Show me a nice old car

That Volvo is a 121 (single carb), and not the 122 (twin-carb)?

The Volvo 122S was one of my favorite cars, back in the 1960s.
I still have brochures for this car that I got back then as a teenager!

The one in your photo appears to be a 1967 or newer, based on the grill. And if that is a B20 symbol attached to the right grill, it is at least a 1969.

- Murray
 
Yes, a good one, though the styling was about 10 years out of date! Maybe decent looking but conservative, a good car to drive. I had its even stodgier cousin, a 1962 B18 PV544.

The last year of the 122 was 1970 I think, and its replacement 142/144/145 had been on the market since about 1968. People in the Seattle Volvo Car Club tended not to like the boxy 140 series early-on, and there were some early teething problems to get through.
 
David Hughes said:
Why did they stop making them?

This was the only car I have ever driven that I could use everyday of the year regardless of the weather. On snow and ice I felt safe and usually had the road to myself. I also did my fastest commute ever in it and that means it beat my father's Jaguar... And he worked for a very well known racing team then.

Regards, David
Click to expand...
David,


They stopped making them because of production costs. Output was moved to Mangualde in Portugal for the last 2 years (1988-90) to try and reduce costs but it didn't save enough. Plus there was impending emissions regulations (catalytic converters) that would have added to costs. There was too much labour-intensive work in a 2CV, they were from the days of cheap labour.


I ran one for 10 years, it never failed and was cheap and easy to maintain at home, as it was designed to be. It only lacked one thing - performance - but it would always get you there in the end. I wish it were practical to own one still.
 
wolves3012 said:
David,

They stopped making them because of production costs. Output was moved to Mangualde in Portugal for the last 2 years (1988-90) to try and reduce costs but it didn't save enough. Plus there was impending emissions regulations (catalytic converters) that would have added to costs. There was too much labour-intensive work in a 2CV, they were from the days of cheap labour.

I ran one for 10 years, it never failed and was cheap and easy to maintain at home, as it was designed to be. It only lacked one thing - performance - but it would always get you there in the end. I wish it were practical to own one still.
Click to expand...

Yes, although 30 years ago they didn't have robots building the things. I often wonder if they could start again; the Japanese have no problems with short run cars and so...

Regards, David


PS I liked the way you had to think and plan ahead when driving. Nowadays the cars are easier but boring. That only applies to the part of the world where I live.
 
CMur12 said:
That Volvo is a 121 (single carb), and not the 122 (twin-carb)?

The Volvo 122S was one of my favorite cars, back in the 1960s.
I still have brochures for this car that I got back then as a teenager!

The one in your photo appears to be a 1967 or newer, based on the grill. And if that is a B20 symbol attached to the right grill, it is at least a 1969.

- Murray
Click to expand...

Well spotted !
It was a single carb 121 from 1969.
Saw it near a barn in Sweden with a 'for sale' sign back in 1995 .
Drove it back to France .


1995 Les Courtines by JM__, on Flickr

Had an overdrive fitted and the engine rebuilt in the UK into a souped up 2.2 l yet had to sell it at some point .
A great car it was !
I figured since that rangefinders are easier to play with ...
 
The E-Type was just too good to pass!

50625169872_b9037c86bc_k.jpg


Pimlico, London
October 2020
 
No introduction necessary.
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Coming and going. The afternoon Sun can be fickle.
DSCF0154.JPG


Fujifilm X-H1, Fujinon XF 56mm f1.2 R lens
Astia film simulation
Yokohama, Japan - Nov 2020

All the best,
Mike
 
I am surprised by the sheer number of exotic and high-end cars in Yokohama. Is it a wealthy town, or do their owners drive there to show off their acquisitions? In Saigon, a mercantile city with quite a few newly rich inhabitants, you can see an increasing number of Bentley's, Maybach's, Rolls-Royce's, Ferrari's etc... but not on a scale as in Yokohama.
Cheers, OtL
PS. After the war, there were a lot of 60s and 70s American cars in South Vietnam, but I was told that many were bought up by professional car buyers after 1994 -the year the American embargo was lifted, and were shipped back to the USA.
 
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