Couch potato: ’58 Volvo Duett 445
If you are a fan of solid old Volvos, you know this one is pretty rare here in the US. The name Duett comes from management’s wishes to have a suitable commercial vehicle that can be used as a passenger vehicle on weekends. Hence one vehicle, 2 uses and the name Duett. Clever those Swedes were back then. Another little known fact (unless you are a Volvo trivia expert) is that the Duett was built on an old ladder type frame to simplify the fitting of special commercial bodies. Here’s a Jeopardy question, Alex Trebeck. The only Volvo sold in the USA that used a ladder-type frame. Buzzz! “What is a Duett?” Our featured Duett comes from the northwest and has been in the care of only 2 owners since new. The first owner in New Mexico kept it for 36 years! It looks like the second owner really cared for this interesting Swedish specimen. It has traveled only 94,000 miles since 1958 and we are sure Irv’s 3 million mile 1800S would call the Duett a couch potato by comparison. It has the original B16 engine that needed a rebuild at 86,000 miles and is said to run just fine today. We appreciate the expense lavished on the cosmetic restoration but the seller states clearly there are quite a few imperfections cropping up inside and out. And the horn doesn’t work and that can be a really easy fix so why not do it? Not sure about the seat cover material but that’s personal. Volvo did offer a color called Gold Beige code 48, but we aren’t sure this is it. If it is original, it must be rare. But if you’ve always wanted a unique and useable vintage car, this one could be yours. Click here for the eBay listing.