MEET THE OWNER - JON BENTLEY AND HIS SAAB 95 TWO-STROKE

To be the custodian of one classic car is a major responsibility - to have a 17- strong collection is virtually a full-time occupation. Jon Bentley’s 1965 95 is one of his fleet of Saabs that established the firm as a car maker.

Saab introduced the 95 in May 1959, nine months before the 96 saloon. When the great Erik Carlsson drove one to fourth place in the 1961 Monte Carlo Rally, he thought it “handled and drove every bit as well” as its saloon counterpart. Two years later, Autocar praised the 95’s “remarkably good handling qualities and quiet running, which help make it tireless to drive”.

When Jon’s Saab was registered in 1965, the marque had been a UK presence for five years, while the 95 had virtually no rivals in the UK. The Mini Countryman/Traveller was also FWD but far smaller and cheaper - £564 compared with the Saab’s £875. Indeed, the Morris Oxford Traveller cost £21 less than the 95, but the gulf between a BMC 1 ½-litre ‘Farina’ and a Saab was on par with the difference between Carry On Cowboy and The Seventh Seal.

For one, the 95’s lines harked back to the early 1950s, and a second difference from the British norm was its 841cc 2-stroke 3-cylinder engine. In addition, the four-speed transmission included a freewheel to allow the driver to change gear without employing the clutch, while the owner needed to add oil to the petrol at a rate of a quart per six to eight gallons. But owners could argue that the 95 was well-appointed, with a volcanic heater, a clock, a radiator blind, and adjustable front door armrests, and beautifully engineered. There was even space for six or seven occupants, thanks to a rear-facing third row of seats.

Saab facelifted the 95/96 with ‘long-nose’ in 1964, resulting in “taut, slim, lean lines”. In 1966, the company adopted the 1.5-litre V4 from the Ford Taunus, with the 2-stroke engine ceasing to be available in 1968. Jon came by his handsome example:

Quite by accident. I was trying to source a 93a - Saab’s second car design, a split windscreen 750cc model with suicide doors. They were only in production for a short time frame and are quite sought after as they are the only Saab that qualifies for the Mille Miglia following Saab’s entry into the competition in 1957. A friend of mine from Switzerland (formerly Sweden) put me on to a man in Milan whom he helped in the early 1990s to buy a 93a from Sweden. It was a car with a story. On Christmas 1956/57, a national lottery was held in Sweden, and the main prize was this car, the brand-new Saab model. It was won and owned by the winner for his whole life after being presented to him by Erik Carlsson, who also signed the original paperwork for the car that I have. The car underwent a bare metal restoration, and it lived in Milan. I agreed to buy the car and, in passing, was offered one of his other cars, a long-nose two-stroke 95. I jumped at the chance.

The red 95 had undergone a bare metal restoration but retained the original interior, and the owner even threw in a new Saab Sport engine. Jon had these two fine cars transported from Milan over the Alps to Wales. As for driving a Saab with a steering column gearchange and a freewheel, he remarks:

I used the 95 in summer 2023 to go to many events, and on one of Cambrian Saab’s outings, several 900s, 9-3s, and 9-5s joined us. As an organiser, I led the pack but literally left everyone for dust. The 95 comfortably sits at 75 mph, and with the help of the freewheel, it loves the Welsh downhills. As with all 95s, the car is four-speed (whereas many early Saabs are three-speed), which really helps launch the wagon. They are slow to start off compared with the more sprightly 96 models, but once going, they are a match for any contemporary cars. The car is easy to drive once you have mastered the column change, and this actually leads to a very fluid driving arrangement, especially as you can listen to the engine and make gear changes very quickly whilst staying in command of the steering wheel.

Of course, as with any car not far removed from its 60^th birthday, the driver needs to make a few adjustments and Jon notes:

One thing you do need to take into consideration is braking as the 95 has drum brakes. The Sport version of the Saabs had the great benefit of disc brakes at the front. However, the standard versions mean you have to think ahead about braking and build in anticipation to your driving style, especially when you step into it from a modern car. This does cause interesting reactions from modern car drivers following you who are used to braking almost at the touch of a button. The freewheel is always engaged on two strokes to ensure that the engine is lubricated. The freewheel mechanism did get carried over to the Ford Cologne V4 engine configuration that was made until 1980 (I have one of the last 300 cars, a Jubileum, it was first registered in 1980). It gives a superb driving experience, especially on the Welsh roads. Whenever you don’t need power, you just lift off and let the car go. This can seem like a disconcertingly long time to anyone who’s not used to it. As you feel the end of a downhill starting to run out of momentum, you just floor the accelerator, and the engine is back on full power and at the high revs that two-stroke engines afford a driver. It is an extremely rewarding driving experience.

As for the public reaction to what is now a very rare car, Jon finds:

Well, I always say that “everyone loves a wagon”, and indeed, they do. I think that due to the retro 1950s styling, the 95 model was not so loved from the 1970s onwards, resulting in very few left on the roads. Also, being a seven-seater, they were a very capable vehicle of carrying a lot; as the cars got older, they were bought by people who used them to carry anything and everything, especially on farms and small holdings. This was a sad end for such a magnificent vehicle and what is undeniably a very beautiful object. The reaction I now get is wonderful - people really turn their heads to view the 95. I always get at least one conversation in any car park stop in, even from youngsters who’ve never seen the like before; they are charmed by the design and thrilled by the sound of the two strokes. It’s a wonderful experience to be the custodian of an amazing wagon!

Above all. Jon’s 95 more than lives up to Saab GB’s famous slogan - “Go Swift, Go Safe, Go Saab”.

With Thanks To: Jon Bentley