This old Volvo PV 544 with a load on its roof takes me back to the late sixties and early seventies, when these cars were very popular with youthful owners, as a faster alternative to a VW Beetle. My brother’s best friend had one, and I used to love riding in it, hearing the throb of its engine, and watching the long shift lever move in relationship to the engine’s torque output.
This was our family car for four years when I was young. Two kids and a big dog, and yes, we took a lot of road trips, and we had a roof rack. Today a minivan or SUV would be expected for a family of four plus lab. When I was shopping for my first (used) car in ’73 or ’74 there was a pretty good selection of 544’s on the market for $400 – 600, and I looked at and drove a few. In the end I bought a motorcycle, and by the time I did buy a car in ’75, the 544 seemed pretty dated, so I got a 122S for $500. I still see a few 544’s around town, and now they have more appeal to than the 122S.
Nice looking cars and cool to see one toting cargo. Here is one I photographed in July which was the first one I have seen in years.
I remember in the 1960’s these being owned and very well cared for my what we now call ‘ Yuppies ‘ .
Good cars , not really very fast but very capable at 9/10ths , Smoky Unick or one of those guys blasted one up Pike’s peak in ?1957? when it was still a dirt road .
-Nate
I don’t think they came in Marina Blue, but it looks sharp on this Volvo!
Growing up in Mid Michigan, there were mostly two kinds of cars: American & Volkswagen, but there were always some Volvos around the MSU campus. What I mostly remember were the Amazon’s but these were always cool since they looked like “old cars”.
Is it just me or does that Lincoln look like it is back there stalking its prey? Just waiting for the little Volvo to leave the safety of its nest.
I think those three make a compelling lineup. The Volvo for reliable and practical transport, the Lincoln for wafting the highways, and the Xterra for off-road fun.
Before I started hanging out here on CC, I knew absolutely nothing of these cars. I had vaguely remembered seeing one or two in my life but never paid any attention to them. After spending time on CC I learned a few things about them and it interested me. There is something about these cars that I like. They are survivors. They remained in production for a very long time with minimal changes. I respect that. I did a little internet research on them and found one that I like even a little bit more.
1969 Volvo Duett
If I was to ever become rich enough to afford a car collection and do it properly like Jay Leno does, I’m pretty sure the Duett would be in my collection.
Then read this: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/curbside-classic-volvo-duett-the-most-versatile-and-practical-volvo-ever/
Amazing that they kept on stamping them out when there were newer models on offer but I guess sales are sales very few out here though Ive seen exactly one P444.
Back in 1968, a friend owned a 1959 PV544. He customized it by removing the bumpers and filling in the resulting holes – very well, I must admit. He also painted it some sort of metal flake green. A cop must have been impressed one day as he was driving back home to Times Beach, MO, that he pulled him over to look at the car, and even wanted to buy it!
later, in 1969, my buddy up the street traded him for it by swapping his 1951 Ford his aunt gave him!
A couple of years before, in metal shop class, I made a solid aluminum Frankenstain head shift knob which was huge and heavy. I gave it to him and he immediately put it on the Volvo shifter. That thing was so heavy, when he pressed the clutch, it would fall into 2nd & 4th gear all by itself!
later, in January 1971, I was home on leave and almost got killed in that thing one night! I was in the back seat and one of my friend’s buddies was driving and took a 90° turn too fast, skidded, uprooted three cable poles, one lengthwise under the car, and the car (and us) was kept from going over a 30 foot cliff by two of the cables, one at window sill height! All this around midnight.
He eventually fixed it and drove it another year or so. Now he has a 1961 PV544 that is rusting away in spite of him keeping it more-or-less mechanically OK.
The photos of the wrecked 1959 are below. I’m on the left. Fun times back then!
I don’t think I ever saw one of these ( though I had a photo from a car mag I bought in 1956) but strangely I found myself recently driving behind a Duett ! In deepest County Kerry !
When I was in elementary school (late 1980’s) the guidance counselor drove a PV544 that mystified me. It said “Volvo” but I thought I knew Volvos–at that point in the 80’s I saw 240, 740/760, Bertone coupes, even quite a few 140 and 164 still running around. But this thing was unlike any Volvo I’d ever noticed before. It was quite well kept, but obviously not cut from quite the same stylistic cloth as the “bricks” I was familiar with. 1940’s shape with 1960’s trim/detailing–what to make of it? If I remember correctly my best guess put it in the late 50’s, which as it turns out isn’t too far off. From what I remember of the trim I think it was a late one, so probably mid 60’s. An interesting and commendable choice for a daily driver in the late 80’s!
In retrospect I have no idea why I didn’t just ask her about it. I think it had to do with her position–back then, at least in my school, you didn’t go to the guidance counselor just to talk, you got sent there if you had “problems” you needed to discuss. And no 10 year old wanted to admit to that…
The picture brings back memories for me. In the early 70’s I was starting my second year of architectural school in Halifax, and we were required to do a week’s sketching somewhere. So in mid-September four of us loaded up my ’65 544 and headed north to do a tour around the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec.
There was the usual luggage stashed everywhere, but to save money we were also carrying an enormously bulky and heavy family-sized canvas tent, which was laid across the hood and secured by rope and hooks to the front wheel wells. We spent a memorable week in a mixture of cool sunshine and cold rain and actually got some sketching done.
Perfect car for the trip – wish there was a picture. 🙂
I’ve posted a road test of the 544 from Road & Track (Nov 1963) on Paul’s full CC of the 444/544.
Link at the top of the post.