When it comes to longevity, few classics can hold a candle to vehicles produced by Volvo. Designed to survive the rigors of the Swedish winter, almost any other environment is a walk in the park for these beauties. This 1963 Volvo 121 Station Wagon is a spotless classic that needs nothing but a new home. It presents superbly, and with a tidy interior and healthy drivetrain, it is ready to provide a new owner with immediate enjoyment. The Wagon is listed here on Facebook in Easton, Maryland. The seller set their price at $17,500, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder T.J. for spotting this Swedish survivor.
This Volvo makes a positive first impression, and it seems it doesn’t flatter to deceive. Its Mist Green paint shines beautifully, with no flaws visible in it or the panels. The seller doesn’t indicate whether this classic is restored, but its overall presentation suggests it received plenty of TLC. The gaps are tight and consistent, and there is no evidence of rust. This last point is unsurprising because the company designed and engineered its offerings to survive the Swedish winter. Sweden is a beautiful country that has given the world many worthwhile things. However, the colder months can be some of the harshest on earth, meaning classics like this Volvo were over-engineered to cope. The chrome and trim are spotless, as is the glass. The 121 may be an entry-level Wagon, but the whitewall tires add a touch of class it richly deserves.
If Volvo’s body engineering helped it create genuine survivors, its drivetrains were equally impressive. This car features the 1,778cc “B18” four-cylinder powerplant that sends 68hp and 97 ft/lbs of torque to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. That combination may not equate to stunning performance, but this classic should happily cruise all day at highway speeds. It is also worth noting the company’s “B-Series” fours are some of the most robust in automotive history. Plenty of older Volvos continue competing in domestic Scandinavian rally competitions with a “B” under the hood. They’ve proved unstoppable, and careful tweaking and tuning can extract a few additional ponies without stressing the motor. This Wagon is in excellent mechanical health. It runs and drives well, making it a turnkey proposition for its new owner. Feel like flying in and driving home? That could be a reality with this classic.
Probably this Volvo’s greatest attribute is its interior condition. That might seem insignificant compared to the state of its panels and paint, but it deserves serious consideration. If this Wagon had rust (which it doesn’t), replacement steel is relatively affordable and easily sourced. However, interior trim and upholstery can be ruinously expensive and is often the difference between a viable project and one where the candidate is destined for parts. There are no such dramas here, with the upholstered surfaces appearing perfect. There is no evidence of wear or physical damage, and even the prone upper dash pad looks excellent. If I bought this classic, I would invest in a cover to protect that aspect of the interior. It would cost around $80, but it could be cheap insurance when a replacement pad costs $800! The rear cargo area is as spotless as the rest of the interior, and an AM radio should relieve boredom on long journeys.
Like virtually every classic, this 1963 Volvo 121 Station Wagon won’t appeal to everyone. However, if someone is searching for a practical vehicle that presents well and can’t be killed with a big stick, it must be a strong contender. With the company now in Chinese hands and plans in place for it to switch entirely to zero-emission vehicles by the end of the decade, preserving classics that reflect the “no nonsense” Swedish approach to design and engineering is a priority. That is the chance this Wagon offers, and I hope someone is willing to accept that challenge. Could that person be you?
Ironically my friend sent me this classified this morning. We are both long roof lovers and I said he should go buy it since he’s close by. I think this is a good looking car and a cheap classic that’s easy to maintain.
These are good cars,but not real exciting to drive in stock form.
Personally,I’d reverse those wide whitewalls.I’ve never seen one
with them,& hope I don’t again.
They are also wrong for the year. Thin walls reined in the ’60s. Nice solid cars.
By golly, if one is to ask a premium price for something few would want today, it better be nice for the,,say, 3 people in the world that would go for one, and here it is. While it’s true, it’s not a wheel stander, to be honest, I never saw a B18 with a single carb, or heard of a “121”, and will certainly hamper performance. The twin carb put out over 80hp, I’d have to think this would be too slow. With what Volvo has become, and most that had any connection to these great cars are relegated to the starin’ window, I don’t think ANYONE today knows or cares about their past.
Side note, I don’t think non-FB members can view Marketplace ads.
“……….relegated to the starin window”…………..yer killin me HoA!
I saw the ad and I have NOTHING to do with azzcrack…I think most can see it. The fact it is on azzcrack tells you the seller knows his audience.
Gonna be slowwww like you said…….a mobile starin window. But I like it absent the whitewalls ( its not the forties) and the price.
Carry on!
