Volvo
(1927 - today)
Brand:
Country:
Sweden
1927 Presentation of the manufacturer's first ÖV 4 car in Gothenburg, Sweden. The components are largely bought in. Volvo is a spin-off of the Swedish ball bearing specialist SKF. Management by Assar Gabrielsson and Gustav Larson. Debut of the PV 444 in the royal tennis courts in Stockholm. 1947 Start of production. 1956 Debut of the Volvo Amazon. Introduction of the 3-point safety belt. Start of exports to the USA. 1961 Launch of the Volvo P1800 Sport. 1966 Debut of the Volvo 144, further developed into the Volvo 240 and built until 1993. Takeover of DAF's automotive business in 1975. Sale of the passenger car division to Ford in 1999. Takeover of Volvo by Geely CN in 2010.
Selected Volvo model series
Select era for vehicles from Volvo...
All 230 Volvo models
...
Car articles about Volvo by year
Premium
Only built once - Volvo Philip
In the 1950s, Volvo was known for its robust and rounded PV444/544, but the manufacturer also had plans for a significantly larger production car. Stately dimensions, a modern design and a V8 engine characterized the Volvo Philip, which never went into series production and remained a one-off, not least because of the success of the humpback Volvo. This report, illustrated with historical pictures, looks back at the development of the Volvo Philip and the influences that went into it.
Assar Gabrielsson created a Swedish automotive industry out of nothing. While the Volvo was still an unknown entity in Germany in the mid-fifties, it was already enjoying success after success in its home country. This report shows the perspective of journalist Günther Gebhardt from Hobby on the car, which was still unknown to him at the time.
The Volvo PV 444 was the first newly designed post-war vehicle in Europe. It was presented as early as 1944, but was not built in large numbers until 1947, although it was successful and, together with its successor, remained so for around 20 years. The "humpback Volvo" was even convincing in racing, and on the road anyway. This report describes the history of the Volvo PV 444 and shows it in current and many historical pictures, as well as in half a dozen sales brochures.
From 1956 to 1957, Volvo built 68 examples of the P1900 Sport sports car, which caused a sensation with its open plastic body and is regarded as the first mass-produced plastic sports car in Europe. Technically related to the Volvo PV444, which was built at the same time, the convertible generated a lot of publicity. However, it was decided to discontinue production due to quality defects. This report describes the history of the Volvo P1900 Sport and shows it in historical photographs and the original brochure from the time.
For the 'hobby' editors, the Volvo 122 S represented a car that, although still relatively unknown, was close to the German driver's dream car for both sports and long-distance driving. To prove this, they conducted a merciless test drive. This article re-edits the 1960 test editorial report and supplements it with archive photos from the time, as well as two sales brochures.
The Volvo P 1800 S was built from 1961 to 1973 and can be considered a success overall. It was more Gran Turismo than sports car, but it helped to raise Volvo's image. With its appearance in the television series Simon Templar (The Saint), the car became widely known.
The name of the Volvo P 1800, which went into production in 1961, suggests that it was designed and manufactured in Sweden. In reality, the elegant two-door car with the loyal look and shapely tail fins was produced in England and equipped with electrical components from Bosch, while the body was modeled in Italy, the country of the most famous sheet metal artists. Today, in addition to the consequences of Brexit, other intra-European conflicts are also making headlines. Did this joint automotive project succeed 60 years ago? This article reproduces an original test report from the time and shows the touring coupé in numerous historical pictures and sales brochures.
Volvo presented the P 1800 sports car in 1961. Produced as an international product with contributions from Sweden, England, Germany and Italy, the sturdy Swede impressed with its suitability for everyday use, but not with its excessive sportiness, as the tester from the magazine 'hobby' found out. This report reproduces the original test report, supplemented by many historical illustrations and a sales brochure.
Long before the current SUVs, Volvo was already building off-road vehicles, mostly for military use. Between 1961 and 1970, Volvo produced almost 9,000 L3314/3315 all-wheel drive vehicles, some of which were also used in civilian environments, e.g. by fire departments, construction companies or airports. This report deals with the Volvo L3314 and its relatives and portrays an L3314HT from 1964 in detail.
