Saab History

Rolf Ebefors 1936-2023

Rolf Ebefors 1936-2023Rolf Ebefors 1936-2023

Rolf Ebefors, born in 1936, passed away in 2023, was a highly respected and accomplished engine mechanic who made significant contributions to the automotive industry during his career. He was best known for his work at Saab’s competition department in the 1960s and 1970s, where he helped develop engines for the company’s racing vehicles.

Rolf had an unique broad experience from two-stroke, V4, 16-valve and turbo eras when it comes to building and tuning Saab engines for drivers such as Carl-Magnus Skogh, Erik Carlsson ”on the roof”, Stig Blomqvist and Per Eklund and many more.

During his time at the competition department, Rolf was responsible for maintaining and repairing the engines of Saab’s race cars. He was known for his ability to quickly diagnose and fix problems, often under the pressure of tight deadlines and intense competition. His skills and expertise were instrumental in helping Saab’s racing team achieve success on the track.

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In 1981, the competition department at Saab was closed, and Rolf moved to the engine department on technical development. In this role, he was responsible for developing new engines for the company’s production vehicles. He used his extensive knowledge of engine mechanics to design and test new engines, working to improve their performance, efficiency, and durability.

Rolf was also known for his innovative approach to engine design, always looking for new ways to improve the performance of Saab’s engines. He was a true master of his craft, and his work had a significant impact on the automotive industry.

Despite his success, Rolf was a humble and unassuming person, never seeking fame or recognition for his work. He was content to work behind the scenes, driven by a passion for engine mechanics and a desire to push the boundaries of what was possible.

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Rolf’s contributions to the automotive industry, particularly at Saab, will not be forgotten. He was a important part of the team behind the success of Saab in motorsports during the 60s and 70s and his legacy lives on through the engines he helped design and develop during his career. The name Rolf Ebefors will always be associated with the highest level of excellence in engine mechanics.

After his retirement at Saab, Rolf continued to work at ANA Trollhättan and at the Saab Car Museum with renovation projects.

Goran Aničić
the authorGoran Aničić
For over 15 years, Goran Aničić has been passionately focused on Saab automobiles and everything related to them. His initial encounter with Saab cars took place back in 2003 when the first Saab 9-3 and sedan version were introduced. At that moment, he was captivated by the car's Scandinavian design logic and top-notch engineering, and everything that followed stemmed from that first encounter. Later on, through his work at the editorial team of the Serbian automotive magazines "Autostart" and later "AutoBild," he had the opportunity to engage more closely with Saab vehicles. In 2008, he tested the latest Saab cars of that time, such as the Saab 9-3 TTiD Aero and Saab 9-3 Turbo X. In 2010, as the sole blogger from the region, he participated in the Saab 9-5ng presentation in Trollhättan, Sweden. Alongside journalists from around the world, he got a firsthand experience of the pinnacle of technological offerings from Saab at that time. Currently, Goran owns two Saabs: a 2008 Saab 9-3 Vector Sportcombi with a manual transmission, and a Saab 9-3 Aero Griffin Sport Sedan from the last generation, which rolled off the production line in Trollhättan in December 2011.

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