Volvo uses its first estate
in the introduction of its latest -
the new V70

Translation of the story "Volvo återvänder till första herrgårdsvagnen när nya V70 lanseras"
in the PV-Entusiasten # 1 2000, page 18.

In connection with the introduction of the new V70 model, Volvo continues its tradition as a successful maker of combi cars, or "Estates," a term Volvo still uses to refer to those vehicles with extra space in the rear. People on the North American continent typically call such cars Station Wagons.

By Dan Jansson

It started with a surplus
The company had been producing the PV445 chassis since 1949 but sales were not as good as planned. In the spring of 1952 when Volvo had some 1500 unsold chassis, Volvo's CEO, Assar Gabrielsson made an important decision:
"We have to get rid of them. We have to build our own Estate" he said.
A budget of SEK 1 million was put aside for the developement with completion in one year's time.

Gabrielsson's directive specified that the result should be a car with the same basics as the PV444; e g wheelbase, track, engine, transmission would be the same as that found on the PV444. The first Duett (as they came to be called) was delivered one year later, on July 4 of 1953.

Gabrielsson could hardly have understood the implications to come when he made his decision in 1952. Building an Estate to allow the company to sell-off 1500 bare chassis was not only a success in its own right, but also the start of a completely new kind of car that active families found attractive.

The same aforementioned decison, solving one problem, created another. It seems that the Duetts could not be built fast enough to satisfy the demand. From time to time there was a queue for potential customers even though the
Estate was not very cheap. In 1954 the Duett cost about 35% more than its sister sedan.

The developement of the Duett continued parallel to that of the PV444 and later, the PV544. The last Duetts left the Gothenburg assembly line in 1969, effectively outliving the PV544 by few more years. The continued success of the Volvo Estate car lineage was supplemented with a kombi version of the Amazon and followed by the 145, 245/265, 745/945/V90, V40 and the 850/V70. Volvo has a unique position among car manufacturers when it comes to Estates. Of the total production of about 541000 PV and Duetts, some 20% were Duetts. Since that time the number of Estates has increased for each model (except for the Amazon as its Estate was produced during a rather short period).

The production share of Estates for the different model Volvos:

PV444/544/Duett20%
P120 Amazon11%
14020%
24035%
74036%
85045%
S40/V4056%
S70/V7059%

With this in mind it is logical that Volvo wants to show its historical heritage as an Estate producer by including the PV445 in its current advertising.

Exhibition cars

Volvo Car Corp. last year bought two completely restored blue-beige Duetts. The cars have been on display at the car shows in Frankfurt in September 1999, Tokyo and London in October 1999 and in Bologna in December 1999. A Duett was also present when motor journalists tried the new V70 model in Nice in February 2000. One Duett is planned for the exhibition in Madrid in May -00.

Peter Lindblom of Gothenburg who is employed with Volvo Car Corp, lent his beautiful 1958 PV 44507 on several occations during the fall of 1999 for film and photo sessions with both the new and the previous V70 model. The result was a couple of different videos that were distributed to the Volvo dealers and also is being also shown at the car fairs.
A new commercial in 50s style with a family in a Duett is a hit. In the end
of the film the Duett family joins a modern family in a modern Volvo.
Very nice touch!

Some of the pictures have been used on the Volvo almanac 2000.
Peter's car was on display during the spring 2000 in the Volvo showroom in
the Kungsträdgården in Stockholm beside the new V70.

We who like the older Volvo models are glad to find that Volvo Cars seem to have realized the value of the historical vehicles and uses the company traditions in its marketing efforts.
Because the old slogan "Volvos value lasts" is still valid, is it not?