Volvo | Mint2Me

Jun
13

More Roger Moore References: ’67 Volvo P1800S

Category: Submitted Tags: P1800S, Swedish, Volvo Leave a Comment

It seems every Volvo P1800 seller trumpets the appearance of the car on The Saint starring Roger Moore. From what I remember of the story, the producers wanted a Jaguar XKE but they were in so much demand, Jaguar declined. Volvo smartly jumped at the chance. When you think about it, The Saint’s Volvo is probably one of the most famous TV cars. Comment on which one you think is the most popular. Kit, General Lee, Route 66 ‘Vette, Honey West’s white Cobra? Read More

Jun
8

By mint2me

25 Years: ’66 Volvo 122S Wagon

Category: Submitted Tags: 122S, Swedish, Volvo 1 Comment

Volvo 122S

Admittedly we are station wagon aficionados. We applaud their versatility and in most cases, the long roof design. Couple that appreciation with one of our favorite utilitarian cars – the Volvo 122S – and you have a car we believe would be a welcome addition to anyone’s household. We are not at all suggesting that this particular example or any other become someone’s garage or trailer queen, but rather an adventure mobile. This is a car you make as reliable as possible using methods learned 40 years after it was originally built. Read More

Jun
7

By mint2me

An Early Volvo: ’58 Volvo 444

Category: Your Pick Tags: Swedish, Volvo Leave a Comment

58 Volvo 444 fr

People who aren’t familiar with Volvo history joke about the styling –or lack of – of the 444/544 Volvo. It looks too much like a 3/4 size ’40 Ford they say. Well, they don’t know the Swedes. The Swedes are inspired by things around them. If you look at today’s Volvos, they are quite elegant, spare and dare I say, natural looking. Just like the Swedish countryside. I guess back in the ’50s they were influenced by American styling. But that was what they did back then. The 1st Volvo, the Jakob, looked like any other car from the period. Later, Volvo was inspired by the spacey American Kaiser when they created a prototype V-8 car called the Phillip (how did I remember that name) in the 50s. That doesn’t make them bad at making cars. Read More

May
29

By mint2me

Not perfect but could be: ’68 Volvo 122S Wagon

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68 Volvo 122S Wagon

We posted a rather nostalgic look back at a Volvo 240DL wagon just yesterday and then this beautiful precursor popped up. We are just enamored with the Volvo 122S. It is one of the most significant sedans/wagons of the 1960s in our opinion. And probably in the opinion of the advertising agencies that created the most memorable automobile advertising this side of Volkswagen and Doyle Dane Bernbach. Read More

May
28

By mint2me

Not just a used car: ’88 Volvo 240 DL Wagon

Category: Submitted Tags: Swedish, Volvo 1 Comment

88 Volvo 240 DL Wagon

If you are saying to yourself “what in the hell are these Mint guys thinking”, you might not appreciate loyalty. The Volvo 240 wagon, in any of its many flavors, is a robust almost indestructible mode of transportation. And it is to be respected for that. One can equate it to the Labrador Retriever. If you owned one, you know what we mean. You just get attached to them.

May
24

By mint2me

Swedish Longroof: ’72 Volvo 1800ES

Category: Submitted Tags: 1800ES, Swedish, Volvo Leave a Comment

Volvo 1800ES

Like the Austin-Healey we featured, we seem to come up with quite a few nice Volvo 1800s lately. This is a really nice follow-up to the Coupe we had earlier this week. That 1800E was interesting because it had factory A/C. Guess what? If you need a little more carrying capacity for you scuba gear, this one has A/C too. It is the same light blue metallic as the Coupe so you have a real choice here. Read More

May
21

By mint2me

Swedish Amason: ’66 Volvo 122S

Category: Your Pick Tags: Swedish, Volvo Leave a Comment

1966 Volvo 122S

Relax Volvo fans and we know we have many. We did not misspell Amason. When introduced, the car was called the Amason which derives from the fierce female warriors of Greek mythology, the Amazons. German motorcycle manufacture Kreidler had already registered that name, and the two companies finally agreed that Volvo could only use the name within Sweden, modifying the spelling to Amazon. Subsequently, Volvo began its tri-digit nomenclature and the line became known as the 120 Series. Now you can rest easy with this knowledge. Read More

May
19

By mint2me

Cool Swede: ’72 Volvo P1800E

Category: Submitted Tags: P1800S, Swedish, Volvo 1 Comment

1972 Volvo P1800E

Volvo wasn’t known for making sweeping changes year to year. But every once in a while, they were forced to keep up with competition and federal regulations. In 1970, Volvo made numerous changes to the P1800. They added an E which meant it had the B20E engine with Bosch D-Jetronic, a revised camshaft, and produced 130 bhp without sacrificing fuel economy. Top speed was around 120 mph and acceleration from 0–60 mph took 9.5 seconds. Read More

