Volvo’s sturdy Amazon family saloon of the ’50s and ’60s makes a useable classic now

It’s easy to forget that Volvos were once looked upon as sporting Swedes. Before the box-like and stodgy 144 and 164 models took over in the late 1960s, the Amazon reigned supreme. A no-frills machine that was built to last, it earned a reputation as a rugged rally car and is now a classic. You’ll want one because it will not be a constant drain on your wallet, and because it will always be fun to drive.

The name Amazon was only used in Scandinavia. In the UK, we had the four-door 122S from 1958, initially with a twin-carburettor 1.6-litre B16 engine and, from 1961 to 1967, with a 1.8-litre B18. From 1965, we had a two-door 121 with the B18 engine, then a twin-carb 122S with 100bhp and automatic option from 1967. There were B18-engined estates from 1962-1969 as 121 or twin-carb 122S models, plus a few late 121s with a 2-litre B20 engine. Best remembered is the rare 123GT of 1966-1968, with a 115bhp twin-carb B18 in a two-door shell, overdrive and servo brakes as standard, plus a rev counter on the dash. Ruddspeed also tuned some 122S cars in the early 1960s to give startling performance.

At the wheel

Look around the cabin and you’ll be surprised by its Spartan nature. The seats are vinyl-covered, there’s plenty of painted metal, with nothing but rubber matting on the floor. The steering wheel is unfeasibly large, and the gear lever is a great long wand.

However, you might be surprised by how ‘right’ the whole car feels once you’ve settled in. There’s no need for extras – and that’s what the Swedes thought when they designed it to suit their harsh climate. The B18 engine is surprisingly lively, but you’ll notice that it revs hard at motorway speeds unless you’re in a car with overdrive, which is an option very much worth having. The big steering wheel compensates for the absence of power steering except at very low speeds, but you might find the brakes a bit worrying at first, unless the car you’re driving has the servo that was only available from 1966.

Handling is much better than you might expect from a car introduced in the mid-1950s. While there’s plenty of roll if you corner hard, the car goes where you point it and always leaves you feeling in control. Modern it isn’t, but its sheer solidity is impressive.

Our verdict

Given the choice, go for a straightforward four-door 122S with the twin-carburettor B18 engine and overdrive. While the 123GT is the quickest of the lot, it only comes as a twodoor, which restricts usability a little – it’s also pretty rare. As for the late 2-litre engines, they don’t rev as freely as the 1.8 models. Estates aren’t all that common, and you’ll have to look long and hard and to find a good example; their advantage lies in increased practicality – there’s quite a lot of room in the back there.

It’s also worth investigating the multitude of upgrades that are readily available for these cars. Add a brake servo, fit an overdrive, and go for a hot camshaft. Uprating the headlights is also a wise precaution. If you can find the optional 5.5J wheels, you should add wider tyres for better grip, too.