Volvo PV4 — 1928

The first owner was a landowner, August Johansson, from Vikbolandet in Östergötland, who won the car in a lottery in 1928, the Craftsmen's Lottery. However, the first registration wasn't made until 1929-10-21, as that was when the eldest son in the family turned 18 and could get a driver's license. A few other owners followed, but the car avoided war service, which is likely why it was preserved, allowing the current owner, barely 20 years old at the time, to decide to buy a pre-war car and restore it to mint condition or better. In the 'Owner's Comments' below, he shares more detailed information about the history, the restoration, and some experiences he has had with the car. But why a young man in the mid-1960s would choose to take on a grandfather's car as his first enthusiast vehicle remains a question. Regardless, it was an impressive display of will, focus, and craftsmanship.

• Mechanical condition

  The car starts up relatively easily, and it’s surprisingly easy to drive once you've learned how to handle a pre-war car’s gearbox with the right feel for the clutch, gears, and engine. During the photoshoot, the owner, Anders, maneuvered the car by himself to get the right angles and background. And out in city traffic, the car keeps up reasonably well with today's pace.

• Interior condition

  Beautiful interior that doesn’t feel like it was redone 55 years ago. Well-preserved and fresh with many fine details. Faint, barely noticeable moisture spots along the rear side panels. Note the pillow with the model year number embroidered on it—this was sewn by the owner’s mother using what remained in good condition of the original fabric from the car. The owner also demonstrates how Volvo was already thinking about road trips back then by making the car convertible into a bed. You simply remove the B-pillar, unfold small support legs, undo the leather straps, and fold down the backrest.

• Exterior condition

  The car is clad over its wooden frames with pegamoid, a type of faux leather designed to withstand moisture. There were no rubber seals to protect the wood, which could swell as a result. Today, it’s best suited for dry weather, and the current owner has truly preserved the car in fantastic condition. The stylish spoke wheels were turned by the owner himself from oak sourced from a nearby forest.

• General condition

  A meticulous, positively well-maintained, and preserved overall impression. The owner, as expected, is also a very meticulous enthusiast vehicle owner. This is echoed, if nothing else, in the other cars from his collection that are also up for auction. Exemplary, meticulous, and with careful attention to detail.

Fordonsstatus: Itrafik 1975-04-14 (Konvert)
Ursprungsbesiktning: 1929-10-21
Datum i trafik första gången: 1929-10-21
Senast godkända besiktning: -
Besiktigad tom: -
Skattebefriad: Ja
Körförbud: Nej
Antal ägare: 1

