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Volvo PV 444 ES B4B — 1953

A beautifully preserved Volvo passenger car, largely in original condition. Only 71,000 km on the odometer.

Mathias Casserlund
Besiktningsman
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Rebecca R Bengtsson
Case manager
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"A road-ready Volvo that requires no immediate attention before use.
This vehicle is also interesting from both a motoring history and ethnological perspective. It was with the Volvo PV 444 that Sweden’s population truly began to motorize. In the 1950s, the future looked bright, and with Volvo, the pace of urbanization accelerated rapidly."

Bidding starts 30:th of May
LOT NUMBER
LOCATION
17920
ÖREBRO
ESTIMATED VALUE
RESERVE PRICE
130 - 150 000 SEK
Not reached
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Mathias Casserlund
Inspector
Send message
Rebecca R Bengtsson
Case manager
Send message

"A road-ready Volvo that requires no immediate attention before use.
This vehicle is also interesting from both a motoring history and ethnological perspective. It was with the Volvo PV 444 that Sweden’s population truly began to motorize. In the 1950s, the future looked bright, and with Volvo, the pace of urbanization accelerated rapidly."

Description

The car was originally delivered in 1954 by Folke Ramers (Volvo) in Örebro. It was first owned by Line Master C.M. Lundström, who used it during its early years. In 1967, the car was taken off the road and placed in the so-called reserve register. It was removed from the vehicle registry in 1971, likely due to a missed registration fee. In 1993, it was purchased by a gentleman in Örebro who re-registered it in 1998. The car was later sold to a grocery store owner in Hasselfors, from whom the current owner acquired it in 2019. At that point, it had been off the road since 2004.

The diagonal tires were inflated, and the car was rolled out for transport home. A comprehensive service was carried out to bring it back to life, including: replacement of all ignition system wear parts, new radiator hoses after flushing the cooling system and radiator, tuning of the carburetor and ignition, fresh oil in the engine and gearbox, installation of a new fuel tank, and replacement of brake components all around—including lines and hoses. New bumpers were fitted, along with "bull-horns," a period-correct accessory. The engine and gearbox were left mechanically untouched apart from the oil changes.

The original diagonal tires were retained.

The current owner’s goal has been to preserve the car’s originality as much as possible, only replacing parts where necessary to improve functionality and safety. The car has been driven approximately 4,000 km since the 2019 recommissioning.

While it’s not possible to confirm the current odometer reading of 71,000 km with certainty, it is considered likely given the vehicle’s long periods in storage. A spare wheel, original jack, warranty booklet, and a binder of workshop literature are included.

Technical data

  • Year
    1953/1953 
  • Registration date
    1998-06-29 
  • Mileage
    71000km 
  • Registration Number
    PUE668 
  • Chassis Number
    55575 
  • Kw / hp
    32 / 44 
  • Fuel Type
    Petrol 
  • Transmission
    Manual 
  • Interior finish
    Textile 
  • Colour
    Grey 

Condition

  • Mechanical condition:

    The engine runs quietly, smoothly, and without any rattles. The gears engage nicely, provided you're careful with first gear, which—like on all cars of this type—is unsynchronized. At the time, first gear was typically only engaged from a standstill, so synchronizing rings were considered unnecessary.

    All technical functions in the car are in working order, except for the cabin fan, which only operates at one speed. The vacuum-operated wipers have been preserved in their original configuration.

  • Interior condition:

    The seats and backrests are in beautiful original condition, as is the headliner. The door panels and floor mats (original) are in good, usable condition.

  • Exterior condition:

    Repainted in the 1990s, this paint job has held up very well, maintaining a nice shine. There is a small paint run on the rear fender and a few bubbles on the hood, which were difficult to capture in photos. Hood ornament, headlight brows, and side mirror have been fitted, but can easily be removed if desired.

    The roof rack is likely an original accessory, as the mounts are stamped with the Volvo logo. The windows are in original condition, with a minor stone chip in one of the front panes. Chrome trim is in good condition overall, though the chrome around the vent windows shows some wear. The rubber seals are original, with some visible cracking.

