The 1969 Saab Sonett II V4, a lightweight Swedish sports car with aviation-inspired engineering, is now on public display at the DFW Car & Toy Museum as part of the Ron Sturgeon Collection. This rare vehicle exemplifies what happens when a fighter jet manufacturer applies its expertise to creating a road-legal race car, offering insights into automotive history and design philosophy during a formative period for Saab.
Built during Saab's early automotive development phase, the Sonett II features a 1.5-liter Ford Taunus V4 engine paired with a four-speed manual transaxle, delivering 65 horsepower through front-wheel drive. The car's distinctive fiberglass body includes a forward-tilting clamshell hood, while technical specifications include front disc brakes, 15-inch steel wheels, bumperettes at both ends, and a polycarbonate rear window. A roll bar enhances structural rigidity, suggesting track capability, while the minimalist interior contains three-point seat belts, a heater, stereo system with speakers, an analog clock, and a VDO gauge cluster with a 120-mph speedometer and 7,000-rpm tachometer.
Ron Sturgeon, founder of the DFW Car & Toy Museum, described the vehicle as "a true enthusiast's car—lightweight, a little loud, and completely unconventional," noting it demonstrates how engaging driving can be with modest power output. The Sonett II V4's design and engineering reflect an era when automotive manufacturers prioritized individuality and innovation over mass-market conformity, making it relevant for understanding historical trends in car development.
The vehicle's display at the museum, which recently relocated to a 150,000-square-foot facility at 2550 McMillan Parkway in Fort Worth, Texas, provides public access to this piece of automotive heritage. The museum, open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., features hundreds of unique cars and encourages visitors to explore its collections, with details available on its website at https://dfwcarandtoymuseum.com. This exhibition matters because it preserves and showcases engineering approaches that diverged from mainstream automotive trends, offering lessons about design creativity and mechanical simplicity that contrast with today's increasingly electronic and standardized vehicles.
For automotive enthusiasts, historians, and designers, the Sonett II V4 serves as a tangible example of how cross-industry expertise—in this case, from aviation to automobiles—can yield innovative products. Its presence in a public museum ensures that this chapter of automotive history remains accessible for education and appreciation, highlighting the value of preserving niche vehicles that illustrate broader industrial narratives.
