1968 Volvo Amazon Estate Goes for a drive

Volvo are known for practical, safe estates but did you know how far back that goes, and can something that practical be fun to drive?

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Furious Driving
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AYLESFORD
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[malcolmnewport-dempster]

My dad had the Volvo 122S, I loved that car and I cried the day it went, my dad had brought new cars and Fords till the day the Ford Consul 375 dad had bought brand new from Dales of Falmouth was 10 years old and dad thought it was time for a change as it was quite rusty. I don't know the full story but near were dad worked at the time in Carlisle there was a car dealership, The salesman showed dad a white Volvo saloon, it had about 70 thousand miles on the clock and dad said 'it's done a lot of miles', the salesman said 'it's a Volvo it's just run in'. It had only one previous owner, the owner of a local coach company, the bonnet had been replaced as apparently one of the coaches had backed into it. The car was very fast and I remember loving it as we passed other cars. Dad had it for about 10 years and I still remember that day when dad took it to the local Volvo dealer for some work to be done on it and being told it would cost much more than the car was worth to put right, I think it was something to do with the differential but the day before it had flown along as it always did. Dad took me and my two brothers in the evening to the dealership and through the closed gates we said goodbye to her, she really was part of the family. Her registration was FRM 333C and it is one of my wishes that one day I drive a VOLVO 122S or a 121 that then as a child I could not drive and remember dad driving and all the happy memories she gave us.

[matthewgodwin]

This is the car that inspired generations of army tank drivers to claim that their company vehicles were built like a Volvo Amazon. We're talking unbreakable here. I absolutely love em.

[johang]

A car that's "the complete package": one that has lots of room, durable quality, comfort and is fun to drive. I also seem to have read somewhere that amazons were quite succesful as rally cars, it obviously shows in this review. Really loved this one, made me smile. Top work!

[TheStobb]

If you went on a campsite anywhere in the UK the late 60s early 70s the campsite will be full of these Amazons very sturdy very well built cars

[nicolamiriano]

I think one of the best looking Volvos in the all history of the brand... My dream amazon is a 123GT (the coupe) dark green with charamel interior and some engine modifications. Beautiful video and car

[davidfos]

Yet another "Why didn't I buy one while it was affordable?" car lol.

[johnkiprov]

Someone may already have posted it below but hells bells Mr Furious even I know that DEFR stands for defrost and not deferral...Stunning car by the way...

[rodhili]

Opening quarterlights disappeared long before air con became common. Security issues killed them, they were too easy to break & get access to the inside door handle/lock

[per]

We had one of those when I was a kid. It was so cool !! (unlike the 2dr sedans)
I remember once I had to sit in the front, despite being 4-5 yo, because my dad had folded the rear seat to load some kind of machinery into the rear. I don't know what it was.
And, I don't know how they got that machine in and out of the car, because that thing was huge! up to the roof! and made of metal, must have wheighed half a ton or so

[bellasnow]

Thanks almost entirely to Matt and his furiousdrving video, I bought this Amazon a year and a half ago. It is a wonderful car, a dream to own and drive, starts first time, comfortable driving speed of 60mph, no issues. I am undergoing cancer treatment and have to buy a sensible automatic, so very sadly the Amazon is now for sale. I have put it in a car auction with Charterhouse Auctioneers/Sherborne held at the Haynes Motor Museum on July 6th. It is also online with Easylive. If you are seriously interested, please get in touch and even come for a spin. Bella

[grayfool]

Very nice. Don't forget these did compete quite successfully in rallies. This is from an era when the elk test measured how many you could fit in the back. Very cool.

[jokervienna]

My grandfather used to have one like this (I am a Swede). He was a farmer, and the car did a lot of heavy work. He was also a hunter, so yes, there is plenty of room for bodies in the back.

Easy to work on and repair, everything is accessable. This is one of the extremely few cars I would actually like to own. It is now a classic, but it can still handle heavy work - so it is also practical.

[robertmagee]

Yes you are right they never had carpets like that (owners did a good job)..they left the factory with a plasticity mat that you could get in with snowy boots and nothing soaked in.

[volvo]

"Overdrive works! Of course it does, it's a Volvo"
Well, actually, it's the same Laycock-De Normanville D-type overdrive as fitted to the Triumph Spitfire and several other British cars...

[Alex-przv]

Germany: some moneybags bought one of these and had our local garage do a full resto on it. Took months. Beautiful car. Then it took it out on the Autobahn and blew the engine.

[DigitalMentorGroup]

My grade 11 Geography teacher, Mr. Richardson, at FWCI, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, had a 66 Volvo 123 GT. What a car, what a teacher!

[Lobo-ihbh]

The grab handle is called the “Jesus bar”

[Canalsman]

Glad you're a Volvo fan now!

I owned a 760 Turbo estate for many years, clocking up over 200k miles. Best car I've ever owned, reliable, rust free, and very comfortable.

[samharvey]

I'd love one of these perfect daily classic

[brendanhurley]

My father had the same creamy/white colour LHD Amazon estate in late 80’s. The twin carb B18B engine was so smooth and quiet, you wouldn’t hear it running and there was little or no rust on the body.

Being old Volvo, LHD and on UK plates it was considered too much of an oddball in Ireland to be of any value and was sold off for a few hundred pounds. It ended up being a roadside sign for a pancake/tearoom café and I was sad to hear it was burned by vandals sometime later.

A beautiful forest green Amazon estate came up for sale for €5k a couple of years ago about the week after I had just bought my Volvo 144. I wasnt allowed buy another Volvo.