Volvo did reasonably well with sales the domestic PV444/544 in the United States from the mid-1950s onwards, and its better-looking successor first appeared on our shores as a 1960 model. That was the amazonwhich was available here until 1968. The current Jewel of a car graveyard is one of those cars, found in a self-service garden in Northern California recently.
The Amazon name was not used for these cars in North America (where they were given the 122S badge), but nowadays everyone uses the home market name for these cars.
The engine is Volvo’s trusty 1.8-liter pushrod inline-four, rated at 115 hp and 112 lb-ft.
The transmission is a four-speed manual.
I have found quite a few discarded Amazons during my travels through the scrap yardbecause they are robust cars that have long aroused a strong affection among their owners.
This one was so beloved that the last owner wrote a suicide note on the side before sending it on its final tow truck ride to Pick-n-Pull. The car saved at least two lives, but it would have been nice to get more details here.
The car that did it all!
It was in poor condition when it was retired, with the top down rust you see on cars in California that live near the Pacific Ocean and the salt spray.
When I arrived, the people who had been to the junkyard had already purchased most of the interior and upholstery parts.
The replacement for the Amazon was the 140which arrived in the United States in 1968 and later evolved into the 200 series.
Turn into a Swedish rally driver!
Volvos are so well built that in Sweden they last an average of 11 years.
The best Amazon ads are, of course, in Swedish.