The Old Volvos of my Neighborhood

I suppose it would make sense to get to know the area around me as well. There was always a house a few blocks away from mine that had a beat up 122 Amazon sedan sitting under a tree, as well as a 940 wagon that was in slightly better shape. Later, I would come to find the owner of that house also had a PV-544 stashed away in his garage. 

These old Volvos meant a lot to me, even before my Swedish car madness. They were always the neighborhood classics that would be a break from the monotony of modern cars that inhabited my hometown. Let's have a look at a few of them.

Above: Volvo 122 Amazon Sedan; Photographed on July 18, 2020

This is that car that I remember always being around since I was a kid. In my main car blog, Old New England Cars, there were a few other cars aside from this one that I remember always hanging around parked in driveways, and not really moving. The other noteworthy classic was a 1967 Pontiac GTO, a project that never really seemed to finish. 

Anyways, the owner has had this car in the same condition since my younger years. He has moved around though, and it looks to be a solid car despite being in need of a power wash. As I'd come to find out a year later, this would be the final years that this 122 would spend in Cranston. 

The 122 Amazon; Photographed on August 31, 2021

Here, you can see the car with more clarity. It's not in that bad of shape! Yeah, it needs a power wash, and by the looks of it, a new front hub cap, but other than that, it doesn't seem like much else. Unfortunately, as I alluded to above, this would be the final year this Volvo spent. The owner decided to sell off part of his collection, and unfortunately, this and one other car got the axe. We'll see that other car below...

Also, if anyone does know the whereabouts of the 122, or any details regarding it, please reach out! I'd love to know it's story.

Above: Volvo 940 Wagon; Photographed on August 31, 2023

This was the other car that accompanied the 122, and like the 122, was always around when I was growing up. It's a well loved 940 that's seen it all. This too was being sold at the time of the 122. From the listing, I learned that this car had over 350,000 miles on it, pretty impressive! 

At the time of this photograph, it looked as if the car was receiving maintenance, and I think there were some folks that were coming to check it out, as I recall an even more beat up 940 (or 740) wagon pulling up shortly after I took the pictures. I would've asked the owner about the car, but he didn't appear to be around, and I was also too shy!

I feel like the same owner also had a similar white 240 wagon, but I could be very well imagining that. 

Above: 1966 Volvo PV544 Sport Coupe; Photographed on May 13, 2022

Ok, one more, I promise! This is the final car in this Volvo collection, and unlike the other two mentioned, I only found out about in 2022! Who knew such a gem was hiding right under my nose all along! I found out about the car after seeing a Facebook Marketplace listing that looked very similar to the listings of the 122 and 940. I was confused, but then I eventually pieced the puzzle together. 

At the time, my knowledge of the Volvo PV-444 and 544 cars was very minimal, but I knew of their existence and I knew they were uncommon to see in the wild. Knowing that one of them lived near my house gave me something to look forward to that Spring of 2022 when I returned home from college. 

My friend Sam, who I run my car blog with, jokingly calls these the "Ford Volvo," because they bear a passing resemblance to the post-war era Ford coupe, specifically the 1946 Ford Deluxe. I can't really blame him either, and it's pretty wild that this is a car from 1966 too!