MiniAutoHobby: Volvo

Pokazywanie postów oznaczonych etykietą Volvo. Pokaż wszystkie posty

Volvo P1800 S Rocket

Wednesday 1 January 2020
The project was started in 1957 because Volvo wanted a sports car, despite the fact that their previous attempt, the P1900 had been a disaster, with only 68 cars sold. The man behind the project was an engineering consultant to Volvo, Helmer Pettersson, who in the 1940s was responsible for the Volvo PV444. The design work was done by Helmer's son Pelle Pettersson, who worked at Pietro Frua at that time. The Italian Carrozzeria Pietro Frua design firm (then a recently acquired subsidiary of Ghia) built the first three prototypes, designated: P958-X1, P958-X2 and P958-X3.

In December 1957 Helmer Petterson drove X1, (the first hand-built P1800 prototype) to Osnabruck, West Germany, headquarters of Karmann. Petterson hoped that Karmann would be able to take on the tooling and building of the P1800. Karmann's engineers had already been preparing working drawings from the wooden styling buck at Frua. Petterson and Volvo chief engineer Thor Berthelius met there, tested the car and discussed the construction with Karmann. They were ready to build it and this meant that the first cars could hit the market as early as December 1958. But in February, Karmann's most important customer, Volkswagen VAG, forbade Karmann to take on the job. They were afraid that the P1800 would compete with the sales of their own cars, and threatened to cancel all their contracts with Karmann if they took on the coachbuilding of this car. This setback almost caused the project to be abandoned.

Other German firms NSU, Drautz and Hanomag were contacted but none of them was selected because Volvo did not believe these firms met their manufacturing quality control standards.

It began to appear that Volvo might never produce the P1800. This motivated Petterson to obtain financial backing from two financial firms with the intention of buying the components directly from Volvo, and marketing the car himself. At this point Volvo had made no mention of the P1800 and the factory would not comment. Then a press release surfaced with a photo of the car, putting Volvo in a position where they had to acknowledge the car's existence. These events influenced the company to renew its efforts, and it turned to Jensen Motors whose production lines were under capacity, and they agreed to a contract of 10,000 cars. The Linwood, Scotland body plant of manufacturer Pressed Steel was in turn contracted by Jensen to create the unibody shell, which then shipped via rail to be assembled at Jensen in West Bromwich, England. In September 1960, the first production
P1800 (for the 1961 model year) left Jensen for an eager public.

The engine provided was the B18 with dual SU carburettors, producing 100 hp (75 kW). This variant (named B18B) had a different camshaft from, and higher compression than, the slightly less powerful twin-carb B18D used in the contemporary Amazon 122S. The 'new' B18 was actually developed from the pre-existing B36 V8 engine employed in Volvo trucks at the time. This cut production costs, as well as furnishing the P1800 with a strong engine boasting five main crank bearings. The B18 was matched with the new and more robust M40 manual gearbox through 1963. From 1963 to 1972 the M41 gearbox with electrically actuated overdrive was a popular option. Two overdrive types where used, the D-Type through 1969, and the J-type through 1973. The J-type had a slightly shorter ratio of 0.797:1 as opposed to 0.756:1 for the D-type. The addition of this overdrive gave the 1800 series a defacto fifth gear, allowing it greater fuel efficiency and decreased drivetrain wear. Cars sold without overdrive had a numerically lower geared differential, which had the interesting effect of giving them a somewhat higher top speed (just under 120 mph) than the more popular overdrive models. This was because the non-overdrive cars could reach the engine's redline in top gear, while the overdrive-equipped cars could not, giving the latter a top speed of roughly 110 mph (177 km/h).

As time progressed, Jensen had problems with quality control, so the contract was ended early at 6,000 cars. In 1963 production was moved to Volvo's Lundby Plant in Gothenburg and the car's name was changed to 1800S (the 'S' indicating Swedish assembly). The engine was improved with an additional 8 hp (6 kW). In 1966 the four-cylinder engine was updated to 115 hp (86 kW). In 1969 the B18 engine was replaced with the 2-liter B20B variant of the B20 giving 118 bhp (89 kW), though it kept the designation 1800S. For 1970 numerous changes came with the fuel-injected 1800E, which had the B20E engine with Bosch DJetronic fuel injection and a revised camshaft and produced 130 bhp (97 kW) from its 2-litres without sacrificing fuel economy. Top speed was around 190 km/h (just under 120 mph) and acceleration from 0-100km was 9.5 seconds. In addition, the 1970 model was the first 1800 to appear with four-wheel disc brakes. Prior to this, the 1800 series had front discs and rear drums.

In 1972 came the last model, the 1800ES, a hatchback or station wagon version with an allglass tailgate; the engine was downgraded to 125 bhp (92 kW) by reducing the compression ratio with a thicker head gasket (engine variant B20F); although maximum power was slightly down the engine was less "peaky" and the real-world performance was actually improved. For the last model year, 1973, only the 1800ES was produced. Total production of the 1800 line from 1961 through 1973 was 47,492 units. Production ended on June 27, 1973 although Volvo was in negotiations with Sergio Coggiola concerning a possible P1800ESC. While Volvo never produced factory convertibles of the 1800, these were produced in the aftermarket. A Long Island, NY (USA) dealer, Volvoville, advertised a convertible version.

