Saab 900 Turbo Scandinavian Special Saloon Cup 1985 #24 Kinnunen

Saab 900 Turbo Scandinavian Special Saloon Cup 1985 #24 Kinnunen by Autocult

Just for one Summer   The racing series ‘Scandinavian Special Saloon Cup’, sometimes also named ‘Blaupunkt-Cup’ due to its lead sponsor, initially took place in 1985. The series comprised eight races and was contested with rallye cars. The management of the Swedish car manufacturer Saab obviously saw a great marketing/ advertising potential in the new racing series and participated. Instead of using an existing car of their product range they designed a complete new one. The Swedes based in Trollhätten decided that the model 900 with its turbocharger engine would be best basis to show their “sporty” side. Probably it was clear at an early stage that no other car manufacturer competed with an own team and all the private teams mostly used older rallye cars of the Group 5 in the racing series.   Saab really left nothing to chance and contracted no less than the former Formula One driver Leo Juhani ‘Leksa’ Kinnunen, back-then 42-years old. On 5 May 1985 the first of total eight races took place in the Finnish Ahvenisto and Kinnunen was for the first time at the wheel of his bulky, white Saab 900 with the starting number #36 competing againgst his oppeonments in a BMW 320 Turbo, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Eskort MkII and a Porsche 935. But the result of the first race was quite frustrating as Kinnunen had to give up. Also in the second race in Kemora two weeks later they could not finish the race. The technincans of Saab were obviously not able to solve and mangage the technical problems, as even in the third race – again the venue was Ahvenisto – Kinnunen had to park his car with the starting number #24 before finishing the full distance. Also in the last five races the white Saab was not able to achieve relevant results. The bitter conclusion after eight races were six failures and a 9th and 6th place, the two times Kinnunen was able to finish the race.   Obviously these results could not answer the expectation of the management. After the sportive fiasco the rallye car dissapeard from the scene and Saab shelved the project after only one summer.