Wagon Wednesday – For Sale: 1968 Volvo Amazon
One blue Amazon.
As you undoubtedly know, the essence of classic Volvo wagons hasn’t always been blockiness. Even if one can’t deny the cool exuded by a good-looking last-series 245, fully loaded, it’s the Amazon that sends my heart fluttering. But, as they are durable cars, their durability has often been tried and tested and they do show the marks of time – as the Volvo 122′s tagline used to say “Drive it like you hate it”, many seem to have done so.
But here’s a late Amazon wagon that is as presentable as it was new. Make the jump for more photos.
This navy blue Amazon has been imported from southern Sweden and is registered as a historic car in Finland. The odometer only shows 74 000 km, and there are documents to prove it. The excellent sales photos look like they’ve been taken by a magazine photographer, they’re that good – and as a little Googling reveals, the elderly lady owner of the car belongs to a car club and the Amazon’s most likely been documented for publication purposes.
The engine bay is just as flawless as the rest of the car. Everything in there looks factory fresh, and it’s almost a shame to dirty it with usage. Look at all that room… for activities!
There’s a single SU carb on the B18 engine, and the transmission is a 4-speed M41 with overdrive. Power output is a modest 85 hp, but do you really need more driving this exact car?
The asking price for this perfect Volvo is 16 500 EUR. It’s far from cheap, as picking up well-used Amazons can be done for basically anything you have between the sofa pillows, but it’s unlikely an example in this condition is going to come around too soon. The seller says the car has “survived almost original”, but telling whether that means ground-up restoration or merely a good Simoniz job is up for the pundit to find out.
[Source: Nettiauto (partially in Finnish)]
Related posts:
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- Wagon Wednesday: Volvo V70XC Dakar edition
- For Sale – Complete Volvo 240 Racing Team Including Safety Car
- Hooniverse Wagon Wednesday – The SsangYong Rodius Ruins Everything
- Hooniverse Wagon Wednesday – An Amazing 1964 Impala Wagon Survivor.
Mr.Flick is a little drunk at the moment so allow me to say this in his stead. "I think I'm in love".
Itsh shooooo preeeeetttyyyyyy…………..
eyyy, gud lukin… How yuuu doin…?
Shut up, Joey!
MZS, here's the perfect Valentine's gift for Aga.
Also, you were looking for where that image came from…
http://ru.memegenerator.net/instance/13160233
You can even customize it, as I did here…
<img src="http://e.images.memegenerator.net/instances/500x/14279908.jpg" >
Ha ha ha ha!!! No she would not like it, no power brakes. See where the bolts are on the inside fender? That's where the bracket was that held the booster, likely it was a girling and now long gone after leaking. All the wagons had them. And from here it looks like it has the single circuit brakes (would have been a longer brake reservoir just peeking behind the washer reservoir from the front in that view). Anyway my wife hates how she has to press the brake pedal so hard and anticipate in mine.
Of course maybe my wife is still looking for a Valentine's gift for me
It's very pretty car isn't it!
Man that is teh sexy.
Waiting for MZS to arrive in 1, 2, 3…
<img src="http://automobilesdeluxe.tv/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/volvo-new-york.jpg">
FTW indeed.
Hahaha.
That two tone was very nice, but only on the less expensive models! Isn't that incredible to believe! I like the cow catcher as well in this one
In '68 they changed a bunch of stuff. They had a different steering wheel without the big horn ring, the pattern on the seats was a little less fancy, and all the plastic bits like handles were made more dull in case of an accident. In the US there was the continued introduction of split later dual circuit brakes and collapsible steering wheel as well as more annoying seat belt buckles in the front. Oh and hazard flashers 
My first response was that that price is madness, you can get a beautiful Amazon for half that. That said, around here a lot of the people who drive vintage Mercedes and Volvo spend that much money on a DWR couch and some mid-century end tables. I guess for them a few grand to get a truly finished one would be money well spent. Personally, I'd get the best 240 wagon that $2500 can buy.
It's very pretty, but not original. Like I wrote above, no power brakes, all wagons had them, I think from '65. Also no wagons ever came with the overdrive from the factory. In USA there were two SU carbs, but I see that one of the emissions doodads is missing or disconnected here. In US models there is a hose that goes into the top of the oil filler cap from one of the air filters. Actually that valve cover looks a little off too. No wait, mine is just completely covered in gunk.
It's really lovely, and I would really want it, but much like the Pinto wagon before, it is just too nice. I would be afraid to drive it like I would want to.
A shade under $22,000 USD at current exchange rates is a bit steep, but boy, do I love that color.
Pretty. Pricey. Not boxy enough.
That's not an Amazon. THIS is an Amazon:
[youtube djguAxWPQJA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djguAxWPQJA youtube]
For that one, I'd definitely pay 16,500 euros.
I've been trying to convince my brother to buy a cheap Amazon without a drivetrain and transplant the drivetrain from his problematic 960 into it. I wouldn't want to do that to this example though.
My '69 145 has those same rear-view mirrors on it, and I must say, they're about as useless as breasts on a boar. Good thing there's a lot of glass to look out of….
about a year ago I saw one of these in the local junkyard. In this particular junkyard they write on the side what's wrong with the vehicle i.e. 'trans' 'head gasket' etc.. this Amazon had 'old' written on the side.
I asked at the office how much to dig it out and sell it to me. They quoted 750. I said I'd be back with the cash by friday. They said "better be sooner, that lot is being crushed tomorrow"
unfortunately I was unable to gather the cash on time.
This Amazon would likely have started and drove out with a new battery, and it was that complete.
Why do you go and make me so sad
I helped to rescue a '68 last year.