anybody else is having this problem. It's a lot easier putting pics up on Faceache which is probably why you don't see so many posts on here as we used to. | |
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Woody
V4 Guru
United Kingdom
2763 Posts | Posted - 30 Jan 2021 : 12:05:46
| | I have loads of prints and slides from rallies in early seventies, which I need to dig out and scan for FB "Golden Age of Rallying" etc. There are some of the Works Saabs too !! | |
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Dynorog
V4 Fanatic
United Kingdom
250 Posts | Posted - 30 Jan 2021 : 14:48:07
| Love those photographs Woody
Cheers
Dynorog | |
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Dynorog
V4 Fanatic
United Kingdom
250 Posts | Posted - 30 Jan 2021 : 14:48:24
| Love those photographs Woody
Cheers
Dynorog | |
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Dynorog
V4 Fanatic
United Kingdom
250 Posts | Posted - 30 Jan 2021 : 14:49:09
| Love those photographs Woody
Cheers
Dynorog | |
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Dynorog
V4 Fanatic
United Kingdom
250 Posts | Posted - 30 Jan 2021 : 14:51:36
| Well I didn't like them that much 3 times:)
I kept on getting a server error and didn't think it had uploaded.
Cheers
Dynorog |
Edited by - Dynorog on 30 Jan 2021 14:52:49 | |
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Dirtbiker
V4 Guru
United Kingdom
1061 Posts | Posted - 30 Jan 2021 : 19:54:51
| Geoff, sorry, I use Flickr but be good to see more when you get it sorted.
Woody, I will look up “Golden Age of Rallying” on FB. I try and avoid FB as we use it for work so try not to look at it when at home!
Cheers | |
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Woody
V4 Guru
United Kingdom
2763 Posts | Posted - 31 Jan 2021 : 11:13:23
| The 1979 Sport & Rally catalogue has been scanned to pdf (42mb) and sent to Alec. And will appear in Technical in due course.
The FB groups are The Golden Years of Rallying and Old Stage rallying photos. Any Saabs ones will appear in appropriate Saab groups too.
Some of my prints have curled so will need a warm iron!! | |
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| Topic | |
Saab Sport & Rally Assortment