These cars came in wagons, panel trucks etc. but the strangest form was the wagon our landlord had on his farm in Norway, where we lived for 3 years. There is a 100% value added tax on cars in Norway but they make exceptions for commercial use. Landlord was a building contractor that sought out any method to save money so he bought the commercial variation of this car which was a two door car with full glass but nothing at all behind the front seats. Put a plywood deck in back so his 3 kids had a place to ride while he and wife sat up front. To give an idea of the VAT a ’74 VW Scirocco cost $8,500.
The Volvo Red engine is like a sbc 283 or a slant six.Beat it like a red headed step child and it’ll keep running. Cool car. I like it.Looks linda like a late 50’s Rambler wagon .
So, being an Anorak, this isn’t a 121 as it would have been a Sedan. The Wagon would be a 221 with the single carb engine.
While looking nice I’m unsure about the seat covers. I’m no expert on US equipment but the vinyl doesn’t look right to me. It’s also missing the square reflex housings below the tail lights. But overall looking like a nice car with a lovely color at a pretty high price.
I really like these wagons and having owned two 122 wagons and every model wagon produced by Volvo, from 1966 to my current 2010 V-70 R design. Yes you could say I’ve drank the Kool Aid. They each had a certain charm and driving feel to them. Sadly they have gotten more user unfriendly, and expensive. I don’t recognize the seat covers either but I believe this is a euro spec wagon with the amber top turn signals, single carb,and lack of rear reflector housings. I agree on the wide whitewalls. Still a nice wagon I’d love to drive.
I needed a winter beater and a friend sold me a long roof $300 Volvo. I figured one winter. After winter number six I was hooked. Greatest heater ever. Always started even 20 below. Saddly last month I was hit head on by a driver with no lights on at night one block from home. It sits in the driveway all crumpled up. Am I looking for another one? You bet I am.
Additional comments after looking at the pictures in the ad:
1/ European spec Amazon of this model had fabric seats. Perforated vinyl came with the later type of seats.
2/ It has the later grille inserts. If I remember it correctly they won’t fit the earlier cars, so it would say that the whole front panel has been swapped.
3/ I mentioned the missing rear reflex housings, there should also be a panel seam down beneath the tail lights which has been smoothed over.
4/ These earlier Amazon would have had the dash cover extensions that continue for 10” or so along the top of the front doors. Those are missing.
5/ The Volvo 121 badges on the front fenders must have been added as 121 is a single carb sedan.
So overall indications are that this is no original survivor but rather a fully restored car – which can be good if it is done well and rather risky if the restorer took shortcuts. At least it calls for a closer inspection before handing over the money.
Good eye on these details!
Nice looking car. If I may correct the author regarding the year of the car. The title says 1963 Volvo. Looking at the front of the car, I see a 1966 or a later Volvo 122.
Adam, why did you capitalize station and wagon every time you wrote the words? Pointless and needless capitalization is a pet peeve of mine.
The wide whitewalls work, I like them.
I had a 63 122S 2 door, drove it for 10 years and loved it. The push rods were just as good when I sold it as they were when new. Some uninsured woman hit us head on, wife met the windshield, stitches required. I hated the speedo that was like a graph going across the dash.
It was only 6 months old at the time so had it repaired.
side note. anybody can look at the ads
You can’t lose on this car as long as you decide to use it daily and pass it on when you can no longer drive a rather “rugged” car. You can make them perform as well as you want. They react positively to relatively minor inexpensive upgrades in exhaust, intake and ignition but you can take it as far as you want. As an aside, there are very few truly original 122s in any guise. Everything is interchangeable with other Volvo’s of similar vintage. Why not have a type 30 rear end, overdrive, dual braking or whatever you fancy from other models. Both my daughters, in their late thirties, who learned to drive in “Rosebud’ the red Volvo, are arguing over who gets it when I’m gone.
I agree. I’m rather old-school when it comes to cars in general, but particularly Volvo cars. I like anything from the PV544 to the 740 series.
Hopefully there are enough of us in the Volvo affectionado crowd that three pedals won’t kill the sale
Although it’s been a while, I learned to drive on a car with a manual shifting gearbox. I could drive one if given the opportunity to do so. :)
This looks just like the car in the 1985 rom con movie “The Sure Thing” with John Cusak! It’s a funny movie, and this car is definitely both a survivor, and the doppelganger of the movie car they begin their journey in before things go hilariously south.
I’ve never seen a Volvo 121 before. I’ve seen a few 122S. Usually the sedan.
I hope this car went to a good owner. Given its condition, I’d be willing to pay close to the $17k asking price.