  • General condition:

    This car is in remarkably good condition—an eye-catching example well-suited for both collectors and motoring enthusiasts alike.

MOT (tech. insp.)

Fordonsstatus: Itrafik 2024-04-01
Ursprungsbesiktning: 1998-06-24 (regbes)
Datum i trafik första gången: 1998-06-29 (540517)
Senast godkända besiktning: 2020-02-20
Besiktningsbefriad: Ja
Skattebefriad: Ja
Körförbud: Nej
Antal ägare: 3

Owner's comment

You rarely refuel this car without someone coming over to talk or ask questions. It has even been displayed during the winter months in the showroom at Rejmes in Örebro—the very place where it was originally sold 71 years ago. A car that has spent its entire life journey in the region of Närke.

Facts about the model

Volvo's management aimed to develop a car that would "...bring joy to the Swedish public and, to some extent, also abroad, once peace had returned." They understood that a smaller car with low fuel consumption would be attractive in the post-war era. It wasn’t until May 1943 that concrete plans began to take shape, and a team of engineers was brought into the project. One of the key figures was Erik Jern, a skilled designer and technician with the ability to realize Helmer Petterson’s ideas. Jern was given responsibility for the new car and led the project.

Both Petterson and Jern favored front-wheel drive for the new vehicle, but Gustaf Larson ultimately decided it should be rear-wheel drive, with a conventional setup and a 4-cylinder inline engine.

The PV 444 came to be known as Sweden’s "people’s car" due to its widespread popularity. Three prototypes were built in 1944, and one was officially unveiled on September 1st that year at the Royal Tennis Hall in Stockholm, attracting 148,437 visitors over ten days. Production, however, did not get fully underway until after World War II. The Stockholm exhibition cost 673,000 kronor and was partly funded by Flygmotor, Ulvsunda Verkstäder, and Köpings Mekaniska Verkstad.

The first two customer cars were delivered on February 8, 1947, to Borås and Alingsås. In February that year, 16 cars were produced, and by the end of 1947, a total of 1,920 PV 444s had been built. The price was set at 4,800 kronor—the same price as Volvo’s very first car, "Jakob," seventeen years earlier. However, Volvo’s net price was only 3,900 kronor, as 900 kronor represented the dealer margin. The price increased by 600 kronor in June 1945 and by another 500 kronor in May 1946. Still, the first 2,300 cars were sold at a loss, as they had already been contracted for in 1944.

Location and viewing Information

Location: Örebro

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

Mathias Casserlund

mathias.casserlund@bilwebauctions.se

Pick up

Collection must take place before: 2025-06-19.

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

Auction information

General information about the condition of the vehicles .
  • At this auction, many vehicles have been included in car collections and have been stored (mothballed) for a long time. For this reason, they are described from a collector's perspective and may need technical reviews and maintenance service - oil, battery replacement, new tires, brake review, etc. - before they can be used. .
  • During the auction days information about a vehicle may be updated up to the day before the auction ends. When you bid at the end of the auction period - and also if you have made an earlier bid - we therefore ask you to read the descriptions carefully, in case something has been changed due to new information.
Important to know before placing your bids!
  • Once you have called in an item and the reservation price is reached we want you to deposit the entire purchase amount into our client funds account before retrieval can take place.
  • When you need to retrieve a called in object we want you to examine it carefully. If you consider that the item does not match our description you do not need to complete the purchase. In this case the deposited purchase sum and the entry fee are refunded.
  • If you do not examine the item on the spot the call charge will be debited, but you do not have to complete the deal.
  • If you make the entire purchase exclusively at a distance you have 14 days to cancel, but must return the item at your own expense.
  • Your shipping costs and other costs are not reimbursed when the right of withdrawal is exercised. Swedish court applies.
  • For items that have not been collected within 14 days storage costs may be charged.

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