Road & Track’s first review of the Volvo 122S began with the highest of compliments. “Of all of the cars that are brought to our shores, one of the best-suited to American needs and driving habits is the Volvo 122-S,” the review opened. “Not because the Volvo is a copy of any American design, but simply because it is sufficiently roomy and has the performance required to cope with our brisk traffic conditions.”
And, from there, that 1961 article only got better, with the magazine’s editors also praising the Volvo’s excellent controls, luxurious appointments and high build quality. Their biggest complaints? The cheap vinyl floor mats and the intake note of the twin SU carburetors. Today we can accept those sacrifices.
Production of this Swedish workhorse began during the summer of 1956, with cars finally heading to the U.S. for the 1961 model year. In its home market, the car was known as the Amazon; here it received a less glamorous designation–it was simply called the 122S–and the lineup eventually included a two-door coupe, four-door sedan and a station wagon.
Volvo unveiled their boxy, contemporary 140-series for 1967, but that didn’t mean the end of the 122 as the two lines overlapped. The 122S was available stateside through 1968, while production continued until July of 1970. By that time Volvo had built nearly 668,000 units.
The model line featured a performance version, too, with Volvo unleashing the rally-ready 123GT for 1967 and 1968. Its high-compression engine came from the P1800–both cars shared underpinnings–while the 123GT also received a tachometer, auxiliary lamps, nicer seats, Pirelli tires and upmarket trim. Hagerty says that only about 1500 copies of the 123GT were built, with the best in the world now worth about $40,000. Budget half of that–or even less–for a top 122S.
