Volvo Amazon

Volvo Amazon: A spacious successor to the PV444

The Amazon was mechanically based on the PV444, but with four doors instead of two and a spacious interior, it attracted a broader customer base.

The model was largely sold on its looks and was the first production car designed by the then 26-year-old head of design, Jan Wilsgaard. The Amazon became a major export success—60 percent of the cars were sold abroad.

In 1959, the Amazon became the world’s first car model with factory-installed three-point seatbelts, a Volvo innovation that has saved well over a million lives—and continues to do so. Mechanically, the Amazon was based on the PV444, but with four doors and a roomy interior, it appealed to a wider audience. The Amazon was praised for its design, which drew inspiration from the U.S. and the U.K., but perhaps most of all from Italy.

Too Beautiful for Volvo? The controversial design debate

Volvo co-founder Assar Gabrielsson was lovingly critical of the Amazon’s design when he first saw it. However, Volvo’s other founder, Gustaf Larson, defended the car’s appearance, and the management decided to proceed with production.

"It shouldn’t be this beautiful—it should be ugly instead!"

When the car was launched in 1956, its design was emphasized. The first brochure’s headline read: "A Swedish beauty with speed and temperament," and it was said that "many will buy it for its beauty."

How Jan Wilsgaard shaped Volvo’s future

The Amazon was the first mass-produced car designed by the young head of design, Jan Wilsgaard. He was only 26 years old when the Amazon was unveiled, having worked on it for a few years. He had previously designed the V8-powered Philip, which never went into production. While the Philip was clearly inspired by American cars such as the Kaiser Manhattan, the Amazon had more of an Italian influence.

Why Amazon couldn’t keep its name everywhere

The model was originally named Amason, after the warrior women of Greek mythology. However, Amazon was considered a more internationally viable name, so Volvo decided to change one letter—only to run into a legal roadblock. The German moped and motorcycle manufacturer Kreidler was already selling a moped called Amazone and owned the rights to the name. After a financial settlement, Volvo was allowed to use Amazon only in the Nordic countries. Elsewhere, the car carried numerical designations, with the first models named 121 and 122S.

A new standard in family cars

Volvo now had a spacious and safe family car with a modern, fuel-efficient overhead valve engine. However, it came at a higher price—12,600 SEK, compared to 9,275 SEK for the PV444.

At the press launch in the Winter Palace at Norra Bantorget in Stockholm, Gerhard Salinger from Volvo’s experimental department explained to Svenska Dagbladet that the new model was designed around three key principles: safety, comfort, and ease of maintenance.

Revolutionizing Car Safety: The birth of the three-point seatbelt

From the outset, the car was equipped with mounting points for two-point seatbelts, but more importantly, in 1959, the Amazon—along with the PV544—became the world’s first car to feature the three-point seatbelt as standard. Estimates suggest that the three-point belt has saved over a million lives, a number difficult to calculate precisely, but few would dispute that no other automotive safety feature has had such a significant impact.

The Amazon also featured a padded dashboard to reduce injuries, a design element that American manufacturers later adopted.

A completely new chassis design

Mechanically, the Amazon shared some characteristics with the PV444, such as the wheelbase, but it was highlighted at launch that the Amazon was a completely new design. Comfort—the second core principle—was ensured with a new chassis.

The front suspension was entirely redesigned with coil springs and double wishbones, featuring a shorter upper and longer lower arm on each side. Both were triangular and mounted on rubber bushings. The rear suspension used coil springs mounted on rubber-insulated trailing arms, along with two torque rods and a Panhard rod between the axle and chassis.

Amazon’s smart engineering

One example of ease of maintenance—the third core principle—was that the front suspension had only five grease points that needed servicing every 5,000 km. In contrast, the PV444 had 17 grease points requiring attention every 1,500 km.

The B16 engine was essentially an enlarged B4B/B14. The early versions produced 60 hp, but a sport version with twin SU carburetors delivered 85 hp. In 1961, the B18 engine was introduced, producing 75 hp in the Amazon 121 and 90 hp in the Amazon 122S Sport with twin SU carburetors.

Two-Tone elegance: distinctive colors and unique features

Initially, only a three-speed gearbox was available, followed by a four-speed, later complemented by an electrically operated overdrive, and in the mid-60s, an automatic transmission. One distinctive feature was the parking brake lever, which was mounted outside the driver’s seat rather than under the dashboard.

The Amazon was originally only available as a four-door model, despite customers at the time preferring two-door cars. The first two model years were exclusively offered in two-tone paint. The available combinations were a black, midnight blue, or ruby red body with a light gray roof, or a light gray body with a black roof.

Amazon Estate: The practical and stylish station wagon

In the mid-60s, a two-door version, the P130, was introduced as a more affordable variant of the four-door model. By then, the P220 Amazon estate had already made its debut at the 1962 Stockholm Motor Show. It quickly became a popular, more upscale alternative to the Duett.

To achieve a low cargo floor, the rear suspension was redesigned. The trailing arms were reinforced and positioned beneath the rear axle. The rear structure was built with a strong framework of beams. The Amazon estate could carry 490 kg, and the cargo area was 183 cm long.

In 1966, the Amazon 123GT was launched, featuring the same 115 hp engine as the P1800S and an overdrive gearbox. A tachometer mounted on a small pedestal on the dashboard came as standard.

A Rocket on the road: Amazon’s impressive performance

The Amazon was also recognized for its handling and performance, receiving praise in automotive magazines. British racing driver Mike Hawthorn tested the Amazon 122S for the Sunday Express and wrote:

"There surely cannot be many cars of this engine size anywhere in the world with such performance. It is as quick and lively as a rocket."

He was surprised by this seemingly modest Swedish car and added:

"It’s like thinking you’re sipping a soda and realizing you’ve grabbed your neighbor’s whiskey by mistake."

Global Manufacturing: Volvo Amazon’s worldwide production

The Amazon was manufactured in multiple locations worldwide, with 60 percent of production exported. In June 1963, Volvo opened a factory in Halifax, Canada, to produce cars for the North American market under the name Volvo Canadien. Cars were also assembled in Durban, South Africa, and Alsemberg, Belgium, before production moved to Ghent in 1965.

A year earlier, production had ramped up at Volvo’s new Torslanda plant, which had a capacity of 200,000 cars per year in two shifts. Amazon production was moved there entirely.

Colin Powell’s passion for the Volvo Amazon

The Amazon became something of a cult car, particularly in the U.S. Among its famous owners was former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colin Powell, who had a 1966 Amazon estate.

When he retired as Chairman in 1993, President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore gave him a unique farewell gift—an Amazon in need of extensive restoration.

Drive it like you hate it: Volvo Amazon’s iconic advertising

In the film All the President’s Men, about the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, played by Robert Redford, drives a white Amazon.

In the U.S., advertising executive Amil Gargano took over the Volvo account in 1962. His analysis was that Volvo’s cars were incredibly durable. One ad featured an Amazon being aggressively driven on gravel roads, concluding with the tagline:

"And you can drive it like you hate it. Cheaper than psychiatry."

The Amazon was produced for ten years, with a total of 667,332 units built.

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