Page 11
Impact absorbing bumpers.
However carefully and considerately
you drive you may still be hit by another
car in rush-hour traffic. Or skid against
another car on an icy road, Or bump
against a post in a parking lot. Slight ac-
cidents of this kind may occur in many
ways. And they often result in costly
and annoying dents,
nm the United States, where federal
thorities and insurance companies have
long been calling for better automobile
bumpers, regulations have been issued
which prescribe that all 1973 model
=ars sold in the United States
Moura be capable of being driven against
a hard barrier at a speed of five miles
per hour without sustaining any damage
to controls, headlights, direction indi-
cators, etc. When reversing into the
barrier the test speed is half, or 214 miles
per hour
The speéd limits may seem somewhat
low, but the fact is that an ordinary
car of an earlier model than 1973 does
not come close to passing the test. In
1971, it would have cost 331 dollars to
repair the damage on a normal car in the
United States.
But the 1972 Saab 99 and, of course the
1973 99 can take such impacts, as
own by impartial tests conducted at the
Becpendent research institute at Cor-
nell Aeronautical Laboratory. Saab’s
bumpers return to their original shape
after an impression. In other words, they
ere self-repairing. The only thing that
Gini: require replacement, if you don’t
want the slightest mark to show, is the
shiny steel rail, and perhaps a plastic
block. But that would be simple as well
as inexpensive.
Fig, B, C show the construction of the bumper.
In Front of a heavy-duty U-section steel beam
is a compressible cellular block of plastic. When
the bumper strikes an object the cellular block
absorbs the energy by undergoing temporary
deformation. When external pressure is remov-
ed, it regains its original shape, Heavy-duty
beams and reinforcement in the bodywork en-
sure that the impact does not damage the
car itself.
Page 12
Interior and
interior measurements.
The Saab gives a comfortable ride, The
stats provide good lateral support and
incorporate just the right degree of firm-
ness in springing and upholstery, Since
there is no drive shaft under the
rear seat (because of front-wheel drive),
the center passenger in the rear is also
seated comfortably. The seat cushions
are covered in nylon velour, a hard-
wearing plush-like material (Fig. H),
which is pleasant to the feel, This fabric
“breathes” and does not get icy cold
in winter nor burning hot in summer,
Seat edges, door sides and rear walls are
trimmed with plastic simulated leather
(Fig. 1), which is color-coordinated with
the velour and the new rugged carpet
(Fig. K), The interior is offered in three
alternative colors (see color chart
on page 3),
The head lining is new this year. It is
made of energy-absorbing material and
connects smoothly all around to the
beams (Fig, C). It acts as insulation
against rapid heating or cooling
through the roof, and is upholstered in
light, washable polyester velour. Seat
belts at front are naturally of lap-and-
diagonal type. Retractors for the lap
belts are provided, All Saab 99 models
are also equipped with two rear
seat belts of lap type (retractors) and one
rear center belt of lap type.
The dashboard consists of impact absorb-
ing material (integral foam) over a
frame of comparatively thin sheet metal.
Safety padding is fitted to windshield
pillars and door posts, around the upper
edge of the roof and along the lower
edge of the side windows, as well as in
the sun visors, on the steering wheel
hub and spokes and in the rear of the
seat backrests, Armrests and grab
handles are also made of resilient,
impact-absorbing material.
The rear-view mirror can be dipped
to avoid glare when driving at night and
has a collapsible retaining bracket. Two
interior lamps are fitted in the roof, one
on the left and the other above the
windshield. Both come on automatically
when the door is opened as does the
indirect lighting for the ignition lock. If
the trunk is open a lamp inside lights
up the interior (Fig. A).
Internal dimensions, according to SAE 662 A
measurement standards, Seats in lowest and
rearmost position,
H61 Effective headroom, front
H 63 Effective headroom, rear
34 Maximum effective leg room
— accelerator .......04.45
L 41 Minimum effective leg room
= PORE MA Wilaw ventilate.
L 7 Steering wheel torso clear-
ance adsisteibiaters aps eae
L 17 Fore and jaft adjustment of,
front seats ........- or
W 5 Hip room, front .
W 3) Shoulder room, front
W 6 Hip room rear, two door
Hip room rear, four-door . .
W 4 Sholder room rear, two-
door a eee >
Shoulder room rear, four-
door 52.7 in.
At elbow height the two-loor model is 60.8 in.
wide at the rear.
Page 14
Adjustable seat.
The driver must be able to change gear
without obstruction and have complete
freedom of movement in the true
sense of the word. In addition, the driver
should be able to select the seat adjust-
ment suiting him best, regardless of
how the front passenger prefers to sit.
For this reason the Saab is equipped with
separate front bucket seats (Pig. D).
Backrest angle can be varied within two
wide ranges. The first range, for driv-
ing, is between 17 and 45 degrees while
the other, resting range adjusts to angles
between 50 and 73 degrees. Adjustment
is done by means of a large knob on the
side of the seat. The backrest can be
fully reclined to rest against the rear seat
although not until a button has been
depressed to release a catch — which
must also be actuated when chang-
ing from the driving position to recl
position and vice versa
ining
Fully reclining backrests are not an
exclusive feature — nor is stepless fore-
and-aft adjustment of the seats. On
the other hand, the car is truly exclusive
in that the driver's seat in the 99 L,
LE and EMS can be rasised and lowered.
