Bruce Turk has cherished Saabs ever since he first laid eyes on a Sonett as a kid. His first car was a Sonett, and he's since amassed a garage full of pre-'74 Saabs, plus parts and memorabilia, that rivals anything you might see in Sweden. Or anywhere else.
On this special episode of Jalopnik on /DRIVE, you'll meet Turk, president of the Vintage Saab Club of North America (VSCNA), and get inside his 25-year obsession. His collection of cars — all restored in his regular, old two-car garage — also comprises several 93s and 96s, including a homage to rallying legend Erik Carlsson's screaming two-stroke, three-cylinder Saab 96, similar to the one in which Carlsson won back-to-back Monte Carlo Rallies in 1962 and 1963. Turk explains:
It now has a 850cc three cylinder two stroke motor that started life as a 750cc but the block was bored out to 850cc. It has Monte Carlo 850 pistons, a GT 750 crank shaft, a dual Solex "Super kit Carb, lightened flywheel, heavy duty clutch (extra springs added) fully ported intake and exhaust ports to rally spec II specifications and a Spec II rally 4 speed Saab gear box which is very rare I might add. Oh, and an estimated 60 bhp.
He's also got one of the original 1966 Sonett demo models, quickly assembled and sent to American dealers in advance of the weird little sports car's release. He had to restore that one to better-than-new condition, considering the original cars had the kind of build quality you'd expect from an "eighth grade shop class," he says.
Indeed, Turk's picture is next to "keeper of the flame" in the Dictionary of Orphaned Cars. If such a thing existed.