The front-wheel-drive Saab 96 made the brand into a rally icon in the 1960s. It succeeded in events as diverse as the Monte Carlo, Britain's RAC Rally, special stage events in every Scandinavian country, and the rough-and-tough Spa-Sofia-Liége Marathon.

The big change came in 1967, when the 96 became the V4. Works cars continued to be competitive in carefully chosen events for many years, and when they became outdated, the V4's successors – the much larger and more powerful 99 and 99 Turbo types – proved that Saab wasn’t done with rallying yet.

More than any other car of its era, the 96 and V4 models proved that front-wheel-drive allied to true superstar driving could produce victory where no-one expected it.