The Saber GT, some history from my backyard

Posted by John Mellberg February 08, 2021

The Saber GT, some history from my backyard

In the 1970's and 80's South Eastern Wisconsin, where your author currently resides, was a hot-bed of specialty car activity. Several makes were produced in the area including the Excalibur series, Cimbria, Aldino KO, as well as the subject of this article. The Saber GT was made in the town of Waukesha by a company called G & W Motors. Former Excalibur employees Pat Greinke, Charles Carter, and Robb O'Neil developed the Saber over four years prior to its introduction in 1977.

Although the car was introduced during the height of an era when nearly every American kit was built on the Volkswagen Beetle, G & W went a different route with the Saber's donor car. They chose a more uncommon base, the Opel GT, which offered reliable GM running gear in a compact package. It was, however, a relatively rare car in the states, being sold through Buick dealers. Competition from the Datsun Z cars and the GT's larger American cousin, the Corvette, made the Opel redundant in this market.

The Saber GT, made in Wisconsin, USA

The Saber mounted this Opel running gear on a steel chassis, with reinforced doors for safety. It used the Opel's 1.9 liter 4-cylinder engine and transmission, with disc brakes at all corners, rack and pinion steering, and fully independent suspension. The choice of platform made sense for the time as GM offered plenty of performance parts and upgrades for its 'baby Corvette'.

The Saber's bodywork was done in fiberglass and featured a rakish profile with fashionable pop-up headlights and 'flying buttress' rear. The interior reused the donor car's dashboard, seats, and accessories. Exterior trim was borrowed from the VW Rabbit, which was plentiful in salvage yards at the time. Inspiration for the styling was likely found in the Chevrolet XP-898 concept car of 1973, along with a nod to the Corvettes of the day.

The 1973 Chevrolet XP-898 concept car

Production figures are hard to find but sources indicate that the kit was produced from 1977 until 1985. It is doubtful that the Saber was made in high numbers, however. the kit car market was changing in the US, at the time, with the emerging dominance of replicas taking hold. American builders of the day were increasingly spending their dollar on Shelby Cobra copies or neo-classics.

Nonetheless, the Saber GT remains an interesting bit of local history to your humble author. It was a well finished and stylish car built on a solid platform.

Sources:
The Big Guide to Kit & Specialty Cars, by Harold Pace.
Published by Big Car Book Co. (Second Edition ca. 2000)