Ezzie is a very small sports car. It is a 1973 Saab Sonett. It has a fiberglass body, front wheel drive, free wheeling transmission, and a Ford industrial V4 engine This was one of the first front wheel drive cars and one of the few fiberglass cars of the time. These cars found fame on the sports car class racing circuit, and especially racing on ice on frozen lakes in the Midwest. However,this car was never raced nor shown. It is probably closer to stock than any other surviving Sonett III still being driven since most have been heavily modified and “souped up”.
Today it still has tremendous “curb appeal”. It attracts interest and questions nearly anytime it is parked in a supermarket lot!
It was purchased new by my wife, Jan, from a Saab dealer in Kirkland, WA In 1973. It was jointly owned by her husband. She used the car for about 10 years before her divorce when the title was changed to her newly married name.
In about 1974 Jan had a Mayan exchange student from Mexico living with the family. The girl loved the car and called it “Esmereldita Muy Bonita” (beautiful emerald). The name was shortened to “Ezzie”, and it has been called that ever since!
Jan was a ski instructor and used Ezzie as a ski car for some years. The ski rack was a dealer installed option. Ezzie made a great ski car with the then unusual front wheel drive and free wheeling. The ski rack was modified by Jan’s son, Skip, to hold a CB antenna. Skip also installer a radio and speakers. That radio was replaced in about 1982 with the present Radio Shack Radio/Cassette Player.
After Jan became a ham operator the antenna was changed to a dual band ham antenna. All ham radio equipment will be removed before Ezzie is sold.
I drove Ezzie for about 14 years as my work car, commuting from home in Medina to Renton, and Everett. A lot of driving was on I405! On one trip driving north out of Renton, a Rolls Royce slowed and the driver gave Ezzie a good look over. It was Bill Gates! Jan continued to drive Ezzie.
After I retired, we moved to Sequim Washington where I drove Ezzie as a fun second car. Ezzie was almost always stored in a garage.
Over the years Ezzie accumulated about 234,000 miles! She has had her share of dings and minor accidents but was always professionally repaired. She had an engine rebuild by Saabmasters in July, 1991. The valves were changed to allow the use of unleaded gasoline.
Many engine components were replaced over time. (starter, distributor, etc.)
The original dual exhaust system was modified to be a single exhaust system which had much better road clearance and lasted a good deal longer between muffler replacements.
Ezzie has been driven daily for all these years except for our snowbird time in Arizona, when Ezzie was left in our garage in Sequim, WA. Ezzie has never been out of Washington.
Ezzie is a wonderful fun car to drive and a really ”good looker”.
Ezzie is a very small sports car. It is a 1973 Saab Sonett. It has a fiberglass body, front wheel drive, free wheeling transmission, and a Ford industrial V4 engine This was one of the first front wheel drive cars and one of the few fiberglass cars of the time. These cars found fame on the sports car class racing circuit, and especially racing on ice on frozen lakes in the Midwest. However,this car was never raced nor shown. It is probably closer to stock than any other surviving Sonett III still being driven since most have been heavily modified and “souped up”.
Today it still has tremendous “curb appeal”. It attracts interest and questions nearly anytime it is parked in a supermarket lot!
It was purchased new by my wife, Jan, from a Saab dealer in Kirkland, WA In 1973. It was jointly owned by her husband. She used the car for about 10 years before her divorce when the title was changed to her newly married name.
In about 1974 Jan had a Mayan exchange student from Mexico living with the family. The girl loved the car and called it “Esmereldita Muy Bonita” (beautiful emerald). The name was shortened to “Ezzie”, and it has been called that ever since!
Jan was a ski instructor and used Ezzie as a ski car for some years. The ski rack was a dealer installed option. Ezzie made a great ski car with the then unusual front wheel drive and free wheeling. The ski rack was modified by Jan’s son, Skip, to hold a CB antenna. Skip also installer a radio and speakers. That radio was replaced in about 1982 with the present Radio Shack Radio/Cassette Player.
After Jan became a ham operator the antenna was changed to a dual band ham antenna. All ham radio equipment will be removed before Ezzie is sold.
I drove Ezzie for about 14 years as my work car, commuting from home in Medina to Renton, and Everett. A lot of driving was on I405! On one trip driving north out of Renton, a Rolls Royce slowed and the driver gave Ezzie a good look over. It was Bill Gates! Jan continued to drive Ezzie.
After I retired, we moved to Sequim Washington where I drove Ezzie as a fun second car. Ezzie was almost always stored in a garage.
Over the years Ezzie accumulated about 234,000 miles! She has had her share of dings and minor accidents but was always professionally repaired. She had an engine rebuild by Saabmasters in July, 1991. The valves were changed to allow the use of unleaded gasoline.
Many engine components were replaced over time. (starter, distributor, etc.)
The original dual exhaust system was modified to be a single exhaust system which had much better road clearance and lasted a good deal longer between muffler replacements.
Ezzie has been driven daily for all these years except for our snowbird time in Arizona, when Ezzie was left in our garage in Sequim, WA. Ezzie has never been out of Washington.
Ezzie is a wonderful fun car to drive and a really ”good looker”.
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