The 1956-'57 Volvo Sport put factory-built Volvo convertibles on ice for 40 years
03/29/2020
While the very first production Volvo, the ÖV4 of 1927, used an open, touring car body, convertibles proved not to be particularly practical or popular in Sweden. But, in the early postwar era, when Volvo's focus expanded to include exports, changing global tastes in cars prompted a rethink. It was on the whim of this automaker's managing director in the mid-1950s—inspired by the new Chevrolet Corvette—that the Swedish automaker opted to launch its own fiberglass-bodied roadster. The Volvo Sport, which the company hoped would make a splash in the lucrative American market, would stop production almost as soon as it'd started, and memories of it quickly faded in the shadow of the popular P1800.
That Chevy's influence reached well beyond these shores, as the sleek two-seater was a pioneer of new production methods for a mainstream automaker. The Motorama dream-car-come-to-life was largely handbuilt in its first two model years, but its primary body material—glass-reinforced plastic, aka fiberglass—was lightweight, didn't corrode, and could be molded into complex shapes with no need for expensive sheetmetal pressing tools. Prior to the Corvette's introduction, the success of a fiberglass sports car body designed and built by marine engineer Bill Tritt and his California-based Glasspar Company proved the body material's viability to GM, and it's said that Tritt's Jaguar XK120-inspired two-seater was inspected by the top man, design chief Harley Earl, in 1952, when the 'Vette was in the concept stages.
Tritt and Glasspar were no strangers to Assar Gabrielsson, a founding partner of AB Volvo and its director in the early postwar era. Gabrielsson had traveled in the U.S. and noted the growing demand for sports cars. He was intrigued with the novel Corvette, and felt the Gothenburg concern should build something similar, based on the running gear of the durable and athletic PV444. On the 50th anniversary of the production debut of the type-P1900 Sport, Volvo Cars Heritage revealed the story behind its first sports car: "In 1953, Glasspar was tasked with designing a body, producing molds, building the first prototype, and training Volvo's staff in how to design and manufacture fiberglass bodies. Back home in Gothenburg, Volvo's engineers were ordered to develop a suitable frame chassis that would fit the body."
In an unusual twist, Sweden's largest automaker had contracted a comparably small American marine engineering company to style and engineer the coachwork of its two-seater. Upon receipt of a tubular steel rolling chassis—powered by a tuned, twin SU-carbureted "B14A" 1.4-liter four mated to a three-speed manual transmission—the California firm worked swiftly, and in early 1954, delivered the first functional prototype. That car had a distinctive appearance owing nothing to the contemporary fastback PV444, with a large, recessed grille opening akin to the intake of a F-86 fighter jet, a wrap-around windshield, and a smooth, minimally adorned body. The interior featured a driver-focused dashboard with classic round gauges providing full instrumentation. A removable hard top was designed, but that first example didn't yet have the folding convertible roof and roll-up door windows that Volvo wanted, and in testing, it was found to have notable shortcomings in body rigidity and occupant comfort.
Glasspar would build four prototype bodies for Volvo, at the same time educating the Swedish engineers about working with fiberglass. When the final design, with its new stainless-steel windshield frame and flush-mounted trunk lid, was approved, Tritt's team was tasked with building the initial 15 production-spec P1900 bodies that were shipped overseas for final assembly. The Sport was first displayed at the Torslanda airport in June 1954, subsequently taken on a Volvo-dealer tour around Sweden, and six months later, made its international auto show debut in Brussels. It was announced that this new model would hit the market later in 1955, and the initial production run of 300 examples would all be exported.
Volvo's uncharacteristic sports car caught the car world off guard and attracted international attention, including in the U.S., where the marque was just getting established. Writing for the October 1955 issue of Sports Car Illustrated, Fred H. Baer reported, "The souped-up version of the Swedish Volvo car, to be made on a quantity basis at the Gothenburg factory, is the first European car to have a plastic body fitted in series production. Reaching just under the 100-mph mark, the 1,870-lb car with a 70 hp, 11/4-liter powerplant is expected to become a best seller, due to sportive performance, relatively low price, and the traditional longevity of engine and chassis." Baer noted that Volvo planned to build one Sport per day, starting that fall, with a price around 20,000 crowns/$5,000. But the P1900 would never reach that potential. Deliveries began in January 1956, but refinement of the car was ongoing; its weak chassis still promoted body flex, and the soft-top attachment needed work. This car's champion, Assar Gabrielsson, retired that year, and the following spring, his successor, Gunnar Engellau, took a Sport on a near-500-mile trip. Unhappy with his tester's quality, and contemplating its high build cost, he swiftly cancelled production; the final example, chassis number 67, was delivered to Los Angeles in May 1957.
