"Mr. Saab" Racing Legend Erik Carlsson to reunite with two legendary racing Saabs

Larger than Life Swedish Racing Legend Erik Carlsson to reunite with two legendary racing Saabs

Carlsson "On the Roof" honored General Motors guest at 2001 Goodwood Festival of Speed

DETROIT – One of the most indelible images of motorsports in the 1960s is that of a howling red Saab, most often with all four wheels off the ground or in the midst of an immense powerslide, being driven by a man whose large, round face and body appear too big for the car.

Erik Carlsson "On The Roof" and two of his GM Powered cars to be featured at the famous Goodwood Festival of Speed The larger-than-life person at the wheel is, of course, none other than Erik Carlsson "on the roof," winner of an amazing string of international rallies, including the Monte Carlo Rally, where he scored back-to-back victories in 1962 and 1963. Carlsson, his Saab 96 red rally car and Sonett II coupe sports car will be featured by General Motors at the 2001 Goodwood Festival of Speed July 6-8, in West Sussex, England.

"Literally taking his Saab 96 and Sonett II to the edge in every race he ran four decades ago, Erik Carlsson is the living embodiment of the pioneering spirit we’ve always held in the highest regard at General Motors," said Scot Keller, staff director, corporate brand communications. "The rich, distinguished and successful heritage of General Motors is founded on the efforts of drivers like Carlsson, who challenged the conventional wisdom favoring conservatism and achieved greatness."

Carlsson’s pair of famous Saabs is a small sample in a vast selection of GM heritage vehicles ready for display across the globe. There is a veritable gold mine of significant, intriguing and interesting vehicles that have often not been seen outside their country of origin, yet none bear quite the same distinction of being piloted by a burly Swede with a talent bordering on a sixth-sense for reaching the finish line first.

Carlsson’s "on the roof" nickname was born from driving reputation Invariably, Carlsson’s wins were scored against faster, more powerful, more costly competitors, making the big man with the tiny Saab crowd favorites wherever they competed. His nickname "on the roof" of course refers to his fearless driving style, but is actually a play on words from a children’s story by Astrid Lindgren entitled "Carlsson on the roof."

When Carlsson and his trademark red rally car make their appearance at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, they will rekindle fond memories for the many enthusiasts who remember the irrepressible duo. Indeed, it has been suggested that Carlsson is the arguably the finest driver to ever turn a steering wheel, even though his sport was not considered "racing," and he himself graciously accords that honor to Juan Manuel Fangio.

Carlsson’s storied professional career started at the Saab factory in 1956, as a test driver Carlsson’s career as a professional driver began in 1956, when he signed on as a test driver at the Saab factory in Trollhattan, Sweden. The year before, Carlsson had won Sweden’s toughest national rally, the 500-mile Rikspokalen, competing in his own car with his own money.

Even with modest factory support, the affable Swede had all the backing he needed. Moreover, the chemistry between him and the humble three-cylinder, two-stroke Saab became synergy. Erik Carlsson could seemingly make the tiny underpowered Sedan perform feats that defied all the laws of physics. He quickly scored victories in the Rally of a Thousand Lakes (1957), the Midnight Sun Rally (1959), the British RAC Rally (1960 and 1961), leading to his two straight wins in the Monte Carlo Rally and a third straight victory in the British RAC event.

Carlson considers completing the 3,500-mile "test of manhood" the Liege-Sofia-Liege, his’ finest hour Yet, for all his victories, Erik is proudest of his participation in an event he never won: the 3,500-mile Liege-Sofia-Liege Rally. He entered this test of manhood five times, DNF-ed three times and finished second twice. Carlsson also scored a second-place finish in the East African Safari Rally in 1964 and third- and fifth-place finishes in the Baja 1000 in 1969 and 1970.

One of Carlsson’s crowning moments occurred during the 1962 Monte Carlo Rally at the last and decisive trial, which was held on closed streets at the Grand Prix circuit. Erik, who had been driving day and night for 2,500 miles, came into the final trial with a scant 40-second lead over rival Eugen Bohringer in a more powerful Mercedes-Benz. Clearly, Carlsson’s margin could easily be lost to superior horsepower during the required four laps of the Monte Carlo circuit.

But Carlsson hadn’t driven this far to go home second fiddle. Summoning skill that might be described as other-worldly, the burly Swede hurtled the shrieking Saab 96 around the race course as if chased by the devil. He retained his lead to finish the event in first place. Then, as if to reassure doubters the feat was no fluke, he systematically repeated the accomplishment the following year.

"Erik had the ability to drive at his best hour after hour, day after day, without taking risks or making mistakes," said Gunnar Palm, who co-drove with him during the tortuous 1963 event.

Back-to-back Monte Carlo titles earned Carlsson an unofficial title, "Mr. Saab" With back-to-back Monte Carlo wins to his credit, Carlsson earned the unofficial title of "Mr. Saab," an honor he has retained for nearly four decades. In addition to competing in historic car rallies, Erik, now just over 70, continues to travel the world as Saab ambassador. In his unofficial capacity, he can regularly be found at automobile shows, new car announcements, concours d’elegance or any other place the faithful are likely to gather. He is always ready to talk about his two favorite subjects – Saabs and good food – and always with a twinkle in his piercing eyes.

