{"id":4826,"date":"2026-02-12T11:33:50","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T10:33:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saabcarmuseum.se\/?p=4826"},"modified":"2026-02-12T11:33:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T10:33:50","slug":"saabs-dubbelseger-med-v4an-i-svenska-rallyt-1976","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saabcarmuseum.se\/en\/saabs-dubbelseger-med-v4an-i-svenska-rallyt-1976\/","title":{"rendered":"Saab\u2019s V4 One-Two Victory in the 1976 Swedish Rally"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 1976 Swedish Rally has gone down in history as a masterclass in driving on snow and ice. The event was held from 20\u201322 February, based in Karlstad, and on the starting line were factory entries from Lancia, Opel and Saab. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Saab entered Stig Blomqvist \/ Hans Sylvan and Per Eklund \/ Bj\u00f6rn Cederberg, each in a 160-horsepower Saab 96 V4. This would prove to be the car\u2019s final official appearance in the World Rally Championship \u2013 a highly successful rally car that had taken its first international victory in 1960 with Erik Carlsson \u201con the roof\u201d at the wheel. Waiting in the wings was its successor, the Saab 99.<\/p>\n

A rally run in heavy snow<\/strong>
\nThe rally turned out to be a snowy affair, with the organisers battling to plough the V\u00e4rmland stages in step with the continuing snowfall. Once the rally got underway, spectators could see that the Saabs \u201cshot off like a cannon\u201d, as the locals put it. \nStig and Per were in a class of their own, for several reasons. Their abilities as rally drivers were beyond question, as were the handling characteristics of the front-wheel-drive V4 on slippery surfaces. Another ace up their sleeve was the super-narrow Dunlop tyres originally developed for the studless KAK Rally in 1973 \u2013 now fitted with studs. They found grip where there was scarcely any, cutting through the slush to what little traction was available.<\/p>\n

Stig and Per ignored team orders
\n<\/strong>With three previous victories in the event (1971\u201373), Stig was the favourite for overall victory. But Per Eklund from nearby Arvika was determined to show who truly was the best in V\u00e4rmland.<\/p>\n

The rally developed into a head-to-head duel between Per and Stig, with neither prepared to give an inch. All the other competitors were reduced to supporting roles. The two opal-green Saabs were simply in a league of their own.<\/p>\n

Saab\u2019s team manager, Bo Hellberg, called for restraint early on, issuing team orders to secure a one-two finish \u2013 after all, they were light-years ahead of the rest of the field. But his instructions fell on deaf ears; both drivers were desperate to win. The V4s continued at full throttle. It even went so far that Hellberg reportedly firing both Stig and Per during a lunch halt for failing to obey orders!<\/p>\n

Rally history made in the V\u00e4rmland forests
\n<\/strong>In the end, Per and Bj\u00f6rn claimed their long-awaited home victory, just ahead of Stig and Hans.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow you\u2019ll be knighted in J\u00f6sse H\u00e4rad,\u201d Erik Carlsson congratulated Per at the finish.
\n\u201cWhat do you think of Per of V\u00e4rmland?\u201d<\/p>\n

That weekend, rally history was written. Per secured his long-coveted WRC victory, and the faithful 96 handed over to the new 99 with flags flying.<\/p>\n

Dented winning car on display at the museum
\n<\/strong>Per and Bj\u00f6rn\u2019s V4, registration number ETK 909, returned to Saab\u2019s competition department for servicing after the rally. It was then driven into the Saab Car Museum in Trollh\u00e4ttan, where it has been cared for ever since \u2013 now 50 years on. As recently as September 2025, it was driven again during the Saab Car Museum\u2019s 50th anniversary celebrations.<\/p>\n

ETK 909 is unique. Very few rally cars survive their hard lives unrestored. You are warmly invited to come and see her. She tells her own stories through the dents in her rear wings, earned when Per leaned took support against the snowbanks, and through the slightly bent Moto-Lita steering wheel he wrestled with on the special stages.<\/p>\n

\/Peter B\u00e4ckstr\u00f6m<\/p>\n

P.S. Stig\u2019s V4, HKW 734, was sold and continued its rally career. Today it has been fully restored to original condition and is owned by a Saab connoisseur in V\u00e4rmland.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Final Results \u2013 Swedish Rally 1976:<\/strong>
\n1) Per Eklund \/ Bj\u00f6rn Cederberg, Saab 96 V4
\nWinning time: 8.08:36<\/p>\n

2) Stig Blomqvist \/ Hans Sylvan Saab 96 V4
\nTid: 8.10:02,\u00a0 1 minute and 36 seconds behind the winners.<\/p>\n

3) Anders Kull\u00e4ng \/ C-G Andersson, Opel Ascona
\nTime: 8.31:10, 22 minutes and 44 seconds behind the winners.<\/p>\n

4) Simo Lampinen \/ Arne Hertz, Lancia Stratos HF
\nTime: 8.45:52, 37 minutes and 26 seconds behind the winners.<\/p>\n

5) Ulf Sundberg \/ Mats Nordstr\u00f6m Saab 99 EMS
\nTime: 8.58:35, 50 minutes and 9 seconds behind the winners.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Svenska Rallyt 1976 har g\u00e5tt till historien som en uppvisning i den h\u00f6gre skolan n\u00e4r det g\u00e4ller bilk\u00f6rning p\u00e5 sn\u00f6 och is. T\u00e4vlingen arrangerades 20\u201322 februari med utg\u00e5ngspunkt fr\u00e5n Karlstad och p\u00e5 startlinjen stod fabriksbilar fr\u00e5n Lancia, Opel och Saab. Saab anm\u00e4lde Stig Blomqvist\/Hans Sylvan samt Per Eklund\/Bj\u00f6rn Cederberg i var sin 160 h\u00e4stars Saab […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4829,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/saabcarmuseum.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/saabcarmuseum.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/saabcarmuseum.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saabcarmuseum.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saabcarmuseum.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4826"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/saabcarmuseum.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4826\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4837,"href":"https:\/\/saabcarmuseum.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4826\/revisions\/4837"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saabcarmuseum.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/saabcarmuseum.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saabcarmuseum.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saabcarmuseum.se\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}