The Saab 93 was announced on 18 August
1955 in response to press speculation regarding the development
of a three-cylinder, two-stroke engine, speculation that had
been evident since DKW introduced their three-cylinder engine
in March 1953.
The 1st December 1955 saw the presentation of the new model.
Sixten Sason's re-styling of the car complemented a number
of engineering modifications, although the divided windscreen
was retained for another two years.
The extensive re-engineering incorporated a longitudinally
mounted three cylinder 748cc two-stroke engine developing
33hp. The new engine had a smaller swept volume than its predecessor
but developed more power.
Coil springs replaced torsion bars and a 12-volt electrical
system was fitted. The 93 featured a completely new gearbox
but still with just three gears.
As early as 1957 Saab introduced seatbelts as an option for
cars on the Swedish market. Originally two-point safety belts,
it would take some years for the innovation to be accepted
as standard equipment by buyers.
A Fitchel & Sachs Saxomat clutch was offered for the first
time on the 1957 Saab 93. The Saxomat enabled clutchless gear
changing between second and third gears. The same device was
fitted to DKW and Volkswagen and, despite being offered for
many years, was not taken up in any great numbers.
The Saab 93 was the first model to be officially exported,
primarily to the United States.
Eleven major modifications earned
the Saab 93 a new designation: 93B, on show for the first
time on 2 September 1957.
A new one-piece windscreen permitted the use of larger windscreen
wipers working in parallel and clearing an area larger by
43%. The turn indicator arrows were replaced by repeating
flashers.
Door locks and electrical system were further improved and
thief proofing between the ignition switch and starter motor
was enhanced by means of an armoured cable. The fuel tank
was now self-mixing and the oil dosage was reduced from 4%
to 3%
The 1960 model year 93 received
the designation 93F, the F denoting new front hinged
doors, a feature of the 93, the GT750 and later the
95.
The 93F represented the final year of production of
the 93 and provided the opportunity to run down stocks
of old components prior to the introduction of the,
as yet unannounced, Saab 96.
Only 600 or so Saab 93F models were built, each with
mudguards at the rear wheels and a larger capacity cooling
system.