High or low edge adjustment and high
or low back edge adjustment (Fig. A) are
easy to make.
Unique see-through type head restraints
(Fig. B) are offered as standard equip-
ment on all 99’s sold in the U.S.A.
Specially designed cushions (Fig. C) can
be inserted in the oval frames
Page 15
ne ba
i=]
Electrically heated
driver’s seat.
If you get into a thoroughly cold car
on a winter's day it may take more than
15 minutes before the seat ceases to
feel unpleasantly frigid, But not if you
drive a new Saab! Then it only takes
a couple of minutes. Underneath the
upholstery of the driver’s seat, both in
seat cushion and backrest, is an electric
heating coil (Fig. A).
Switching on the ignition also switches
on the heating coil, if the temperature
of the seat cushion is lower than
+57°F. As a result the engine has
usually started and the alternator
begun to work before any appreciable
current is used for heating the seat.
This saves the battery.
When seat temperature has reached
+$2°F the heating coil is automatically
switched off. A bi-metal thermostat
sensitive to body heat ensures than the
system functions automatically
(Fig. B, C).
The dangers to health of sitting on a
cold surface are naturally greatest when
the temperature is so low that it has
a cooling effect on skin and blood vessels
in the lower parts of the body, But
discomfort should be avoided even if it
does not lead to medical consequences,
Cold also causes stress and strain. A
driver who is cold drives poorly.
Asa rule, a car seat feels cold as soon
as its temperature is lower than +57°F.
That is why this temperature has
been chosen as the highest at which
the heating coil in the Saab driver's
seat comes into operation.
The heating coil is fitted into mesh pockets
under the seat covering and rests on aluminum
foil which reflects the heat upwards (Fig, E).
The diagram shows the results of some tests.
Not even when the temperature of the car in-
terior was as low as —22°F did it
take more than a couple of minutes after start-
ing for the seat to cease feeling cold, Slight
heat could be felt after 31/2 minutes (Fig. F).
Page 16
S
)
AOARD
Page 17
Instruments and
controls.
This car is easy to drive, You hold it
in the palm of your hand, so to speak.
There is a feeling of rightness about it.
Roadholding, seating comfort, brakes,
visibility — all these factors go towards
creating this feeling. But it is also due
to the fact that all controls and instru-
ments are conveniently located and
Wrecise in operation.
When the Saab is put through its paces
by the motoring press — which has
-happened many times — it usually re-
ives high praise for the instruments and
controls, in respect to both safety and
practical design. Indicating instruments
aré large, round, and clearly marked,
Located in the center of the group is the
speedometer and on the right is a clock.
On the left is a combined fuel and water
temperature gauge which also incor-
porates warning and indicating lamps
(Pig, A).
The right side of the panel in the
Saab 99 EMS is taken up by a tacho-
meter with clock (Fig. B).
To prevent distracting reflections in the
windshield the instruments are deeply
recessed (Fig. C). Pointers, numerals and
symbols are light on a dark background.
e pointers are yellow-orange so as
to be optimally visible. There is no
brightwork to produce dazzling reflec-
tions. The rightness of instrument illu-
mination can be continuously varied.
The ignition key is located behind the
gear lever on a console between the seats
(Fig, H). The ignition lock is combined
with an anti-theft gearlever lock. The
ignition key cannot be turned to the
locked position until reverse gear is en-
gaged, When the ignition key is re-
moved and the car is left unoccupied, the
gearlever is locked in reverse — an ex-
cellent anti-theft device,
From the viewpoint of safety it is also
an advantage that the key — the handle
of which is sheathed in rubber — is
located where it cannot cause injury to
the car occupants in the event of an
accident.
Another refinement connected with the
ignition lock is that the headlights are
automatically switched off when the key
is turned to the lock position. There is
consequently no danger of a weak battery
due to forgetting to switch off the lights.
The parking lights can be turned on
even when the headlights are “locked”.
Together with the rocker switches for
the hazard warning system, the main
switches for the lights are located on
the left of the steering wheel on a
narrow, wood-colored panel underneath
the dashboard.
The ventilation booster fan switch, with
two speed ranges, is located on the same
sub-panel, but on the right of the steering
wheel (Fig. C. F). The panel is shown
without radio and air conditioning in-
stalled,
All these switches and controls are
marked with easily understood symbols
and are in addition indirectly illuminated
in an ingenious manner, Light from a
single lamp is carried via a perspex tube
and prisms to each point that is to be
illuminated (Fig. E, F).
