Vehicle Description
1966 Volvo 122S - Amazon
VIN 12244204132
Two (2) owners, California Car, finished in Silver Metallic (180)
with a black leatherette interior. The paintwork is in very nice
overall condition with good gaps and panel fit. The interior is
original and is trimmed in black vinyl with cloth inserts in the
seats. The lower dashboard is painted body color as well as the
upper door trim. The instrumentation includes a horizontal 120-mph
speedometer, gauges for coolant temperature, fuel level, and a
five-digit odometer. The factory steel wheels are 15? with chrome
hubcaps.
The earliest known history of this vehicle begins on June 23, 1978,
when the first owner, Mr. Calderwood, took his vehicle in for
service at Earl Ike Volvo in Costa Mesa, California. Subsequent
services under Mr. Calderwood's ownership were largely performed at
Laguna Beach Imports until the end of his ownership in 1993. In
1994, this Volvo was sold to its second and current owner. On
November 13, 1995, Fabricante Auto Body in Lake Forest, California
performed a windows out repaint in Mercedes Silver metallic (180).
Recently this Volvo has had the brakes completely rebuilt, new
Bilsteins shocks were installed, the sway bar was replaced, and a
full service was performed. The transmission is a manual 4 speed,
shifts through the gears up and down with no issues and the
overdrive works as well.
Mechanically powered by an upgraded, single carbureted, 1.8-liter
inline-four cylinder engine (B18) with a 4-speed manual
transmission with electric overdrive (M41). Very solid and
rust-free California car! Complete with a spare tire, toolkit,
original books, service manuals, original carburetor, spare parts,
and service records from 1978-2021.
History of the 1959-1970 Volvo 122
Enthusiasts who immediately imagine boxy 1970s designs when they
hear the name "Volvo" might be surprised to learn upon the first
look that the 122 is in fact a Volvo design. The car, otherwise
known as the Amazon, has a rather pleasing and rounded look to it
not unlike some American cars of the early 1950s. There is even
something vaguely Italianate about the car's front, looking not
unlike an Alfa Romeo sedan of the 1950s.
Production on the Amazon commenced in Sweden in 1956 in tandem with
the elderly PV544, but the car didn't make it to American shores
until late 1959. The 122 was a considerable advance over the 544
with far greater interior room and better outward visibility. The
B18 and later B20 engines, while not powerhouse, were bulletproof
and able to easily travel hundreds of thousands of miles without a
rebuild. A three-speed and a four-speed manual transmission with
optional overdrive were available along with an automatic
transmission, and the car's base price was $2,795.