A white Volvo P1800 (with licence plate ST1) driven by Simon Templar, played by Roger Moore, was featured in the TV series The Saint beginning in 1962 and played a prominent role throughout the entire run of the show. There were two exciting new cars introduced at the Paris Auto Show in 1962, and Jaguar was first offered the opportunity to provide an EType car for the series but declined as they had too much demand already and didn't see the need for additional press (a similar situation arose with Mars Candies' M&Ms and Reese's Pieces in the movie E.T.). Volvo was then asked for a P1800, and they jumped at the chance leading to a nice increase of sales of the P1800 and the creation of a 1960s' icon. Later, in the 1970s when The Return of the Saint was created, Jaguar made up for their mistake and offered the new XJ-S for the series. One of the Volvo 1800s used in the Saint TV series in 1967 has been faithfully restored and is now owned by Bill Krzastek. It does indeed look like a giant-size Corgi Saint Volvo, and it has appeared in a number of auto shows.

Technical data:
- engine: 4 cylinders
- capacity: 2000 cc
- horsepower: 125 HP
- gearbox: 4+1
- top speed: 170 km/h

Volvo N10

Monday 16 December 2019
The Volvo N10 is a heavy-duty commercial vehicle. Due to its robust design it proved perfectly suited for military applications. Production commenced in the 1970s. The N10 is in service with Swedish Army and Air Force. Over 1 200 of these trucks were delivered to the Belgian Army. These vehicles were locally produced.

The Volvo NL10 was produced in both two- and three-axle configurations, however only the three-axle version was adopted for tactical military roles. This heavy utility truck was available in 6x2, 6x4 and 6x6 configurations. Three wheelbase lengths were available. Vehicle is conventional in layout with a bonneted cab and a cargo area at the rear. The cargo area is fitted with drop sides and tailgate. It is covered with bows and canvas cover. Some cargo vehicles are fitted with a load handling crane, others carry van bodies for medical services, offices, maintenance and so on. Payload capacity is about 10 t, depending on the version. Other production variants of the N10 truck include dump truck, load handling system, tanker and recovery vehicle. A similar Volvo N12 was also available as a tractor truck. It is used by the Swedish Army in the heavy equipment transporter role.

Cab of the Volvo N10 accommodates driver and at least one passenger.

The N10 is powered by a Volvo 9.6-liter turbocharged diesel engine, developing 275 hp. A similar Volvo N12 was fitted with a more powerful 12.1-liter turbocharged diesel engine.

In the 1980s the Volvo N10 was replaced in production with Volvo NL10, which had uprated driveline. In 2002 the Belgian Army awarded a contract to supply 150 Iveco EuroTrakker military trucks, fitted with load handling systems.

Technical data:
- engine: S6
- capacity: 9600 cc
- horsepower: 275 HP
- gearbox: 6+2
- top speed: 90 km/h

Volvo F89

Monday 16 December 2019
The Volvo F88/F89 was a series of heavy-duty trucks produced by Swedish automaker Volvo between 1965 and 1977.

Volvo presented the forward control F88 in 1965. The truck was the first part of the company's export-oriented "System 8", which served as basis for the truck giant Volvo is today. The F88 sold well internationally and began a reputation for durable cab-over trucks.

Late in 1971 the larger 'F89' was announced, with the new twelve litre engine, only delivered to the end of the year in 1972. The truck and the engine were designed to meet a West German regulation that put a lower limit for the number of horsepower per GCWR. In order to continue selling trucks in the heaviest class, Volvo developed a new, more powerful engine and the F89 was the first Volvo truck to be sold with turbo engines only. The TD120 engine was so tall that it must be mounted inclined in the frame to fit under the cab. This made it impossible to convert the truck for right-hand drive. Countries with left-hand traffic had to make do with a stronger
version of the F88 with its engine power boosted to 312 hk (229 kW).

Technical data:
- engine: S6
- capacity: 11979 cc
- horsepower: 330 HP
- gearbox: 8+2
- top speed: 90 km/h

Volvo F12

Sunday 15 December 2019
This is the 1/24 scale of the vehicle described here. It is a custom model made based on Italeri 751 set.

Technical data:
- engine: S6
- capacity: 1200 cc
- horsepower: 380 HP
- gearbox: 8+2
- top speed: 90 km/h

Volvo F10

Sunday 15 December 2019
Volvo F10, F12, and F16 are a series of trucks manufactured by Volvo Trucks between 1977 and 1993. The F10 and F12 were launched in 1977, with many innovative features for its time, most notably a safety cab with high level of ergonomics for the driver. The F16 was launched in 1987 and was more powerful. Volvo manufactured about 200,000 trucks in the series between 1977 and 1993.

The basic chassis components and also the driveline components of the trucks, when launched in 1977, were to a large extent based on the ones introduced in 1973 for the Volvo N-series trucks. The numbering on these models tells the engine displacement in litres. Various power outputs were offered, and the engines have gone through several modifications through the years. All engines are straight six-cylinder turbocharged diesel engines of Volvo's own make.