In the summer of 1964, the Volvo Amazon had already been on the market for almost eight years. Other manufacturers offered five different models in the same period. But instead of always hastily following the latest trends in body fashion, the Swedes preferred to concentrate on slowly but consistently perfecting the technology of their car. The result was a saloon with an old-fashioned look and construction that could compete with any modern car. This historical test report identifies the strengths and the (few) weaknesses of the Volvo 122 S.
In 1966, hobby magazine compared the safety-oriented Rover 2000 TC and Volvo 144 S saloons. In the spirit of "our ideal car is the safe car", tester Heinz Kranz was enthusiastic about the two vehicles. The restored and newly edited original test looks back to 1966 and the two rivals from Volvo and Rover.
Forty years ago, tuning was already very popular, but instead of electronic refinements and high-wattage hi-fi systems, classic engine improvements and additional instruments were high on the list of priorities. Back then, a rare Volvo 123 GT was equipped with almost everything the tuning catalogs had to offer. Now it has been rolled out of the garage for the first time in several decades and has a very special charm. This vehicle report briefly tells the story of the Volvo Amazon and goes into detail about the 123 GT model and the example portrayed, supplemented by many archive photos and original brochures as well as the manual supplements for the 123 GT.
The sports estate version of the Volvo P1800 S is also known as Snow White's coffin. Here, however, we are talking about a coupé. But what connects this car with Snow White is a long sleep in a barn, from which the Volvo has now been awakened after almost 20 years. This report tells the story of the Volvo P1800 S, which was stored in a barn for a long time, and shows the awakening of the car in many pictures.
Despite their excellent reputation, good and beautiful Volvo 144s have become rare. A magnificent example from 1972 - also the top-of-the-range GL model in the series - proves why the Swede is a real gem.
Long before the Opel Zafira and VW Touran, there were already "normal" cars with seven seats, namely as estate cars. One of these practical multi-purpose cars was the Volvo 145, built from 1967 to 1974. The spacious car was particularly popular with tradesmen and families and can still be seen in everyday traffic today, even though more than 50 years have passed since its launch. This report portrays a Volvo 145 from 1972 and tells the story of the useful Swede.
For just two years from 1971 to 1973, the Swedish manufacturer Volvo built the P 1800 ES, known in Germany as Snow White's coffin because of its glazed rear end. Thanks to its estate car rear, the P 1800, which had been built since 1959, matured into a versatile sports estate, but remained rare due to its high price. This report introduces the P 1800 ES, portrays an example from the last year of construction and shows the sports estate in historical photographs, supplemented by a sound sample.
Compared to the Volvo four-cylinder model 244, the 264 could be given more power with a six-cylinder engine developed in collaboration with Renault-Peugeot. As usual, it was available as a DL with standard equipment or as a GL with luxury equipment, the two versions differing externally by the grille front. This test report from 1975 explains whether it was worth buying the new model.
Holland lost its only car brand to Sweden when the DAF 66 became the Volvo 66. Was the Dutch-Swedish small car any good or was the takeover just about the production facility and dealer network? The answer can be found in this test report from 1975.
The Volvo 343 was based on a development by DAF, which was polished up with the Volvo ideologies of safety and quality. The fully automatic continuously variable transmission with double V-belt came from the Dutch, the body design from an Englishman based in Italy and the engine from Renault. The result was an interesting compact Volvo, which was tested on German roads for the first time in 1976.
Volvo built the 262 C coupé together with Bertone from 1976 to 1982. David Bowie also fell for the charm of the unusual two-door car and bought a black 262 C in 1981, to which he remained loyal for several years. Today, we can only guess whether he listened to his own or other people's hits on the built-in cassette deck. This vehicle report portrays Bowie's Volvo and summarizes the history of the 262 C. A sound sample and historical pictures are also included.
Between 1976 and 1982, Bertone built 6622 Volvo 262 Cs, around three quarters of which went to the USA. The coupé attracted attention with its special design, which combined the conventional underside with a hardtop-like flat roof structure. Despite strong criticism of its design, the Bertone coupé has matured into a veritable classic. This report looks at the history of the Volvo 262 C and portrays a late model, supplemented by archive images from almost all years of construction and production at Bertone.
