Volvo’s first foray into unibody construction was the PV444, a sedan produced after WWII. That homely but beloved vehicle set Volvo up to thrive in the post-war period. To expand its appeal, Volvo produced a bare chassis version of the 444, called the 445; this, it salted around to dozens of coachbuilders to build custom vehicles – everything from ambulances to hearses. A few thousand body-on-chassis 445s had hit the ground by the early 1950s, produced by builders such as Sala, Nordberg, Skaftekulla among many others. Watching the stream of ideas flow from other makers, and possessed of several unsold 445 chassis, Volvo decided to build its own station wagon called the Duett, marketed as two cars in one. Here on craigslist is a 1960 Volvo Duett in very spiffy condition, with an asking price or $23,950. It’s located in Merrimack, New Hampshire, and we owe Mitchell G thanks for the tip!

Volvo’s B16 engine sits here, a 1.6 liter four-cylinder good for 85 bhp in 1960 with those twin SU carburetors. That was decent power in 1960, when the MGA was producing 80 bhp. The brakes are drums all around, with a single master cylinder; conversion to an Amazon disc/drum configuration is a worthwhile upgrade. The three-speed manual wasn’t updated until late 1960, when four speeds finally became available. By then, the Duett was called the P210 and it had graduated to a one-piece, curved windshield. This example is said to run and drive well, but the transmission is making noise when put into reverse, signaling the need for a rebuild.

The cabin is spartan at best. The seats don’t offer much support, and that loooong gearshift floats toward the driver’s knee. The front kick panels appear to be wood, like the cargo area and rear door panels, but they don’t match the door cards. Speaking of the cargo area, it’s clean and attractive, with wood planking sandwiched between metal strips. The former owner ran into Jay Leno at a car show, and Mr Leno signed the Duett’s dashboard.

The Duett shares front-end sheet metal with the PV444 but the rear is unique. The chubby rounded sheet metal is accented with partial corner bumpers and a vintage luggage rack up top. The whole effect reminds me of a 1940s refrigerator with windows, a far cry from the later super-safe, boxy wagons that every parent wanted to buy for their teenage driver. Volvo Duetts rarely come up for sale; this ’65 here on Hemmings is priced at $26k and it’s located in the Netherlands; this ’62 sold for $20,350 in November, 2023. What would you pay for a vintage Volvo wagon?