Volvo pics

[Hobson]

Does anyone have any history of Volvo in motorsport between 1950 to 1990? Any pics will be greatly appreciated!
Only tarmac racing is needed eg.Hillclimbs, circuit racing etc. Rallying isn't needed.
Cheers

[Ray Bell]

In Australia there was a bit of action. When Series Production racing came in seriously in the mid to late sixties, a few Volvos started running.

The driver who showed the best talent was David Seldon, but other cars (all 122s) were around. The annual Bathurst race saw one on the front row of the grid in 1965, the drivers being the veteran Bill Ford (usually the Clerk of Course at Bathurst) and Des west, while Grahame Ward (one who ran regularly for a short time) shared his car with former Lago Talbot driver Barry Collerson.

There were other one-offs, for instance David McKay and Bill Brown shared a P1800 in the 12-hour race at Surfers Paradise in 1966, winning their class as David's Ferrari scored the outright victory in the race.

David also ran a 242 coupe (is that the right designation?) during the late seventies at Bathurst, the car sponsored by Goodrich and running on radials in a race which was by then seeing all cars on slicks.

In the mid-eighties, of course, there was a Volvo Dealer team running turbocharged cars in the Australian Touring Car Championship and winning a few races. This came about after Robbie Francevic brought the car he was running in NZ over for a sortie...

Team organisation fell on Bob Atkin, formerly the Scuderia Veloce man, and John Bowe drove the other car when they had two. These were similar to the cars they ran in European title races, which, according to Peter Brock, looked like 'Hillman Hunters with railway sleepers bolted onto their bumpers.'

[elephino]

Last I heard the 242T that was run by Francevic in the ATCC was from Europe. The one that Bowe run was Australian built.

[Ray Bell]

Some more names from those 122 days.... Gerry Lister, John Keran and, I think, Peter Brown. Lister was a Volvo dealer, Kerin rallied them, Brown went on to race mainly Alfas later on, but they all (with some slight doubts about Brown) ran 122s in Sydney race meetings, mostly Warwick Farm.

I see in the Bathurst book, too, that David Seldon ran a 142S in 1969 in the ATCC round, so he would have run it elsewhere, and Bill Brown ran a 122S in 1966 & 67.

Lister later built a Sports Sedan out of a 142, fitted with a Chev engine and all that stuff, raced it for a while then it passed on to Phil Lucas, then John Tesoriero, the guy who later promoted the 12-hour races at Bathurst.

Oh, you might be interested to know that Racing Car News, which always had a painting on the cover, celebrated the Volvo 122 win in the 1967 New Caledonia Safari (driven by Keran, navigated by Editor, Max Stahl) by having a painting of the Volvo on the cover:

[Hobson]

Thanks for that Ray. Does anyone have any European and American Volvo history and pictures?
Also, can anyone direct me to a website for racing 122's?

[Ray Bell]

I know you're hunting down other stuff, but while we're here, you might like to see a 122 vying for the lead of a 12-hour race with a Ferrari 250LM!

Surfers Paradise, 1967... off the Le Mans start, probably Ron Kearns driving, Brian Lawler was co-driver:

[Ray Bell]

Also found a 144 entered by Max Winkless, another executive of British and Continental Cars, the distributors.

[elephino]

Gerry Lister is still racing Volvos on occassion. The main event he does is the AROCA 6 Hour race at Eastern Creek in October/November racing a 122 in a team of Volvos (of which there were 4 Volvo only teams in the event).

To explain the event just a little, it is a 6 hour relay race for up to 6 driver/car combinations.

[josvandeperre]

I raced a 122 in Julius Thorogood's one hour series in the UK last year if thats any help - cars probably for sale if you're interested ! I think there's a very strong Swedish (wonder why...) historic racing crew whose name escapes me

[Hobson]

Actually, I need the information because I'm thinking of perparing my own 1969 122s for post historic saloon cars.
I also have a 1966 122s that was imported from Germany around 10 years ago. The car is actually race ready (rollcage,seat etc) but it is so rotten through that is not worth saving.I will probably keep it for some parts for the '69 car.

[josvandeperre]

You need to talk to Joel Wykeham whose car it is - say I sent you - if there's a secure way of getting you his email or phone let me know

[Binnas]

Hello!

I am involved in historic standard car racing here in sweden and have some contacs for you.
For exampel we have some P1800, Amazon, PV544 and 144 in this tacing and maybe i can put you in contact whith some of the old guys that were driving the volvo´s in the 60´s.
One of my friends were driving 240 turbo GrII in europe and another were driver for volvo cars cooporation in the 60´s.
I will try to put some pictures here sooner that i have.

best regards/ Richard Binnås

[Hobson]

Richard, do you know of any websites for racing Volvo 120s?
I know of www.vclassics.com but it is in Austrailia.
Any more European info is appreciated.

[XAutoRacer]

Originally Posted by Hobson

Thanks for that Ray. Does anyone have any European and American Volvo history and pictures?
Also, can anyone direct me to a website for racing 122's?

Historically, quite a few PV544's, P1800's and 122's raced both in Canada and the USA....I remember a fast 122 driven by Diana Carter in Canada....There also were a team of PV444's in the late 1950's driven by Boris Janda and Jerry Polivka....

There are a lot still racing here in the colonies....Here's mine...
If you like I can send you a link to photos of the West Coast Volvo Challenge field....

Here's a Volvo website you might like....

[VolvoGroupA]

Visit my site!

www.240grupp-a.se /Hundreds of images of the Volvo 240 Turbo group-A

[XAutoRacer]

I found my old 122s rotting under a tree in Arkansas....It's been restored...

[bauble]

Jo Bonnier raced a Volvo at the Daily Express International Trophy Meeting a couple of times in the 1950's probably 1952/53/54 (?) when they always had a saloon car race.

[D-Type]

Originally Posted by bauble

Jo Bonnier raced a Volvo at the Daily Express International Trophy Meeting a couple of times in the 1950's probably 1952/53/54 (?) when they always had a saloon car race.

A bit previous there Bob. Jo Bo drove a Volvo PV444 in the 1958 race only and a team of four Amazons ran in the 1959 race driven by Swedes, but none was Jo Bonnier.
A quick troll through the Motor Sport 1950s disc shows Volvos in a few rallies but no races outside Sweden other than the aforementioned Daily Express trophies.
Rallyiong is a different kettle of fish with Volvos frequently winning their class and sometimes outright wins.

[Graham Clayton]

Here's something I wasn't aware of - Volvo 122s competed in the SCCA Trans-Am series:

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2...iginal-driver/

[XAutoRacer]

Originally Posted by Graham Clayton

Here's something I wasn't aware of - Volvo 122s competed in the SCCA Trans-Am series:

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2...iginal-driver/

My car ran in one Trans-Am race in 1975....

[bauble]

Originally Posted by D-Type

A bit previous there Bob. Jo Bo drove a Volvo PV444 in the 1958 race only and a team of four Amazons ran in the 1959 race driven by Swedes, but none was Jo Bonnier.
A quick troll through the Motor Sport 1950s disc shows Volvos in a few rallies but no races outside Sweden other than the aforementioned Daily Express trophies.
Rallyiong is a different kettle of fish with Volvos frequently winning their class and sometimes outright wins.

I am VERY old Duncan, and do not have all my old programmes, so I admit a lot of my facts are just guess work.
Still, if it stimulates other memories I hope I am not too badly thought of.