Volvo Amazon

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Volvo Amazon
Manufacturer Volvo Cars
Production 1956–1970
Assembly Torslanda, Sweden
Successor Volvo 140 Series
Class Mid-size
Body style(s) 2-door coupe
4-door sedan
5-door Station wagon
Layout FR layout
Engine(s) B16
B18
B20
Transmission(s) 3-speed manual
4-speed manual
4-speed manual with overdrive
3-speed automatic
Wheelbase 102 in (2591 mm)
Length 173 in (4394 mm)
Curb weight 2400 lb (1089 kg)
Designer Jan Wilsgaard
A 1966 Volvo Amazon station wagon.
A 1966 Volvo Amazon station wagon.

The Volvo Amazon was a mid-size car introduced in 1956 by Volvo Cars to complement their Volvo PV model, offered since 1947. The Amazon was manufactured at Volvo's Torslandaverken[1] and when production ended on July 3 1970[2], 667,323 had been produced.

Compared to its predecessor the PV, the Amazon was a more modern car available in a wider range of body-styles — though the Amazon shared both the wheelbase from the PV as well as its tall posture and high H-point seating. Notably, the Amazon was the first car to feature three-point seat belts, and the first to have any kind of seat belt as standard equipment.

When originally introduced, the car was called the Amason (with an 's')[2], which derives from the fierce female warriors of Greek mythology, the Amazons. Volvo modified the spelling to Amazon and used the name for the range up until 1961, when it initiated it's new tri-digit nomenclature and the line became known as the 120 Series.[2]

Contents

[edit] Styling and design

The Amazon's styling was inspired by American cars of the early 1950s, strongly resembling the Chrysler New Yorker sedan and the Chrysler 300C hardtop Coupe. According to designer Jan Wilsgaard, the Amazon's styling was inspired by a Kaiser automobile he saw at the Gothenburg harbour.[3]

Notably, the Amazon featured strong articulation front to rear, pronounced "shoulders", and slight but visible tailfins. These features became inspiration for Peter Horbury when reconceiving Volvo's design direction with the V70 — after decades of rectilinear, slab-sided, boxy designs.[4]

[edit] The Station Wagon

The station wagon (estate) version was introduced at the 1962 Stockholm Auto Show, and Volvo manufactured 73,000 examples between 1962 and 1969.[5] The Amazon estate featured a bi-parting tailgate, a lower section folding down to provide a load surface and an upper section that hinged overhead. The vehicle's rear license plate, attached to the lower tailgate, could fold "up" such that when the tailgate was lowered and the vehicle in use, the license plate was still visible. An similar arrangement was used on the tailgate of the Subaru Baja.

Notably, the Amazon platform was used as the basis for the P1800 and P1800ES.[6]

[edit] History

The first Amazon was manufactured in July 1956 and carried the internal designation 120 series. Further iterations included the 121, the base model with a single carburetor 66 bhp (49 kW) engine, the 122S introduced in 1958 as a performance model equipped with a dual carburetor 85 bhp (63 kW) engine, and the later 130 (two door sedan), 120 (four door sedan) and 220 (4-door estate wagon) models.

In 1966 the Volvo PV ended production, replaced by the Amazon Favorit, a simpler version of the Amazon. In 1967 came the 123GT that was a 130 with high compression B18B engine (from the Volvo P1800), M41 gearbox, fully reclining seats, front fog and driving lights (on some markets), alternator, fender mounted mirrors, special steering wheel, dash with a shelf and tachometer, and other cosmetic upgrades. In 1969 the displacement of the old B18 engine was increased and the engine was called the B20.

While the car was sold as the Volvo Amazon in Sweden, it was marketed using the model number in most other countries, commonly, the Volvo 122; the name "Amazon" was already a registered trademark in various markets by German moped manufacturer Kreidler.

Notably, the 1976 film All the President's Men (about Watergate), featured a grey Amazon driven by the investigative reporters (Woodward and Bernstein).

[edit] Features

Original specifications for the Amazon included Volvo's new B16 engine, a 3-speed manual gearbox (H6) and rear wheel drive. In 1958 the sport model, Amazon Sport, was released and later the same year the Amazon became the first series produced car with a two-point safety belt in the front seats as standard. In 1962, Volvo introduced a two door version, a five door wagon, and the new B18 engine, deleting two-tone paint and upholstery. In 1965 the Amazon color-coordinated embossed vinyl upholstery and door panels became available. The new gearbox selections were the three speed M30 (briefly offered with an automatic electric clutch), the four speed M40 and the M41 with four speed and overdrive. The M31 gearbox was also introduced in 1961 but was only available that year (a three speed fully synchronized gearbox with overdrive on both second and third direct gears). Gearbox options on the 121 were the M30, M31 and M40 while gearbox options on the 122S were the M40 and M41 gearboxes. In 1964 the Borg-Warner BW35 three speed automatic transmission also became available on the four-door and two-door. From 1967 to 1968 the BW35 was also available on the five-door wagon.

[edit] Gallery

Volvo P12106 Amazon 4-Door Sedan 1960

Volvo 133351 M Amazon Sedan 1967

Volvo 221341 S Amazon Station Wagon Police 1969

Volvo Amazon Sedan Police 1970

Volvo 131341 T Amazon Sedan 1970

Volvo 131341 T Amazon Sedan 1970

[edit] References

  1. ^ From Mass-Market Cars to Niche Sports Utility Vehicles - The Volvo Torslanda Plant Turns 40. Swedespeed.com, Apr 15, 2004, Source: Volvo Car Corporation.
  2. ^ a b c The Volvo Amazon: A Volvo beauty with mythological status turns 50. Volvoclub.org, July 11th, 2006.
  3. ^ Så blev hon en bi. aftonbladet.se. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.(Swedish)
  4. ^ Global Viewpoints: Design roots. SAE.org, Automotive Engineering Online, Global View, April 2000.
  5. ^ The Amazon Estate (P220)- The First Major Step Towards the Five-Door Saloon. Volvoclub.org.
  6. ^ From the Past: Volvo 1800ES, Combination of a Wagon and Sports Car Flopped in the Market, but Became Influential. The Wall Street Journal,Dan Carney, June 30, 2007
    “ The Amazon is probably one of the safest cars built in the 60's ”
    .

[edit] External links

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« previous — Volvo Cars, a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company since 1998, road car timeline, 1960s–present
Type 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Small family car 544 66
340
360
Volvo 440/460/480
S40 S40 S40
C30
Compact executive car Amazon / 120 / 130
140 240 850 S70 S60 S60
740 940
Executive car 164 760 960 S90 S80 S80
260
Sport P1800 1800S 1800E 1800ES 242 GT 240 Turbo 850 R S/V70 R S60/V70 T5 S60/V70 R
Coupé 262C 780 C70 C70
Estate car V40 V50
145 240 850 V70 V70 V70
Duett 740 940
Crossover XC60
XC70 XC70 XC70
XC90