To turn on windshield washer and wipers,
it’s possible to do this instantly —
without having to fumble for the right
control. This also applies to the diree-
tion indicators and headlamp flasher,
That is why the levers controlling these
functions are located immediately
below the steering wheel, right at your
fingertips (Fig, G), The headlamp
flasher lever on the left and the washer-
wipers lever on the right. To sound
the horn, depress cither of the pushes on
the steering wheel spokes. The hand
should also fall readily on the handbrake,
And in an emergency the front-seat
passenger should also be able to use it.
That is why the handbrake lever is
located between the seats.
To open the hood it is first necessary
to release a catch with a handle
underneath the left side of the instru-
ment panel (Fig. D).
Page 18
18
Heating and ventilation.
As already mentioned, one of the funda-
mental! directives to the designers of
the Saab 99 was to the effect that the car
be fitted with a fully developed heating
and ventilation system suitable for
Aretic/Scandinayian conditions. And
this is exactly what it has. Even in
extremely cold weather the engine starts
promptly and requires a surprisingly
short time to reach normal working tem-
perature. Nor does it take very long
after a cold start for the heating system
to begin distributing heated air in the
cabin, Temperature of the incoming
air is controlled by a knob marked
TEMP in the center of the dashboard
(Fig. F), A thermostat controlling a
water valve on the heater matrix ensures
that the selected degree of heat is
maintained regardless of changes in
air and water temperature. Front and
rear seats are provided with hot air
outlets at floor level which can be indi-
vidually regulated, Both are divided so
that one stream of air is directed to
the left and one to the right. Fresh air
at the front is controlled by the knob
marked VENT.
On the console between the seats and
within convenient reach of the rear seat
passengers are two controls (Fig. EB).
The left-hand lever adjusts the volume
of air to the rear seat footwells while
the right-hand lever controls the rear
window demister
Air — hot or cold — is carried by
hoses to a plenum chamber at the lower
edge of the rear window from which it
emerges Via 4 row of holes to flow
against the glass and effectively prevent
it from misting up (Fig. K). These
hoses are run so as not to be exposed
to severe cold (Fig, A), Few cars can
match the Saab 99 L, LE or EMS in their
ability to keep the rear window clean
inside and out — while on the road.
This advantage is due in part to the
favorable aerodynamic styling of the car
body. Hot air directed onto the wind-
shield emerges from two large outlets
on the top of the dashboard and, like the
separate outlets for the side windows
(Fig. G), is adjusted by means of the
control marked DEFR. To boost the
demister effect on windshield and door
windows, for instance, the rear window
and footwell outlets can be closed and
the booster fan set to maximum, Hot air
can also be concentrated at one or
more of the other outlets. However, the
capacity of the heating system is so
generous that such measures would only.
be necessary in exceptional circum-
stances.
Fresh air vents which only admit
cold air — air that has not passed the
heater matrix — are located in the contyy)
and at each end of the dashboard,
These vents have adjustable grilles by
means of which the flow of air can
be aimed in the desired direction. The
volume of cold air admitted can also
be regulated, of course (Fig. F, G and
H), When the controls are in the upper
position the vents are fully closed. Air
entering via the two outer inlets can
be intensified with the aid of the booster
fan.
All fresh air is admitted through the
intake grille at the rear of the hood. Air-
flow through the cabin is continuous
and free from drafts. At the rear on s
each side close to the rear window are Ps
openings through which the air passes t
the extractor outlets on the sides of
the body (Fig. L, 1). Air conditioning
is of course available as an extra cost
option. &
Page 20
Suspension.
The suspension is extremely well ba-
lanced in order to provide a good ride on
both bumpy and smooth roads, Because
of low unsprung weight, the wheels hug
the road even on rough surfaces.
The rear axle, which is completely free
from heavy and cumbersome transmis-
sion components, is designed as a light,
rigid tube which always keeps the wheel
parallel and permits no changes in track,
The front springs are pivot-mounted
at the bottom (Fig. A) which allows them
to work almost completely cylindrically
and absorb the shocks on very uneven
road surfaces smoothly but firmly.
The progressive action is very good,
partly because of the new buffers in-
side of the springs.
Because of the wide track, the widely
separated springs and shock absorbers,
and the suspension geometry in general,
the distance between the roll axis of
the car and its center of gravity is
comparatively small. This in turn ensures
that the car has commendably little ten-
dency to roll when exposed to lateral
forces, A special anti-roll bar is unneces-
sary,
All 99 models are equipped with 15-inch
wheels fitted with radial tires. Dimen-
sions of tires and rims are chosen to
prevent jolting on harsh roads and to
prevent wandering.
‘The wishbones are journalled in rubber bushes.
The front shock absorbers are attached to
the lower wishbones and the springs to the
upper wishbones, The absence of an anti-roll
bur makes for more resilient suspension and
reduces the risk of wheelspin when driving
vigorously around sharp corners, The front
springs are piyot-mounted and have progressive
action (Fig. A).
Lines drawn through the bearing points of
the wishbones (Fig. B) converge close to the
rear axle — even slightly behind it, This sus-
pension geometry is one of the reasons that
the car displays very little tendency to dive
when braking, The rear axle is located by a
Panhard rod and twin-longitudinal arms arran-
ged to form a Watt linkage (Fig, C),
20