Saab 93 “Monster”

If there ever was an automaker prototype that could have been a billion-view series on YouTube, it’s the Saab 93 “Monster”.

The Saab 93 was introduced in 1956, a compelling blend of aircraft-styled bodywork and, by today’s standards, insane engineering. 

Under the hood, a three cylinder, inline 2-stroke engine, powering the front wheels. 

Here’s what the normal car sounds like when tuned for speed…

Is your hearing still good? Good.

For those who enjoyed properly maintaining their performance cars and spirited drives in the country — rally competitors included — the 93 was a compelling choice. Its front-drive traction and low weight of 787 kg (1,735 lbs) gave the little 93 the agility to hang with more powerful machines on public roads as diverse as the Col de Turini and Ligne Droite des Hunaudières.

Three years after its debut, what better way to show the world in 1959 that the car punched far above its weight with a world record attempt, specifically for vehicles with engines of less than 1.5 litres of displacement?

Problem: the engine was too small.

Solution: add an engine.

Saab engineers decided to add a second motor alongside the first, joined in the middle as sort of a split in-line arrangement — with the headers from all six cylinders exiting toward the front bumper. 

Both were slung in front of the front wheels, which would have no doubt made the car quite front-heavy.

With about 140 horsepower underneath a very slippery, wing-like shape, the prototype 93 was unleashed at Såtenäs airfield, hitting 196 km/h, a clear world record for a 1.5 litre car. 

During the attempt, Saab engineers realized that their go-faster modifications (thinner glass and a plastic hood held on by two leather straps, among other things) had unintended consequences, chief among them that the car became more unstable the faster it went.

It was so treacherous, they christened it "Monster." 

The best part? They didn't conduct the test properly, so their world record meant nothing. When they tried again, the car broke.

Epic fail, indeed.

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