Made In Finland: A Saab 900 Turbo Go-Kart

This is a go-kart built by Lokari of Rauma, Finland in the 1980s. Its body is closely based on the Saab 900 Turbo, a current production car at the time, and it has a tubular steel frame with a 144cc Honda GX140 engine.

There are few vehicles more loved in Nordic nations than those built by Saab and Volvo, so it makes a lot of sense that locally-produced go-karts would take their design cues from the cars that kids saw on the roads around them everyday.

For a time in the 1980s, Saab was one of the most prolific producers of turbocharged cars in the world. Image courtesy of Saab.

The Saab 900 Turbo was an important car that had a significant influence on the automotive sector, it was front wheel drive, developed with safety as a paramount concern, and powered by a fuel-efficient, turbocharged inline-four cylinder engine designed with emissions in mind. This fundamental vehicle specification now makes up a significant portion of global car sales.

The Saab 900 was first released in 1978 and it would prove an enduring design, remaining in production over two major generations until 1998. The 900 was developed on the older 99 model, it featured a steel unibody shell, a modern design penned by Björn Envall with a focus on aerodynamics, and it came in both two and four-door versions as well as both hardtop and convertible top options.

Today the special versions of the Saab 900 are highly collectible in the right circles, particularly the 900 Turbo, 900 Aero, 900 SPG, and the 900 Carlsson – a special edition 900 produced in honor of Saab rally driving legend Erik Carlsson.

The Saab 900 Turbo Go-Kart By Lokari

This Finnish-built Lokari go-kart has red fiberglass bodywork based on the Saab 900 Turbo, it has a cutaway roof, a faux rear window louver, side stripes, a front spoiler, front and rear bumpers, and seating for two (kids) inside.

It’s a left-hand drive kart with a faux dashboard full of gauges and other instruments, with a faux glovebox on the passenger side. Up front it has a faux silver grille and Saab turbo emblems, it has a left-hand side mirror, and there is notable patina and wear over the body from its decades of use.

This model was officially called the Lokari Saab Convertible Junior 006 G-Kart, the model number “006” was likely chosen because if you flip it vertically then horizontally it becomes “900.”

This Finnish-built Lokari go-kart has seating for two kids, a detailed (faux) dashboard, and a 5.0 bhp 144cc Honda GX140 engine fitted in the back powering the rear wheels.

The rear-mounted 5.0 bhp 144cc Honda GX140 engine is a single-cylinder, air-cooled unit that powers the rear wheels via a centrifugal clutch, and a single mechanical drum brake is fitted on the rear axle. The engine has an electric starter linked to an ignition key in the cockpit on the left side of the steering wheel.

This unusual go-kart is now being offered for sale out of Hollyglen, California on Bring a Trailer. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.

Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer