The design, led by Björn Envall, was based on the floorpan of the Saab 95. The prototype was assembled by Italian Sergio Coggiola who had also worked with Saab on the styling of the Saab Sonett III.
The Saab 95 was already a practical family car positioned in the market just below the Saab 99 and as such Saab decided that the Saab 98 was not worth putting into production.
The only ever example of the Saab 98 sported a plastic grille and was finished in a new colour for that model year, Sienna Brown
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The Saab 98 Combi Combi Coupé Prototype was originally planned to be a coupe version of a sedan, based off of the SAAB 96, but the length of the SAAB 95 wagon.
This vehicle nomenclature of the 98 pronounced “ninety eight”, was decided on as it came after the last of the SAAB 97 series that ended the same year this project began, 1974. The internal project name of X14 was used by Saab’s chief designer of the project at the time, none other than Björn Envall.
The other Saab Designer who assembled the Saab 98 was the Italian, Sergio Coggiola who previously designed the SAAB 97 Sonett III.
There were a number of vehicles built in 1975 as well as 1976, but the project was eventually abandoned as Saab at that time believed that they was not enough room in the global market for a vehicle between the Saab 95 and Saab 99.
The last remaining Saab 98 Combi Combi Coupé Prototype was in Sienna Brown and resides at the Saab Museum in Trollhättan, Sweden
