Digging In The Crates - Volvo Special Vehicles Brochure, 1978

Special circumstances call for special cars, and Volvo has a long history of developing purpose-built vehicles for customers with special requirements. We're all familiar with the V70 thats so beloved of the motorway police patrols, but Volvo have been producing police and taxis in their Gothenborg workshop for over 50 years. The there's the stretched limousines, ambulances and hearses...

"Do you do airports?"

In case a standard 240 estate didn't offer enough space, they stretched it to accommodate another row of seats. One assumes that both sets of rear seats fold to fit that Ikea Pax bedroom set in.

And if an estate can be stretched, then it would only be right that a saloon be put on the stretching rack. Its sure got that 'Euro Cadillac' vibe going on'.

Kurt Wallander's no doubt not far behind. Antone know what the Swedish is for 'ne-naw ne-naw'?

A factory built Volvo ambulance; wasn't aware of the existence of this fine beast until I saw this brochure. Almost an incentive to get a major injury.

Still trying to get my head round how the 'servo system' works and how it pulls the wheelchair in, especially when in the picture with the wheelchair halfway in and the driver's seat tilted forward, he's no-where to be seen...

What a shame that the hearse version doesn't appear to have caught on in the UK; it would surely have been a serious rival for the homegrown Coleman Milne Granadas and Daimler DS420s. Note the raised roof and lengthened doors in addition to the long wheel base; they would have been great options for the normal production estate.

When safety was just starting to become less of a dirty word with other manufacturers, it had been part of Volvo's vocabulary for years already. And to think Ford were still making the MKII Escort at this point in time...