1963 Volvo PV544 – Classified of the Week
August 27, 2024
Volvo is generally renowned for its boxy estate cars that, should the robots ever take over, would make excellent post apocalyptic, Mad Max-esque wasteland wagons due to their inherent ability to last. Built tough and with enough crash protection to withstand anything the T1000 could throw at them, old Volvos are brilliant, frankly. It’s why we have a few on fleet. But do you know what else they’re good at? Rallying. Yep, as you’re probably well aware, the Swedes know a thing or two when it comes to going sideways on gravel at speeds that would make Lewis Hamilton require a change of underwear, and one such car to come out of this love of off-road motorsport is this rather tasty Volvo PV544.
The PV544 was a continuation of the earlier PV444, a car that was born out of necessity. The year was 1944 and World War Two was still in full swing. Volvo needed a car that was easy to produce due to material shortages, and economical to boot. The PV444 was Volvo’s first unibody which meant more rigidity, better handling and a lower curb weight which helped contribute to that all important economy. A switch back to four-cylinder engines also added to the car’s frugal nature and the Swedish car buying public lapped it up.
Fast forward to 1958 and the PV544 joined the party. The car received numerous updates over the 444, including a one-piece windscreen in place of a split unit, it could seat an additional passenger in the rear and it came equipped with a four-speed manual gearbox over the 444’s three-speed. It was under the bonnet though where things got interesting…
In ’62 Volvo decided to swap out the old B16 four-cylinder (an derivative of Volvo’s very first overhead valve inline-four) and replace it with the B18, a tough and durable 1.8-litre engine with five main bearings available with either single or twin carburettors. Named the B18 and B18D respectively, this is where Volvo’s reputation for building bombproof motors really began.
Combine that with the car’s inherent ruggedness and it was only natural that people would begin to thrash them about in the woods without fear of reprisal. Not only did the car successfully compete in various Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) events in period but a second hand PV544 also won the notoriously gruelling Safari Rally in 1965, testament to its capabilities as a competition car with the winner generally being the one with the most reliable vehicle.
And it’s that rally heritage that this particular Volvo PV544 leans into. Currently available from our friends at Hangar 136 at Bicester, the PV544 has been hailed as “without doubt the nicest we’ve seen” by founders Oliver and Laurence. Having set up Hangar 136 to not only help support the classic car community of today, but also to encourage and inspire the classic car community of tomorrow, we don’t doubt their praise for the car and to be fair, the pictures do look amazing.
This isn’t just a standard Volvo PV544 with a set of tasty wheels and some stickers though. Far from it. Alongside a full restoration (with historic rallying very much in mind we might add), the car has also been tastefully upgraded in order to be more competitive. Featuring the aforementioned wheels and Bilstein shock absorbers with reinforced front suspension arms, alongside a front disc brake conversion and rally spotlights, the car is ready to get involved.
The original front seats have also been replaced with Sparco competition seats and race harnesses and a Monit G-100 Rally Timer has been fitted in conjunction with a two-channel VWR Traceable Digital Timer, giving the Volvo PV544 proper motorsport credentials.
Being a ’63 model the car does feature that legendary B18 engine and in this case it’s running standard road cams and a single Stromberg carburettor. Coupled with the immaculate bodywork this old Volvo is raring to go.
As the boys at Hangar 136 rightly attest, this Volvo PV544 is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking to get into light historic rallying and touring. The modifications don’t have to end there though. You could go full send with this car and develop it into a more extensively prepared endurance rally weapon. We’re thinking fuel cell, full cage, maybe more power… The bones are there, and they’re damn sturdy ones too.
