1964 Volvo Amazon 122S – Classified of the Week

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Chris Pollitt

There is nothing we like more than a classic car that’s still got some serious fight in it. Let’s face it, many classics quite rightly enjoy their later years by living a gentle life. Sunday drive and car shows, kind of thing. And that is, of course, absolutely wonderful and well deserved. Pressing a car from 1950 into daily use might have some novelty value, but the reality is that it’s not going to do the old machine any favours in the long run. If you want a classic that can take a bit of a beating, you need to buy one that has been built with that in mind. Like, say, this rather angry 1960 Volvo Amazon 122S

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The Amazon is arguably one of the most eye-pleasing Volvos out there next to the P1800. It’s a curvy, voluptuous thing that makes little work of grabbing the eye. But this particular Amazon isn’t just a looker. Sure, it’s a resplendent thing with its cream roof over a red body, paired with those bronze wheels. But it’s also a serious thing. The big spotlights up front hint at why. Open a door and peer inside, and it all becomes clear. The Amazon is a fully-fledged rally car. 

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A fully prepared rally car, it has a FIVA identity card, RAC logbook and FIA Historic Vehicle Identity Form. It’s got a full roll cage, bucket seats, four-point harnesses, a long-range fuel tank, Bilstein suspension, steering, sump and gearbox guards, twin spare wheels, Mintex brakes, fire suppression system and much, much more. It is a proper, ready to run rally machine. Proven, in fact, as in 2019 it took a class win on the RAC Rally. 

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Left hand-drive, so perfect for European rallies, this Volvo was fully restored in 1997 by Pip Corotte Ltd. They took the body to bare metal before building it back up, they fitted a 4.88:1 final drive, a limited-slip differential and more. The 1,800cc engine was rebuilt in 2018 with a fast road cam, 4-2-1 manifold and twin SU carbs. 

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This stunning Volvo comes with a whole host of spares, it’s in tip-top mechanical condition and it is ready to hit the stages. If you’ve always wanted to explore the world of classic rallying, there are few better cars with which to do it than this. Tough, reliable and a joy to drive, this is classic rally perfection. 

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