Saab Toad
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Saab Toad, or Paddan in Swedish, was a development car Saab made in 1966 to test out the new chassis, drive train and engine for the Saab 99. The toad used the body of a Saab 96, which was long enough for the purpose but had to be widened by 20 cm. This was achieved by cutting the body in half lengthwise and inserting 20 cm of steel 'spacer'. The windscreen and rear window clearly showed the 'join'. Of course, the bonnet (hood) and grille required widening in a different way, to prevent damage to the centrally-placed features, as the picture shows. The 'in-line four' engine of the future 99 replaced the 'V4' of the 96.
The reason for this project was to preserve secrecy during development of the new model, the Saab 99, which was the company's first radically new body shape since the first cars made in 1947. It was rightly believed that the wider body would not be noticed on Sweden's roads, where so many Saab 96 cars were an everyday sight. The deception was successful until test drivers allowed a grey 'toad' to be followed by a similarly-coloured but 'normal' Saab 96, making the different proportions obvious to any observer.
Four 'toads' were made, but only one remains, in 'Dark Grey' paintwork, currently on display in the SAAB museum in Trollhättan.