Chassis No. 327873

Literally translated from Swedish to the English 'I roll,' Volvo built its first automobiles in the late 1920s, and by the early postwar years was producing cars boasting streamlined American-inspired design, incredibly rugged engineering, and superior build quality and safety. The PV series, produced from 1944 to 1965, appealed to intellectual types who favored the firm's unconventional and scientifically focused thinking. The PV544, introduced in 1958, featured a curved one-piece windshield, a four-speed transmission, a lightly redesigned interior, and, beginning in 1962, an enlarged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine with five main bearings and, in Sport trim, dual SU carburetors.

Mr. Taylor acquired this PV544 Sport after admiring it and realizing that it was likely one of the very best in the world. Meticulously preserved thanks to a lifetime in California, it is still wearing both its original paint and upholstery, in equally fine condition down to the grey rubber floor mat and headliner. It is equipped with a four-speed transmission and Graco AM/FM radio. The trunk accommodates a spare wheel, matching the color-keyed road wheels and tire, as well as a jack in a bag. Equally amazing is the engine compartment with its little four-cylinder with dual SU carburetors, untouched save only for, of course, a newer battery; it even has the original windshield washer bag, and the firewall has never been cleaned. At the time of cataloging, the car had recorded 82,131 miles.

It is impossible to imagine a 'Preservation Class' PV544, but this is it – a superb example in every significant regard.