But this would not be the last open Volvo. In the mid-1960s, a small number of unauthorized, but suitably pretty, 1800S soft-top conversions by the Long Island, New York, dealer, Volvoville, showed there was a market for a sporty Swedish convertible. The automaker's U.S. arm commissioned a handful of Solaire conversions based on the 262C Bertone coupe in 1980—and once again, the parent company demanded a halt over safety concerns— but later in that decade, Volvo Cars itself experimented with a convertible variant of the Netherlands-built 480 ES, which sadly never entered production. It wouldn't be until the glamorous C70 Convertible debuted in 1997 that Volvo officially had a factory-built open car, and the success of that model lead to a second generation, the late and lamented folding-hardtop C70 of 2006-2013.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine 1,414-cc (86.3-cu.in.) OHV inline four-cylinder, twin carburetors
Horsepower 70 @ 5,500 rpm
Torque 76 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm
Transmission Three-speed manual with floor shift
Suspension Coil-sprung independent wishbone front and live axle rear
Brakes Four-wheel drums
Wheelbase 94.5 inches
Length 166.1 inches
Production 68 total believed built; around 50 known to exist today
Recent
Based on the Marathon four-door station wagon, the Aerobus was introduced in 1962 with a two-model range. One was a nine-passenger model with three pairs of passenger doors, and the other a longer 12-passenger version with four pairs of doors, such as the one now listed on Hemmings.com. A standard Checker taxi sedan from 1956 to 1982 rode on a 120-inch wheelbase. Limousine models sported a 129-inch wheelbase. The nine-passenger Aerobus had a wheelbase nearly three-feet longer than the sedan at 154.5 inches. Finally, the 12-passenger version had a distance between the axles of 189 inches. Its overall length was a hair under 270 inches, meaning it was over 22 feet long. For comparison, a current 2024 Ford F-350 Super Duty Crew Cab with a full eight-foot bed rides on a 176-inch wheelbase and has an overall length of 266 inches. That’s how long the big Aerobus was! Some sources indicate that the bigger Aerobus holds the record for the longest production car ever made, though volume was never particularly high.
Checker advertised the Aerobus not only for airport transportation as the name implies, but also “Perfect for schools, institutions, resorts, motels, hotels, inter-plant transportation, employee pick-up—even large families! It’s the practical idea in mass transportation.” Some model years, Checker used the name “Aerobus Limousine” for the model, incorporating both the six- and eight-door versions under that moniker.
The Aerobus included the features of the A8 that were carried over to the A9 and later A11 models, such as the high roofline and tall doors that allowed for easier passenger access. Low, flat floors contributed to the roominess as well. The commodious nature of the Checker cab that made it a leader in its field fully carried over to the Aerobus, which not only accommodated 12 people, but also plenty of luggage behind the fourth row. The rear cargo compartment glass was protected by an internal cage of sorts made of stainless-steel strips.
Underpinning that massive wagon was a modified version of the Checker sedan’s frame. Unlike some extended-wheelbase limousines, the Aerobus’s frame was not cut and then extended. Rather, the side rails were one-piece units fabricated especially for the job. Standard equipment included power steering and power brakes and a V8 engine. During its production lifetime from 1962 through 1977, the Aerobus featured both Chrysler and Chevrolet engines. At first, Checker sourced a Mopar Poly 318-cu.in. powerplant, which was later supplanted with a Chevrolet small-block V8. For a while, that meant a 327-cu.in. version but later a 350 V8, as seen on this 1972 version, when the engine was rated at 215 horsepower and 335 lb-ft of torque.
Other features on the Aerobus included a 23-gallon fuel tank, a heavy-duty alternator, and two additional floor-mounted auxiliary heaters for the rear passengers. Much of the chassis and suspension consisted of heavy-duty components needed to accommodate the vehicle with a curb weight of nearly two-and-a-half tons.
Variants of the Aerobus included the Convoy, which Checker billed as a “12-passenger security van,” a euphemism for a prisoner transport vehicle. The second and third row seats were removed and replaced by a pair of inward facing benches. All of the seats behind the front row were enclosed in a welded steel cage with a single door at the front that, when open, would allow passengers to exit a right-side passenger door. The front passenger sat, reserved for a guard, faced rearward toward the other passengers, but outside the cage. It is believed that at least one Convoy prototype was built, with any sales unknown and no examples believed to exist today.
Checker's Aerobus has made plenty of appearances in popular culture. In the film Catch Me If You Can, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, dressed in a pilot’s uniform, emerges at the airport drop-off from an eight-door Aerobus along with a bevy of flight attendants. The distinctive Aerobus has made plenty of other appearances over the years in other American and overseas productions, including in the original Hawaii Five-O, the film Medium Cool, and, appropriately enough, the original disaster movie Airport.
This 12-passenger, 1972 Checker Aerobus now listed on Hemmings Auctions, features a paint scheme that pays homage to four very distinct taxi styles in four colors, including the near ubiquitous yellow. A black-and-white checkered stripe runs the length of each side and additional taxi components include what appears to be a New York City taxi sign on the roof along with a fare schedule posted on the side.
Power comes from what is believed to be the original Chevrolet-sourced 350 cu.in. V8, which puts power to the rear whiles via Turbo Hydra-Matic three-speed automatic. The seller’s notes indicate some mechanical upgrades with the installation of a stronger rear end and rear axles, along with precision bearings. A modern audio system has also been installed as well as a backup camera, the latter surely an essential when navigating such a long vehicle in everyday traffic.
Head on over to Hemmings Auctions to take a closer look at this mega-extended wagon. Make a bid, but be sure to consider who will be on your guest list when you're driving this unique Checker Aerobus.
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