To give some idea of the relationship he has with Saab, Carlsson has never had a written contact with his employer, not since the first day he appeared for work in Trolhattan 45 years ago. The relationship began with a handshake and continues that way today, with Saab now owned by General Motors.

When not on tour, Carlsson resides in Tring, England, with his wife Pat Moss-Carlsson. She herself is an accomplished former equestrian and rallyist, a winner of major European rallies, and the sister of racing legend Stirling Moss.

One can only imagine the tales the three must be able to tell around the dinner table.

The annual Goodwood Festival of Speed is expected to attract thousands of guests over the course of two days in July. Considered by event organizers as "the greatest gathering of motor racing machinery on the planet," the festival provides both celebrities and automobile lovers a rare opportunity to observe motorsports heritage first hand.

General Motors heritage reflects a tradition of excellence continuing in production models today General Motors, the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer, is a leader in automotive branding, technology and design. Its heritage has been and always will be an integral element in shaping future endeavors.

Erik Carlsson

Personal: Birth date: March 5, 1929 Birthplace: Trollhattan, Sweden Wife: Pat Moss Carlsson, Residence: Tring, England, near Oxford sister of racing legend Stirling Moss Children: Susie

For the vast majority of us, the act of driving is an acquired skill, one that requires a great deal of time and practice merely to achieve competency. For a very few others, the act is intuitive and brilliance seems to follow naturally.

Erik Carlsson belongs to the latter category. Treacherous bends, icy downhills, blind uphills, fog, blizzards, fatigue – all frequently confronted at 90-plus mph. It was all in a calm day’s work for the big, undaunted Swede, who never seemed to require more than a little bread and water for sustenance through Europe’s most grueling long-distance rallies.

Before converting to driving on the right-hand side of the road, Sweden was a country with no maximum speed limits. It was also a country with an abundance of unpaved roads and fierce weather. It was in this unrestricted environment that Carlsson spent long hours with his foot to the floor, powersliding through turns and tearing along straightaways wide-open in his tiny Saab 92, which he had bought from a bankrupt Trollhattan farmer in 1952. Carlsson began his legendary career in this unlikely 28-horsepower car, winning Sweden’s toughest rally, the Rikspokalen, in 1955.

Carlsson, affectionately nicknamed "on the roof" for his tendency to put cars on their roof with his occasionally over-enthusiastic driving style (the name also refers to a famous Swedish children’s book, "Carlsson On the Roof"), joined Saab as a test driver after winning the Rikspokalen. For his efforts, he received a modest competition stipend and a job with Saab – a relationship that would last a lifetime – secured with just a handshake.

The chemistry between car and driver was immediate and enduring. Carlsson’s incredible back-to-back victories in the 1962 and 1963 Monte Carlo Rally together with three straight wins in the British RAC Rally generated world headlines that made the names Saab and Carlsson forever inseparable. It was not merely Carlsson’s courage, judgement and driving skills that made him arguably the best high-speed rally driver in the world -- it was his persistence at the wheel, the ability to drive at his peak for hour after hour, day after day, for thousands of miles in a stint.

Professional appearance was also an important part of the Carlsson style. He was known for stopping to wash his car near the end of an event so it crossed the finish line looking its very best. And his positive personal demeanor during an event often gave him a psychological advantage over the competition, because no matter how adverse the circumstances, Erik always appeared eager and ready for more.

The enthusiasm and showmanship that fostered Carlsson’s success in motorsports later made Saab’s press events some of the most highly rated in the business. To this day, Carlsson can be counted upon to entertain groups of journalists with his irreverent humor and anecdotes. He is also famous for putting members of the press behind the wheel and teaching them to do things with an automobile they never thought possible.

And the presence of "Mr. Saab" during press days at major international auto shows has grown to be an important part of the Saab mystique — nearly as important as the car itself.

Milestones:

First Saab driver to win the Midnight Sun Rally Won British RAC Rally three times in a row Won the classic Monte Carlo rally twice in a row

Career highlights:

First rally: Swedish Rally, as co-driver with boss Pelle Nystrom, 1952 First victory: Rikspokalen Rally, 1955 Victory in the Finnish "Rally of a Thousand Lakes," 1957 Victory in the Midnight Sun Rally, 1959 Victory in the British RAC Rally, 1960 Victory in the British RAC Rally, 1961 Victory in the Greek Acropolis Rally, 1961 Victory in the Monte Carlo Rally, 1962 Victory in the British RAC Rally, 1962 Victory in the Monte Carlo Rally, 1963 Second in the Liege-Sofia-Liege Rally, 1963 Victory in the Italian Rallye dei Fiori, 1964 Second in the Spa-Lofia-Liege Rally, 1964 Second in the East African Safari Rally, 1964 Victory in the Czech Vltava Rally, 1967 Third in the Mexican Baja 1000, 1969 Fifth in the Mexican Baja 1000, 1970