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Volvo is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. As part of the company's observance, it brought over a restored 1927 PV4, nicknamed the Jakob for the Volvo display at the New York Auto Show. Volvo offered two versions of this sedan, an open-bodied model in plain steel and a covered model wrapped with fabric. This particular PV4 was registered in November, 1927, by a school inspector. The changed hands only a few times in the next seven decades before Volvo purchased it in 2001 to have it restored. One of the owners did store it a barn for an extended length. Weighing 2,425 pounds, the PV4 is powered by a 1.95-liter 4-cylinder that pumped out 20 horsepower. It cost 5,800 krona in 1927, or a little more than $800 by today's exchange rate.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Howard Kerr @ Apr 6th 2007 5:49PM
Wow, the first Volvo sold had a 1.95 liter engine and it would take Volvo Cars nearly 50 years before they would offer an engine bigger than 2 liters (the 1 and 1/2 of a 4 cylinder engine in the 164).
Mattlach @ Apr 6th 2007 6:00PM
If my calcilations are correct, (and they very well may not be) those $800 in 1927 are equivalent to about $10,000 today...
Wouldn't it be nice if you could still get a cutting edge car for $10,000? :p
Mattlach @ Apr 6th 2007 6:00PM
and I am apparently having severe typo/spelling problems today...
Bob in Cobb @ Apr 6th 2007 6:59PM
I had a 1968 Volvo US Spec Wagon 145S when I lived in Britain '68 - 73. I had it serviced in Reading England at Brooklands Volvo. Brooklands had a 1928 Jacob Volvo, all original, in their showroom. The body panels between the engine compartment and the drivers door were very thick painted leather. If you looked in the footwell you could see the unfinished side of the leather. Fabric, I don't think so!
Jeff Banks @ Apr 6th 2007 7:48PM
"Wouldn't it be nice if you could still get a cutting edge car for $10,000?"
If it had to be made out of cloth? No.
Shrapnel @ Apr 7th 2007 4:14PM
Howard - the 164 had a six cylinder.
1 (series) 6 (cylinder) 4 (door)