The Volvo Amazon is a mid-sized car that was manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars from 1956 to 1970.[7] It was introduced in the United States as the 122S at the 1959 New York International Auto Show.
The Amazon shares the wheelbase, tall posture and high H-point seating of its predecessor, the PV444/544, and was offered in two-door sedan, four-door sedan, and five-door wagon body styles — all noted for their ponton styling. In 1959 Volvo became the world's first manufacturer to provide front seat belts as standard equipment — by providing them on all Amazon models, including the export models — and later becoming the first car featuring three-point seat belts as standard equipment.
When introduced, the car was named the Amason (with an 's'),[7] deriving from the fierce female warriors of Greek mythology, the Amazons. German motorcycle manufacturer Kreidler had already registered the name, and the two companies agreed that Volvo could only use the name domestically (i.e., within Sweden), modifying the spelling to Amazon.[7] Subsequently, Volvo began its tri-digit nomenclature and the line became known as the 120 Series.[7]
The Amazon was originally manufactured at Volvo's Lundby plant in Gothenburg and subsequently at the company's Torslandaverken plant,[8] which began operating in 1964. By the end of production, 234,653 four-door models, 359,917 two-door models and 73,220 station wagons had been produced, of which 60% were exported; for a total of 667,791 vehicles.
Styling and design
The Amazon sedan's ponton genre, three-box styling was inspired by US 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 he saw at the Gothenburg harbour.[9]
The Amazon features 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.[10]
The Amazon's bodywork was constructed of phosphate-treated steel (to improve paint adhesion) and with heavy use of undercoating and anti-corrosive oil treatment.[11]
History
Under prototype designation 1200, following the PV444's internal designation as the 1100,[14] the Amazon was released in the press in February 1956, with production initially set to begin in July of the same year, and deliveries commenced in August 1956 — under the now modified internal designation 120 series. Further iterations included the 121, the base model with a single carburetor 66 bhp engine, the 122S introduced in 1958 as a performance model equipped with a dual carburetor 85 bhp engine. The Amazon's handbrake location, outboard of the driver's seat, was intended to accommodate subsequent bench seat models with column shift transmissions- these were produced in small numbers and made available to certain export markets. Buyers began to receive the first cars in February 1957,[14] and initial models were two-tone red and black with light gray roof, light grey with a black roof, followed by a dark blue with gray roof in 1958.[14]
The Volvo Amazon in station wagon form would become the first foreign market police car introduced to any police force of the United Kingdom in 1965. Having trialled it against a Citroën DS19 Safari and Humber Super Snipe station wagon, Hampshire Constabulary purchased a white Volvo Amazon 1800 station wagon with a Ruddspeed upgraded engine initially for use as an accident tender, carrying equipment used by the police when attending scenes of road accidents, before transferring onto
Features
Original specifications for the Amazon included the new Volvo 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 three-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.
External links
- Volvo Amazon Buyers Guide, with advice on finding a good example
- Volvo Amazon Picture Gallery, including extensive production data
- Norsk Volvo Amazon Klubb
- Svenska Volvo Amazonklubben
- - Homepage about Volvo Amazon
References
- Volvo assembly plants www.volvoadventures.com, 8 August 2008, retrieved 1 June 2012^
- Volvo 120 series, 1961-70 autobook, trove.nla.gov.au Retrieved 18 October 2016^
- John Smith, Profile on the Volvo 120 Amazon, www.volvoclub.org.uk Retrieved on 27 May 2013^