Volvos have long had a reputation for two things: ruggedness and safety. Cuteness is not so much the thing with the Swedish brand, though the latest models, like the XC40, definitely have a presence in the looks department. A tip from Barney takes us to the past of this great marque by offering a super-cute little bubble-shaped two-door 1966 122s model (by name, “Amazon”) for an asking price of $9500, here on craigslist. You can pick it up in (or drive it home from) Osborn, a town in rural Maine.
There aren’t a whole lot of claims as to fitness for use in the ad, though the coupe is claimed to be “fun to drive,” and with a four-speed shifter, that would seem a reasonable notion. You’re dealing with a largely original car here, albeit with a restored interior. Mostly (says the seller). The fact is, someone keeps this car in a giant tent-type garage in what looks like the back-back-back forty, but give them credit for keeping the car out of the elements.
The images show pretty much what the above sounds like, a car that has been preserved rather than restored, and heck, we all know how this brand is for reliability. The world record for miles traveled in one car, set by Irv Gordon, was in a 1966 P1800S Volvo. He put more than 3 million miles on his beloved car. But no wonder these are hard to kill. These are, after all, Swedish cars. Not so fast. That might have once been true, but Volvo was purchased by a Chinese conglomerate, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, in 2010. So what? You’re embarking on an adventure into the past in a car made in Sweden. Or maybe Belgium or South Africa, other places where Volvo had a manufacturing presence during the history of the model, which spanned 1956 to 1970. The VIN tag decodes to a car that was originally prepared for the US/Canadian market.
So why consider this car? Because it has compelling good looks, from the tiny taillights to the jet-age steering wheel. Because it’s so simple and uncluttered under the hood that you could fit your whole family in there. Because it has only a reported 65,000 miles and things look mostly clean. There is a slight sign of rust on the leading edge of the right front fender near the headlight and possibly at the trailing edge of the door on the same side, so an inspection is in order to verify that you’re not going to be in for a full resto, but if the car holds up under that scrutiny, then for under ten grand, you’ve got a fun collectible on your hands.
I was staying with a friend who lived in the Twin Peaks area of
San Francisco in the early ’70’s.Talked to a guy who wanted to buy the neighbor’s 122 that was in perfect shape.The buyer told me that they
were asking $700 for it.How times have changed.
Years later I found a BRG 123GT in near perfect shape.It still had
all the GT items on it.I tried to find someone to save it,or at least the parts
on it,but as this was in the pre-internet days,I couldn’t anyone.
I bought one of these for $1500 back about 7 years ago, in similar condition. I did some refurbishment on the brakes, and drove it in the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Kickoff Rallye. I liked the car OK, but it didn’t really knock my socks off.
Everything mechanical on the 122 is exactly the same as the 1800. The 1800 is just a 122 (and a 544) in a tight dress. To me, 9500 is a bit much for a 122. Here’s my ’65 Electra I just bought for 6200. Sure, I’m comparing apples to oranges, but I’m also spending $3300 less, and I don’t have to do all that pesky shifting.