Alain Pondman wants to go to Svenska Kungsrallyt in a Volvo PV52 with three princesses in the back.

You don't buy a rare piece of pre-war Swedish automotive history: it is granted to you. Alain Pondman solemnly promised the previous owner that he does not regard the 1937 Volvo PV52 as merchandise, but intends to create memories with it. He already has a concrete goal in mind: to participate in the Svenska Kungsrallyt in 2027, with three princesses in the back seat. Call it a royal decree. 

Text & photography: Aart van der Haagen

The Volvo that almost no one recognizes as a Volvo. You can draw that conclusion in advance when you place the Volvo PV52 in the spotlight. While models like the PV444, PV544, and Amazon and their descendants have acquired a solid market share in the classic car world, the pre-war automobiles from Gothenburg have always remained under the radar.

For Alain Pondman, owner of Volvo Lotte in Ophemert, a long-cherished wish came true four years ago when, through a roundabout way, he managed to get his hands on a 1938 PV51 that had initially almost slipped through his fingers. It is a restoration project, and although brave plans were formed to bring it to a successful conclusion with a team of craftsmen, it remains in the same condition. “It just doesn't happen when you run and expand a garage business. On the other hand, you can't just pick an alternative out of nowhere either. It wasn't until the PV444 that Volvo started producing large volumes. You rarely see anything before that for sale, and believe me, I really do keep an eye on the market. Especially in Sweden.”

Let it sink in for a moment

How things can turn out. Last September, Pondman was browsing the Volvo Classic Car Show in Rosmalen. “At a table with parts, my eye fell on a sheet of A4 paper offering a 1937 Volvo PV52. I soon realized that I recognized this particular example, because I had seen it ten years earlier at the Concours d'Élégance Paleis Het Loo and had walked around it drooling back then. It turned out to be the car of Wim van Sambeek, a well-known figure in the scene, who once helped establish the parts warehouse within the Volvo Classic Car Association.”

After his passing in early 2025, his wife and son decided with a heavy heart to part ways with the PV52, as they didn't really see themselves driving it. I struck up a conversation with them at the trade fair. It was immediately clear to me that I absolutely would not want to acquire the car with the intention of reselling it. On the contrary, I felt and still feel this is the ultimate Volvo that can serve as a showcase for my company, and how wonderful would it be to use it for ceremonial drives, such as weddings? Above all, I uphold the credo of 'making memories'. Taking trips together with my wife and three daughters.”

Unique event

“Jeanne van Sambeek, Wim’s wife, reacted with relief when I unveiled my plans for the Volvo PV52,” Pondman continues. “Do you know what I’m already dreaming of? I hope I can make it happen that in 2027, when the car reaches the age of 90 and Volvo celebrates its centenary, I get to participate in the Svenska Kungsrallyt, with my three princesses in the back seat and, of course, my wife beside me.” It is a globally unique event, held every other year since 1997, in which King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden plays the leading role. Talk about making memories…

You can find the complete article about this Volvo PV52 in the April issue of AMK. It is available at newsstands now.

(More photos follow below.)