MEET THE OWNERS – JAYNE AND SIMON AND THEIR VOLVO 221

It is always a delight to encounter an old friend, such as Jayne and Simon and their beautiful 1968 Volvo 221. Here are my thoughts from Classic & Sports Car back in 2017:

“The Volvo belongs together with the MG Magnette Z-Series and the Borgward Isabella in the exclusive club of ‘Designs Whose Looks Bely Their Age’. The Amazon steers, stops, corners and generally behaves in a manner that can lead you to believe that you are piloting a much younger car, with the dashboard and the thick screen pillars as reminders of its 1950s origins. The body is replete with clever details such as the lumber support adjusters on the front seats, the integral steps on the rear overriders so that the owner can adjust a roof rack with ease and the hinged back number plate that it can remain visible if the bottom half of the tailgate is lowered.”

Above all, Jayne’s Volvo is a supremely practical form of classic, be it transporting dogs, visiting the garden centre or coping with the rigours of British motorways. Later Amazon estates boast the B20 2.0-litre engine in place of the 1.8 unit and the Jayne/Simon 221 also boasts the optional overdrive. The result is a 55 year old car with 68 year old styling – and performance that is more than capable of dealing with 21^st century traffic.

The Estate debuted six years after the original Amazon saloon in 1956 as Volvo’s first saloon-based station wagon. British sales began in 1963 where the 221 competed against the Humber Hawk, the Martin Walter-bodied Vauxhall Cresta PB and the Ford Zodiac Mk. III Farnham. The price was £1,270 5d, while the sales copy targeted rampant social climbers:

“…to take you to shooting, picnicking, shopping, hunting,

fishing, touring – 65 cubic feet of luggage space…to town, to the

golf club – anywhere…elegant, unconcerned…envied

finish…superb performance with matching road holding and

braking.”

You can imagine the recently married Margot Ledbetter urging Jerry to call Volvo GB on HYDE Park 0321 to arrange a test drive.

Autocar thought the 221 “An attractive vehicle for the sporting-minded family man and the country” although their view of its appearance was somewhat wide of the mark. “A chunky practical car, well-equipped in plain fashion”, did not do justice to a beguiling combination of Chrysler-inspired lines and sheer practicality. It is also a remarkably agile machine, with little or none of the lumbering qualities of many of its rivals.

By the time the last Amazon station wagon left the factory in 1969 they had established a legacy for all subsequent Volvo estates. A letter from an owner to Motor Sport three years earlier summarised why the 221 enjoyed such esteem:

“What a revelation after my previous over-£1,000 British 6-cylinder car, which in the two years I had it caused me to visit garages many times and broke down on each of three Continental holidays! The Volvo is a delightful fully developed vehicle of robust and sound design and construction, obviously the product of careful workmanship and assembly and induces considerable pride of ownership. The engine runs like a high-grade clock, the steering, gearbox, road-holding, brakes and seats are all excellent, and the Bosch electrics are the best I have ever owned.”

The gentleman concluded: “How many owners of British cars in the same class can honestly testify to such complete satisfaction? I have no connection with these manufacturers and have never before owned a foreign car in 35 years’ experience.” Such correspondence was probably ill-received at Longbridge, Dagenham, Ryton, Canley and Luton but it highlighted Volvo’s considerable reputation after only eight years in the UK.

As for Jayne and Simon’s 221, it has not let them down during their 14 year of ownership - a testament to its design integrity. They have also recently added an external sun visor, for additional style, and the Amazon regularly serves as one of the UK’s most elegant tow-cars. Simon remarks “she is a joy to drive and the Volvo being ahead of the time means getting into a modern afterwards is not a massive change.”

And, above all, the blue 221 more than live up to those early advertising claims: “thoroughbred…sheer joy to drive…incredible”.

With Thanks To: Jayne and Simon