Although Erik Carlsson had actually retired from his competition
career in 1969, The Mexican Baja 1000 Desert Rally proved too much of a
temptation, as it did the following year too.
The Baja 1000 was run across the Californian peninsula from north to
south, over what was then roadless terrain. The event involved covering
1600 kilometres as quickly as possible, behind the wheel of a good car,
accompanied by a trusty navigator, and equipped with maps, compass and
some unusual aids, such as an altitude meter.
In this particular case, a good car was a very specially equipped Saab 96
V4. All inessentials were removed - back seat, door lining and
insulation. A great deal else was added - extrawide tyres for the sandy
terrain, double shock absorders for the incredible rocky stretches,
exhaust pipe on the roof for protection, a giant fuel tank for the
enormous distances between fuelling points, and an almost equally tank to
quench the crews thirst.
The Baja 1000 also made exceptional demands on service facilities for the
cars. Since there were no roads, Saab mechanics flew between the control
points.
The Saab entry was worth the effort - Erik Carlsson came third in 1969
and fiftth in 1970, both times navigated by Torsten Åman. The
museum car is that driven by Erik Carlsson in 1969. After the rally, it
was bought by an American who used it in competitions up to 1980.