The streamlined Volvo PV36 'Carioca' was immediately seen as very progressive by the public at the introduction. The letters PV - which was officially implemented by the manufacturer for almost the length of days - stand for Person Vagner, the Swedish for Adults Cart, which is written in Dutch according to the Dikke Van Dale as passenger car. The 36 figures for the year, although the car was already introduced in 1935.
Progressive design
A six-cylinder engine in the front and the four-door attached to the B-post, at the time a common construction. This Volvo, for those difficult pre-war years, a very expensive automobile in the price range of an oversized V8 with much more luxury, was built from 1935 until the fall of 1938 500 times. Also one convertible below. The design was seen worldwide as a 'milestone ', startling and leading. Almost all other car manufacturers still delivered their cars with separate headlamps mounted on the mudguards. Ivan Örnberg, who was already commissioned in 1931 to design the new Volvo's aerodynamically with the main objective of a higher top speed accompanied by low fuel consumption. The whole thing went down well, became a trendsetter.
Carioca
The name 'Carioca' is not immediately Swedish, nor is it the official type name, but was 'invented' by fans of this model and refers to the then fashionable South American dance. If you are a little 'crazy' about the movie, then we refer you to the Hollywood movie by 1933 'Flying down to Rio'.
Advanced technology
The so-called PV36 was equipped with even more inventive features. Independent front suspension, a rear axle with a larger track width than the front axle and therefore an improved road holding. The police there also noticed that they immediately ordered 18 items. The - all the time - powerful, 80 hp, 3,7 liter six-seater could propel the heavy-duty device to a top speed of 120 kilometers per hour. Volvo went for safety then. This is how the - loose - chassis had diagonal cross connections ... If you look at photos of cars from that time, you will notice even more. The boot space is integrated in the coach with this Volvo. That was necessary at the time, because the roads were poor and hardly paved. A lot of dust. In addition, the coach was pressed out of a slightly thicker tin, a method that was also applied to successors such as the PV51 and PV52, and that increased safety. The other side of the coin, the excessively reinforced chassis and the heavy coach made the car a mastodon. Keeping this rolling 'castle' between the lines, even without excessive alcohol consumption, was quite a task ... The very last PV36 was built in September 1938 and delivered to a Swedish shipowner in Tehran who was then still called Persia.
Rare
It is now a sought after classic. It appears that there are still 25 left worldwide. The cabriolet version was built by the Swedish bodybuilder 'Nordbergs Vagn', who took a 'normal' four-door version and sawed off the roof ... Whether that car still exists is not known.
