An original classic more than forty years old is not an everyday sight in most parts of the world, and one still used as a work vehicle is even rarer.
This Volvo 122 Amazon station wagon in its native country, with a load of wood boards and tools in the back and a tub with more tools on the curb next to it, is still working for a living, 44 to 51 years after it rolled off the assembly line. With its large roof rack, it is ready to carry seriously big loads and probably does on occasion. It stands out even in a country where wagons from the 1980s like the Volvo 245 and Chevrolet Caprice are everyday sights.
Compared to the Volvo, that thing (BMW?) ahead of it is simply huge. And they call the Volvo an Amazon. 🙂 It looks like there would be precious little (if any) bumper to bumper contact in a rear-end collision.
The BMW does look huge, but with its egg shape and high floor, it looks like it has a fraction of the cargo space of the square Volvo. For utility, the Volvo clearly wins!
I saw one of those BMW’s (X6?) parked on the street the other day. And yes, it is as big, bulbous and hard on the eyes as it looks in this photo. I think BMW built it this way on purpose just to find out how many people would buy something this ungainly!
I think it’s been mentioned here before, but there’s a painter in Seattle who uses one almost identical to this but in Dark Green. Even uses the OEM roof rack to attach his ladders. Having owned a 245 Turbo and a V90, I have a real soft spot in my heart for these… thankfully there are still many on the road up here.
Growing up in Nova Scotia in the 1960’s, where Volvo assembled the 544, 122 and 140 series cars for many years, I have a huge soft spot for these wagons. The 122 models were badged as the ‘Volvo Canadian’ at the time, and I think there was an emotional affinity in Canada for a rugged and sensible product from another northern society like Sweden, expensive though they were.
Volvo’s current marketing campaign in Canada uses the rather clever concept ‘Candanavia’, trying to convince us again that Volvo is still a natural choice :).
When I was a child in the 70s, these 122s were popular in Canada, and many were still on the road. Plus the 145 & 245 wagons were a common sight. I remember at the time, I could sometimes hear a distinct whistling sound, if a Volvo was approaching on a highway. It seemed I mostly noticed it with the wagons. It didn’t seem like it was the engine, but perhaps aerodynamics, body hardware or the weather sealing causing this. Were Volvos of this vintage known for this? Specifically wagons. Perhaps other cars had bad sealing too, but it was the Volvos I remember, making noticeable wind noise as they approached on the highway. It could be heard if the windows of the car I was riding in, were opened. I’m suspecting the boxy shape hitting the wind played a significant role in creating this turbulence.
It could be the roof rack if they were equipped with it.
It reminds me of the time I loaned my clamp on roof rails to by brother in law. He put them on his truck to carry something too long for the bed and he was worried about scratching the cab. All of a sudden he was convinced that his rear axle was going out. He did a bunch of things trying to figure out what was causing the new noise. He finally stopped by my house a couple of weeks later and mentioned it. I took one look at the truck and said give me back my rails and your noise will go away too. Sure enough he called me later and the noise he thought was coming from his driveline had went away.
In the owner’s manual of our SUV it notes the proper location of the roof rack rails when not carrying items to minimize wind noise. I also recently saw a roof rack on a CUV that had a sticker saying to position the rails to the rear or something like that to minimize wind noise.
Excellent theory Eric. I remember it being very turbulent and whistle-like.
Certainly not something that would be allowed to escape wind tunnel testing.
It must’ve been quite noticeable to the occupants of the wagons themselves.
That is a really great shot. Let’s start making a list for next year’s Calendar, because this is an excellent candidate.
Thanks for the compliment, Paul. I will remember to re-submit this photo for next year’s Calendar.
To bad we couldn’t interview the owner – it may have as many miles as Irv Gordon’s P1800………
Seeing this on the screen of my phone I thought it was a 240 – now a 122 is a much more rare sighting!
My BIL had a 122 wagon in grey that he bought used in 1973. I still remember the day he purchased it @ Stutz Volvo here in the Witch City (Salem, MA) which was the last new car dealership here when it closed down a year or so ago. Those wagons were very nice.
Stutz closed? Aw, man! I need to come home to the North Shore more often.
This Seattle Amazon does windows.