The series got two major upgrades during its production. The first one in 1983, which included major changes to the cabin, (larger windscreen and heightened roof) a new chassis with decreased weight and parabolic springs, and the spacious "Globetrotter" cabin was offered as an option. The engines also got an upgrade, but the power output was unchanged.

The second upgrade came in 1987, with the arrival of the powerful F16 and some cosmetic changes. The F16 truck had a new six-cylinder, straight-in-line engine with four valves per cylinder and a high-placed camshaft. It was widely used for hauling large train weights, such as timber trucks in Scandinavia (a market hitherto dominated by Scania AB trucks powered by the Scania V8 engine) and road trains in Australia.

The F-series was replaced by the Volvo FH-series in 1994.

Technical data:
- engine: S6
- capacity: 9600 cc
- horsepower: 300 HP
- gearbox: 8+2
- top speed: 90 km/h

Volvo 240

Monday 9 May 2016
The Volvo 200 series was a range of executive cars produced by Volvo Cars from 1974 to 1993, with more than 2.8 million units sold worldwide. Like the Volvo 140, it was designed by Jan Wilsgaard. It overlapped production of the Volvo 700 series introduced in 1982. As the 240 remained popular, only the 260 was displaced by the 700 series — which Volvo marketed alongside the 240 for another decade. The 700 series was replaced a year before the 240 was discontinued. Production ended on 14 May 1993 after nearly 20 years.
The Volvo 240 and 260 series was introduced in the autumn of 1974, and was initially available as six variations of the 240 Series (242L, 242DL, 242GT, 244DL, 244GL, 245L and 245DL) and two variations of the 260 Series (264DL and 264GL). The 240 Series was available in sedan (with two or four doors) or station wagon, however the 260 Series was available as a coupé (262C Bertone), four-door sedan, or station wagon. The 200 looked much like the earlier 140 and 164 Series, for they shared the same body shell and were largely the same from the cowl rearward. However, the 200 incorporated many of the features and design elements tried in the Volvo VESC ESV in 1972, which was a prototype experiment in car safety. The overall safety of the driver and passengers in the event of a crash was greatly improved with very large front and rear end crumple zones. Another main change was to the engines, which were now of an overhead-cam design. The 260 series also received a V6 engine in lieu of the 164's inline-six.
The 200 Series had MacPherson strut type front suspension, which increased room around the engine bay, while the rear suspension was a modified version of that fitted to the 140 Series. The steering was greatly improved with the installation of rack-and-pinion steering, with power steering fitted as standard to the 244GL, 264DL and 264GL, and there were some modifications made to the braking system (in particular the master cylinder.
The front end of the car was also completely restyled – that being the most obvious change of which made the 200 Series distinguishable from the earlier 140 and 160 Series. Other than all the changes mentioned above, the 200 Series was almost identical to the 140 and 160 Series from the bulkhead to the very rear end. The dashboard was derived from the safety fascia introduced for the 1973 140-series - but was changed again for the 1981 model year with the instrument pod made considerably larger and the radio repositioned near the top of the dashboard. All models were available with a choice of four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic transmission. Overdrive was also optional on the manual 244GL, while a five-speed manual gearbox was optional on the 264GL and 265GL.
At the 1976 Paris Motor Show Bertone first showed the stretched 264 TE, a seven-seater limousine on a 3,430 mm (135 in) wheelbase, although it had entered production earlier. The raw bodies were sent from Sweden to Grugliasco for lengthening, reinforcing, and finishing. Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden used one, as did much of East Germany's political leadership.
In the autumn of 1975 (for the 1976 model year in America), the 265 DL estate became available alongside the existing range, and this was the first production Volvo estate to be powered by a six-cylinder engine. Around this time, the existing 200 Series underwent some technical changes. The B20A engine was dropped in most markets, although it soldiered on for another two years in some places. The choice of gearbox was also greatly improved, with overdrive now available as an option in all manual models except the base-model 242L and 245L. As before, the 3-speed automatic was optional in every model.
Incremental improvements were made almost every year of the production run. One of the major improvements was the introduction of the oxygen sensor in 1976 (1977 models), which Volvo called Lambda Sond and developed in conjunction with Bosch. It added a feedback loop to the K-Jetronic fuel injection system already in use, which allowed fine-tuning of the air and fuel mixture and therefore produced superior emissions, drivability and fuel economy.
About one-third of all 240s sold were station wagons, which featured very large cargo space of 41 cubic feet (1.2 m3). They could be outfitted with a rear-facing foldable jumpseat in the passenger area, making the wagon a seven-passenger vehicle. The jumpseat came with three-point seat belts, and wagons were designed to have a reinforced floor section, protecting the occupants of the jumpseat in the event of a rear-end collision. Both the 200 series and the 700 series became a status symbol worldwide.
The last 200 produced was a blue station wagon built to the Italian specification and named the "Polar Italia", currently displayed at the Volvo World Museum.