At first glance the Volvo Duett looks like a simple wagon version of the Swedish automaker’s PV444 and 544, but under the skin it’s a very different story. The 444 was a radically advanced car…
Browsing Category Swedish Cars
Saab 9-7x: An Oldsmobile Becomes a TrollBlazer
Not-so-old Motors today and the famous (infamous?) “TrollBlazer.” Saab’s 9-7x was the least Saab-like Saab of all time and came to be a symbol of GM’s mishandling of its Swedish subsidiary. It seemed like an…
Saab 95: Swedish Family Style
The Saab 95 was the first car from Trollhätten to truly expand on the Saab formula. It arrived a decade after the first production Saab, the 92, but its roots in the “Ursaab” project of…
Volvo 242 GT: Adding Spice
You never hear about it now, but the mid-to-late 1970s were a really rough time for Volvo, both in Europe and North America. One response to trying to improve things was the short-lived but flamboyant…
Sprezzatura, Swedish Style: Volvo 780 Bertone
At the time of Volvo’s first collaboration with Bertone in 1976, Volvos were still distinctly middle-class cars. By 1991, they were “premium” machines, at least in the U.S. At the very top of the line…
Saab Sportster Evolution: Sonett III
There were four distinct Saab Sonetts over the years, although the last one – the one we’re talking about here – was labeled “Sonett III.” The original Sonett, supposedly named for the phrase “Så nätt…
Twists and Turns: Volvo 1800ES
The Volvo 1800 spent most of its life as the attractive coupe made famous by “The Saint,” but in a twist that could characterize only this car, 11 years into its life it got a…
Special Performance: Saab 900 SPG
The original Saab 900 was a darling of the Turbo era – vigorous to drive, comfy, reliable, and accessible. The 900 was so good that despite being rooted in the circa-1969 Saab 99 it still…
Volvo 850: Sweden’s Biggest Ever Project
It took 13 years to bring to life and ended up the most expensive project in Volvo’s history (and the most expensive in Swedish industrial history at the time) – but on June 11, 1991,…
It’s Hip to be Square: Volvo 740 & 700 Series
The Volvo 700-series profile looks sharp to this day and these cars were the epitome of the popular “boxy Volvo,” around for years a hugely successful. But the Volvo 700 series didn’t get off to the easiest start.