Volvo Duett P210 B18 — 1962

A workhorse in original condition. Sure, it has its flaws, but it’s charming as a whole. The body is relatively free from rust, and the car has been repainted—except for the front section. The body panels are fairly straight. The interior shows wear, especially on the seat surfaces and backrests. The rear seat is intact but dirty. The headliner is in good condition, aside from a loading damage at the rear. Mechanically, it feels solid and drives steadily on the road. The brakes are in good shape and were refurbished before the last inspection in 2020. The car is therefore inspection- and tax-exempt. Seat covers are included if you wish to cover the worn seat and backrest areas. Working locks and two sets of keys. Original spare wheel (diagonal tire) included.

• Mechanical condition

  The engine starts easily and runs smoothly, with no misfires. It shifts and brakes as it should. The fan doesn’t work, and the left turn signal is a bit sluggish. All gauges are functioning. These are simple things to fix.

• Interior condition

  Generally a bit worn. The seats show signs of wear, especially the driver’s seat. The floor mats are okay but not original. There’s a crack in the rubber mat by the transmission tunnel. The door panels are in good condition, and the dashboard has some paint wear. The headliner is nice but could use a cleaning. There’s a hole in the rear cargo area. The luggage compartment is a bit worn, but all the wooden slats are intact, so there’s good potential to restore it nicely. The door seals are original but have some cracking.

• Exterior condition

  Good driver condition when it comes to chrome, trim, and glass. A slight color difference can be noticed in certain angles on the front section compared to the rest of the repainted areas. However, the overall exterior impression is good—considering it's in driver condition.

• General condition

  At its core, this is a solid original Duett with great potential for improvement, should one wish to take it further. A careful restoration of the interior would significantly enhance the overall impression.

Fordonsstatus: Avst 2024-03-28
Ursprungsbesiktning: 1962-01-01 (typbes)
Datum i trafik första gången: 1962-01-01
Senast godkända besiktning: 2020-05-27
Besiktningsbefriad: Ja
Skattebefriad: Ja
Körförbud: Nej
Antal ägare: 6

The Volvo Duett was developed based on the Volvo PV 444 to open up a new market for those in need of a more spacious vehicle. The result was the Volvo Duett, launched in the summer of 1953. The name “Duett” came from Volvo’s idea of the car being both a work vehicle and a leisure vehicle. The car was designed and engineered by Erik Skoog, with development taking place in Olofström, where the body parts were also manufactured by Svenska Stålpressnings AB.

Before the Duett, PV 444 variants such as station wagons, panel vans, and ambulances had been produced exclusively by independent coachbuilders on the PV 445 chassis, which Volvo introduced in 1949. Chassis production continued alongside Duett production until 1961.

Originally named the PV 445 Duett, the model received a major redesign after the 1960 summer break and was rebranded as the P 210 Duett. The new version differed significantly from its predecessor, including a one-piece windshield replacing the earlier split design. The Duett is often considered Volvo’s first true estate car, though it became especially popular among farmers and tradespeople. Many will remember the iconic orange Duetts used for years by Televerket (the Swedish telecommunications authority). Other major users included the Post Office (yellow vehicles with black front fenders and grilles) and the military, which sometimes equipped them with roof hatches for aerial observation. A few units were even produced with a full rear door.

The Duett was developed in parallel with the Volvo PV 444 and later PV 544, and it remained in production until 1969. It was offered in various versions, including panel vans with covered sides and versions with side windows. Volvo attempted to produce a successor in the Volvo 145 Express, but it never reached the same level of popularity.

Due to its body-on-frame construction, the Duett became a popular base for modifications, including EPA tractors and hot rods. Several companies also built convertible versions.

The first chassis was presented on September 9, 1949, and was designated PV 445. The chassis weighed 725 kg and had a payload capacity of 500–550 kg. The chassis came equipped with a front end, hood, front fenders, firewall, sills, and instruments. Up until 1953, it was produced without any body, and the last 445-type chassis was manufactured on May 17, 1962.

Most of the major changes to the Duett occurred with the introduction of the PV 544 in August 1958. These updates included replacing the small oval taillights with rectangular ones, moving the turn signals and parking lights to the front fender edges, and the introduction of the B16 engine. Some improvements, such as the curved one-piece windshield, 4-speed gearbox, and new dashboard, were not implemented on the Duett until July 1960, with the launch of the “successor” P210. At that time, seat belts also became standard equipment.

The last Duett, a royal blue station wagon, rolled off the assembly line on February 11, 1969. It bore chassis number 97,299 and is now housed at the Volvo Museum. In total, just over 93,000 Duetts and 4,200 delivery chassis were produced. The exact total production was 101,492 vehicles.

Location: Fjugesta

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

Peter Forslund

peter.forslund@bilwebauctions.se

Collection must take place before: 2025-05-08.

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