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A guide to a selection of the most popular classic Volvo's, authored by Chris Rowlands of the moneysupermarket.com
classic car insurance team.
Since the first car rolled off of the production line in 1927 Volvo has gone from strength to strength. Manufacturer of cars, trucks, buses, marine engines and even components for the aircraft industry; the group continues to thrive.
Along the way the production line has given birth to some stunning and extremely well built production pieces, including such gems as the P1800 (as featured in the 1960's TV show; "The Saint"); a sleek aerodynamic car with the power to match and a truly stunning 2 door speedster.
Looking back at some stunning earlier models, who could miss out the PV444/544; built between 1947 and 1965, a true small Volvo built to deliver good fuel economy and designed to make use of the most available raw material following WW2.
The first Volvo incorporating a 4-cylinder 1.4L engine delivering excellent performance along with the reliability that Volvo has come to be known for.
The 444 was phased out in 1958 by the 544 which had in its favour; a one piece curved windshield, 4 speed transmission (as opposed to the 3 in the 444), a ribbon style speedometer and, in 1962, a new 1.8L engine developed for the P1800.
Volvo is widely known for their high standards of safety and they were the first to introduce the 3 point seatbelt (as standard equipment) which appeared in 1956 in the "Amazon" (122).
In the late 60's the company released the 164 which took a step towards the design we are more familiar with today; a 4 door saloon model with a 3L, 6 cylinder engine available in 4 speed manual or 3 speed automatic gearbox. With a wooden look dashboard and the option of a leather interior, this car was Volvo's first luxury offering in almost 2 decades - following the ceasing of production of the PV60 almost 20 years earlier.
Finally, in 1974 the company launched the 200 series which remained in production until 1993; featuring many styling points still to be seen on some of the newer models and one of Volvo's best ever selling cars with the high safety levels the company is now renowned for.
With front and rear crumple zones to absorb impacts and the introduction of a Volkswagen built diesel engine in 1979, Volvo had found a winning formula that they have continued to expand upon to this day.
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