This car was won by landowner August Johansson from Möllestad, Östra Stenby, in the Craftsmen's Lottery in 1928. Since no one in the family had a driver's license at the time, the car wasn't delivered until the fall of the following year when the eldest son had turned 18 and obtained his license. This was the second car in Vikbolandet, with only a fishmonger having a T-Ford previously, so it was heavily used and frequently borrowed, leading to many stories. For instance, it’s been said that it was rear-ended by a constable in Norrköping, damaging the fuel tank (the repair was discovered during restoration). Another incident occurred during a trip to the beach, with the car full of children, when a sudden braking caused the mother’s coffee basket to slide under the dashboard, sending the thermos through the pegamoid between the windshield and the hood. The Johansson children used the car extensively at first, being involved in SLU (Swedish Rural Youth Association), but over time, it became outdated and less fun to ride in. One story tells of a vacation trip to Dalarna when they drove into Lake Siljan and splashed water on the spokes because they were embarrassed by the squeaking when turning. The car was purchased during All Saints’ weekend in 1966, and the restoration began after a test start, which had its challenges. The engine was completely worn out and only started when towed, and it didn’t sound good. It underwent a full restoration at Jöhnckes Volvo workshop in Åtvidaberg, and the gearbox was also overhauled. The wooden spoke wheels were past their prime, so I turned new spokes with the help of a coworker who had a wood lathe, using oak timber from the forest in Båtvik. The wheels and body, including the seats, were originally manufactured by AB Åtvidabergs Industrier. The wheels could be made of ash or oak, though birch was sometimes used, and the body with the seat frames was mostly made of ash. Fortunately, there was a metal foundry five kilometers away in Bersbo that could cast many parts, such as running boards, door hinge blanks, fuel caps, and radiator ornaments. Since press tools for body parts were expensive to produce and it wasn’t clear how many cars would be sold, they chose the so-called Weymann method. This involved stretching artificial leather (pegamoid) over a frame made of wood, usually ash, which was very labor-intensive but not as capital-intensive. All the wooden parts were made in Åtvidaberg, but the assembly was done in Gothenburg. With the great help of my father and brother, the car was ready for inspection in the spring of 1968, and since then it has been used in events like vintage car rallies, weddings, jubilees, and film shoots. In the early 1970s, I had the honor of driving chief engineer Carl Sågvall for a short trip to Restaurant Stallet, where the staff club was celebrating his retirement. During the trip, Sågvall told me that, as a fairly new employee in 1927, he was responsible for assembling the wooden bodies at Volvo in Gothenburg and solving all the issues that arose. I particularly remember him asking if he could touch the car's interior (he was sitting on the right side in the back), specifically the top of the roof lining, where there was a wooden part in the body that had been very difficult to mill. 'Is this real, or am I dreaming? I need to pinch myself,' Sågvall exclaimed, clearly pleased with his memory and discovery. The car is still occasionally driven and has covered just under 20,000 kilometers since the restoration. It is currently on display at the ÅSSA Industrial and Car Museum in Åtvidaberg.

One of Volvo's very first cars. The first mass-produced Volvo, with the model designation ÖV4 (where "ÖV4" stands for "open carriage, 4 cylinders") rolled out of the factory gates in Gothenburg on Maundy Thursday, April 14, 1927. That was the day Volvo officially "came to life" as a car manufacturer, even though Volvo as a car company was founded at SKF's board meeting in Hofors as early as August 10, 1926. The model was nicknamed "Jakob" after the first pre-series car, which was completed on July 25, 1926, as Jakob is the name celebrated on that day.

The covered model was given the designation PV4, where "PV4" stands for "passenger car, 4 cylinders," and came to be called a "sedan." The frame with the chassis, all the technology, and the metal front were the same for both models, PV4 and ÖV4. Only the winterized bodywork distinguishes the two models. Volvo produced a total of 996 cars during the first three years (most of them during 1928 and 1929). Of these, 764 were built as the sedan "PV4," 205 were open "ÖV4," and the rest, 27, were driveable chassis (some of which were completed as flatbed trucks for Televerket).

Bofors manufactured the frames for the car's chassis without numbering the first 500. Instead, the engine numbers were used during registration, which explains the high serial numbers on the first cars, even though few were produced. The engines were series-produced models from Pentaverken in Skövde (4-cylinder gasoline engines of 2 liters and 28 horsepower) and were also used in boats, pumps, generators, and more.

The current car, with the older registration number EA 1928, had engine number 971 (which became chassis number 971 on the registration certificate). The model is a "PV4 Sedan," and according to the owner, it left the factory in the summer of 1928 and was registered for use in October 1929. After checking with Volvo Heritage, it has been confirmed that this car is one of the first 100 produced (PV4 and ÖV4). This car only has brakes on the rear wheels (front brakes were added after the first 100 cars were manufactured).

Today, there are (according to unconfirmed reports) only 24 known "ÖV4" models left in the world and 11 "PV4" models. Considering that Volvo Cars has now produced 24.9 million vehicles (as of August 2024), this "PV4" is one of Volvo's rarest and historically most valuable models, especially as Volvo is soon to celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Location: Åtvidaberg

For viewing the vehicle, contact the inspector/case manager:

Peter Sundfeldt
+46 0705-38 80 22
peter@bilwebauctions.se

Collection must take place before: 2024-10-03.

NOTE! Payment (deposit to our account) must be made within 5 days and before collection.