After the Volvo 262C, which Bertone built for Volvo, the decision was made in Sweden to work with the Italian coachbuilder again on the 780 Coupé. In contrast to the 262, however, the result was a completely independent model that was significantly more elegant and luxurious than the 760 GLE saloon, without forgetting its Swedish virtues - safety and quality. Between 1985 and 1990, 8518 of the coupé version, which was almost twice as expensive as the saloon, were built in Italy. This vehicle report shows and characterizes the coupé in many details.
When Volvo presented the C70 in Paris in 1996, the brand already had an impressive coupé tradition. However, the C70, which was powered exclusively by five-cylinder engines, was positioned significantly differently to the P 1800 or 480 ES. And it was also available as a convertible. The Americans loved both versions, but here in Germany the C70 siblings had a somewhat harder time, despite their intoxicating beauty and innovative technology. This vehicle report looks back some 25 years and describes the first-generation C70.
Current market prices for Volvo
2-Door Sedan, 39 PS, 1414 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 43 PS, 1414 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 43 PS, 1414 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 51 PS, 1414 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 59 PS, 1583 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 69 PS, 1414 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 76 PS, 1583 cm3
Station Wagon, 43 PS, 1414 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 74 PS, 1583 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 74 PS, 1778 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 59 PS, 1583 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 80 PS, 1778 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 85 PS, 1778 cm3
null, 59 PS, 1583 cm3
null, 74 PS, 1778 cm3
null, 85 PS, 1778 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 74 PS, 1778 cm3
More vehicle evaluations from Classic Data can be found via the search function.
Auctioned vehicles of Volvo
| Brand | Model | Year | Status | Auction name | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volvo Amazon 122 1963 Sold SWVA Poole Auction (October 30, 2015) |
Amazon 122 | 1963 | Sold | SWVA Poole Auction (October 30, 2015) | |
| Volvo 244 DL 1981 Sold H&H Classics The Donington Park Motor Car Auction (July 28, 2016) |
244 DL | 1981 | Sold | H&H Classics The Donington Park Motor Car Auction (July 28, 2016) | |
| Volvo 240 GL 1991 Sold Brightwells Modern Classic Cars (December 8, 2016) |
240 GL | 1991 | Sold | Brightwells Modern Classic Cars (December 8, 2016) | |
| Volvo 145 1971 Sold ACA Anglia Car Auctions Kings Lynn (April 8, 2017) |
145 | 1971 | Sold | ACA Anglia Car Auctions Kings Lynn (April 8, 2017) | |
| Volvo P 1800 ES 1973 Sold Bonhams The December Sale (December 7, 2016) |
P 1800 ES | 1973 | Sold | Bonhams The December Sale (December 7, 2016) | |
| Volvo 760 GLE 1990 Sold ACA Kings Lynn Auction (November 5, 2016) |
760 GLE | 1990 | Sold | ACA Kings Lynn Auction (November 5, 2016) | |
| Volvo 262 C Bertone (ex David Bowie) 1981 Sold Oldtimer Galerie Toffen Gstaad (December 29, 2017) |
262 C Bertone (ex David Bowie) | 1981 | Sold | Oldtimer Galerie Toffen Gstaad (December 29, 2017) | |
| Volvo P1800 ES 1973 Not Sold Bonhams MPH Bicester Live & Online Auction September (September 20, 2020) |
P1800 ES | 1973 | Not Sold | Bonhams MPH Bicester Live & Online Auction September (September 20, 2020) | |
| Volvo P 1800 S 1966 Sold H&H Classics The Pavilion Gardens Motor Car Auction (November 12, 2014) |
P 1800 S | 1966 | Sold | H&H Classics The Pavilion Gardens Motor Car Auction (November 12, 2014) | |
| Volvo 850 1995 Sold ACA Kings Lynn Auction (August 27, 2016) |
850 | 1995 | Sold | ACA Kings Lynn Auction (August 27, 2016) |
Query all auctioned vehicles of Volvo
All 230 Volvo models
Loading...