May
13

By mint2me

A real Saint: ’67 Volvo P1800S

Category: Your Pick Tags: P1800S, Swedish, Volvo Leave a Comment

67 Volvo P1800S

We love the Volvo P1800S and there are legions of new admirers snapping up the best ones. We found this California car on Craigslist and it looks and sounds like the real deal. But even the best one of the “unrestored” P1800S out there can have lots of needs. Read More

Apr
14

By mint2me

Swedish Limo: ’78 Volvo 264 GLE

Category: Submitted Tags: Swedish, Volvo 6 Comments

Volvo 264 GLE

We don’t usually get excited about finding a late ’70 Volvo Sedan for sale but this one we will call an exception. The 200 Series Volvos replaced the 140/160 series and was also designed by Jan Wilsgard. Post 1974, they were burdened with huge bumpers but in a strange sense, that contributed to Volvo’s legendary claim as the safest car you should buy. They even had some pretty outrageous safety colors that improved your visibility in the fog. We are talking orange and lime green and a few others. And the 2-box station wagon solidified its position as the top-selling wagon for people who think. Every once in a while, they came up with a really nice, elegant sedan and that is what we found today. Read More

Apr
2

By mint2me

Everyone loves a clone: ’68 Volvo 122S (GT)

Category: Your Pick Tags: sweden, Volvo Leave a Comment

Volvo 122S

Of all the Volvo 122S versions the 123GT is the most sought after. Contrary to popular thought, the GT designation did come with a host of special equipment to distinguish it from the standard model. Many of these differences are small and that is a testament to Volvo engineers in the day. They knew what it took to be a sports sedan and they made sure the GT had it all. So when it comes to cloning one of these, you have to get at least the big things right and this one seems to have accomplished that. Read More

Mar
28

By mint2me

Vacation Memories: ’71 Volvo 1800E

Category: Submitted Tags: P1800S, sweden, Volvo Leave a Comment

Volvo 1800E

We’ve owned lots of Volvos. Probably can’t count how many have taken residence in our garage. The oldest was a ’52 PV444 that we found in the high desert in California. Most of the others were station wagons – the 240 and the 740 – plain and turbocharged. We had a Bertone 780 Coupe in a pretty dark red metallic too. But we have never owned an 1800. We think we may have missed a really neat experience. The 1800 acquired its name from the displacement of the engine. It was called a P1800S. The S is for Sweden. Read More

Feb
20

By mint2me

Joginder Singh, the “Flying Sikh” and an Update on the ’60 PV544

Category: Submitted, Your Pick Tags: Rally, Swedish, Volvo Leave a Comment

We had one of our best days ever when we posted the Volvo PV544. The auction has a Buy It Now price less than $8,000. One of our subscribers sent me a link to a YouTube video about the East African Safari Rally and one of its luminaries, Joginder Singh. So we thought we would package the update on the 544 with some history and the video.

From Wikipedia:

Joginder was the first Sikh driver ever to win an international rally, and also the first man to win the Safari Rally three times, he was fondly known as the “Flying Sikh” for his exploits behind the wheel. Although Ugandan rival Shekhar Mehta has more outright victories in the event, Singh’s record of 19 finishes in 22 attempts is an unprecedented feat of consistency in what has been long regarded as the world’s toughest rally, where the attrition rate can exceed 90%. His historic first Safari win in 1965 proved to be a triumph against expectations and a defiance of superstition. It was the 13th running of the event, and his car was given the number 1 which was at that time considered an unlucky number in the Safari. Nevertheless, there was only good fortune for Joginder and Jaswant, despite piloting the same Volvo which factory driver Tom Trana had used in 1963 and 1964 and which had clocked up 42,000 competitive miles on its odometer before the Bhachu brothers’ victory.

Feb
17

By mint2me

Old Faithful: ’60 Volvo 544 Sedan

Category: Submitted, Your Pick Tags: Rally, Swedish, Volvo 1 Comment

The “Drive It Like You Hate It” campaign referred to the 122S but it is totally apropos for a 544. Loyal 544 owners are often teased that their trusty classic looks like a shrunken old Ford. Nothing could be more far from the truth. These Volvos were actually sport sedans dressed in a housecoat instead of an evening gown. The 544 feels anything but stodgy. It is stoutly constructed and at 2100 lb., pretty light on its feet. Read More

Feb
10

By mint2me

Still Available: ’64 Volvo P1800S

Category: Your Pick Tags: P1800S, sweden, Volvo Leave a Comment

This wonderful P1800S has been re-posted by the seller on eBay. The starting bid is $15,000 and we have some suspicion that is all they want to make the deal. These early P1800S models are rare in this condition and although it has a few cosmetic needs, it looks like a good jumping off point. We haven’t inspected the car in person, so we don’t know the quality of the paint. But it certainly appears to be presentable in the photos. BTW, Irv Gordon, the P1800S 3 million miler, posted it on his Facebook page so we know it is worth checking into. Click here for the eBay listing.

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