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Volvo Amazon
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==History== Under prototype designation 1200, following the PV444's internal designation as the 1100,<ref name=VolvoLindh>{{cite book|last=Lindh|first=Björn Erik|year=1986|title=Volvo The Cars from the 20s to the 80s|chapter=The Amazon/120 - Beauty with Brown|publisher=Förlagshuset Norden AB, Malmö|pages=130–141|quote="the new model was still known as the 1200 (the old PV444 having been the 1200"; "the announcement of the new car was released in the press in February 1956," "to introduce the new Amason (spelled with an 's' rather than 'z'); "Volvo were hoping to market export versions with a bench-type front seat and a column-mounted gear lever, and a handbrake located in the middle would have been in the way." "Amazon buyers began to receive their cars in February/March 1957, albeit at a very slow rate"; "The first Amazons were, in principle, not available in a single colour, although some were occasionally supplied. The cars were available in black and red with a light grey roof, and in light grey with a black roof. A dark blue finish with a light gray roof was added to the range in 1958"; "In the USA, the model was launched at the International Automobile Show in New York in April 1959"; "234,209 four-door, 359, 917 two-door and 73, 196 estate cars had been produced, 60% of them for export"; "the Company was unaware that Kreidler, the West German motorcycle manufacturer, had already registered the name. Following negotiations, the Company was permitted to use the name on the domestic market whereas, in other countries, the cars were known as the 121 or 122"; "The 1959 model (which appeared in August 1958) featured a major innovation in the form of front seat safety belts as standard equipment on all the cars, including the export models. Volvo was the world's first automaker to take this step, even though Ford fitted a "lap" belt on one or other of its cars in the middle of the 50s"; "Most of the external decoration (including the trim around the front and rear windows and along the gutters) was removed, while the interior was more austere, no sunshield being fitted on the passenger side and the cigarette lighter being omitted. There was only one technical modification; the normal 75hp engine was equipped with a three-speed fully synchronised gearbox. The Favorit was available only in black with a red interior (although a white finish was introduced subsequently."|isbn=91-86442-14-7}}</ref> the Amazon was released in the press in February 1956, with production initially set to begin in July of the same year, and deliveries commenced in August 1956 — under the now modified internal designation '''120 series.''' Further iterations included the 121, the base model with a single carburetor {{convert|66|bhp|abbr=on}} engine, the 122S introduced in 1958 as a performance model equipped with a dual carburetor {{convert|85|bhp|abbr=on}} engine. The Amazon's handbrake location, outboard of the driver's seat, was intended to accommodate subsequent bench seat models with column shift transmissions- these were produced in small numbers and made available to certain export markets. Buyers began to receive the first cars in February 1957,<ref name=VolvoLindh/> and initial models were two-tone red and black with light gray roof, light grey with a black roof, followed by a dark blue with gray roof in 1958.<ref name=VolvoLindh/> The Volvo Amazon in station wagon form would become the first foreign market police car introduced to any [[Law enforcement in the United Kingdom|police force of the United Kingdom]] in 1965. Having trialled it against a [[Citroën DS19]] Safari and [[Humber Super Snipe#New Super Snipe Series I to V|Humber Super Snipe]] station wagon, [[Hampshire Constabulary]] purchased a white Volvo Amazon 1800 station wagon with a Ruddspeed upgraded engine initially for use as an accident tender, carrying equipment used by the police when attending scenes of road accidents, before transferring onto [[traffic policing]] duties alongside the Humber Super Snipe. In total, five white Volvo Amazon station wagons were acquired by Hampshire Constabulary's traffic division, however the purchase of foreign police cars was the subject of local controversy, with letters of complaint written to Hampshire's Chief Constable and in ''[[Autocar (magazine)|Autocar]]'' magazine; Hampshire Constabulary would later find themselves the subject of national controversy and faced heavy criticism by the [[Home Office]] for purchasing multiple [[Volvo 144]] saloons for traffic police use.<ref>{{cite book |last=Anstead |first=Ant |author-link=Ant Anstead |title=Cops and Robbers: The Story of the British Police Car |date=2018 |publisher=HarperCollins |location=London |isbn=978-0-00-824451-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eDTuAQAACAAJ |pages=157–164 |access-date=31 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rosamond |first1=Chris |title=Bobby dazzlers: 50 years of Volvo police cars |url=https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volvo/93775/bobby-dazzlers-50-years-of-volvo-police-cars |website=Auto Express |publisher=Autovia |access-date=31 August 2023}}</ref> In 1966 the Volvo PV ended production, replaced by the Amazon {{Not a typo|Favorit}}, a less expensive version of the Amazon, without exterior chrome trim, a passenger-side sunshield or cigarette lighter, and with a three-speed rather than four-speed transmission — available in black with red interior and later white or black with red interior.<ref name=VolvoLindh/> The newer [[Volvo 140]] was becoming the company's mainstream model, and the last of the four-door 120 saloons were produced in 1967.<ref name=Autocar196802>{{cite journal|authorlink=Maurice A Smith (Ed)|title=Used car test: 1964 Volvo 122S B18|journal=[[Autocar (magazine)|Autocar]]|pages=52–53|date=15 February 1968}}</ref> In 1967 came the 123GT, which was a Model 130 with high-compression [[Straight-four engine|four-cylinder]] [[Volvo B18 engine|B18]]B engine (from the [[Volvo P1800]]), [[Volvo M41 gearbox|M41]] gearbox, fully reclining seats, front fog and driving lights (on some markets), alternator, fender mounted mirrors, special steering wheel, dash with a shelf and tachometer, and other cosmetic upgrades. In 1967 the 4-door saloon was discontinued due to the introduction of [[Volvo 140 Series|140-series]]. In 1969 the displacement of the old B18 engine was increased and the engine was called the [[Volvo B18 engine#B20|B20]]. Of note: Volvo Cars arriving in Canada at the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia would have the (not-yet-legal) radial tires removed and replaced with bias-ply tires of-the-day before being accepted by DOT for delivery. Also, the European 'Flash-to-Pass' feature of the turn signal toggle would be disconnected for the British market as it did not have Department of Transport approval. Somehow, whereas most North American vehicles would only have lap safety belts until 1968, both driver and passenger got the 'three-point' shoulder belts, a Volvo safety feature. Fortunately, these remained in place for the new owners and doubtless saving many from death and injury from accidents. 1970 was the last year for the Amazon, and only the 2-door version was left, since the estate wagon was cancelled. The last Amazon was manufactured on 3 July 1970.
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