Volvo 144 GL Rally, 1972
Chassis No.: 346074 Registration: HAR 957L Sold for an undisclosed fee • Purchased in 2009 and converted into a historic rally car with extensive works • First place in the month-long 2010 Carrera Copacabana Rally The Volvo 144, introduced in August 1966 for the 1967 model year, was a revolutionary four-door, four-cylinder saloon that defined Volvo's ‘boxy’ design language for decades. Renowned for its safety, it featured disc brakes on all four wheels, energy-absorbing crumple zones, and a robust, reliable, and spacious design. Produced until 1974, it featured 1.8 or 2.0 litre engines and laid the groundwork for the later 200-series. Famed for their ability to withstand Scandinavian winters and clock up huge mileages, 140-series cars were also surprisingly comfortable, benefitting from reclining front seats and fully carpeted interiors as standard. Volvo’s saloons were capable rally cars and the 144 (the 140 series’ four-door saloon) was no exception. Notable endeavours included the 1968 London-Sydney Rally and José Araujo and John Batley’s entry in the 1970 London-Mexico World Cup Rally. ‘HAR 957L’ had a quiet life at first, being sold through the Park Road Garage in Bedford in 1973 to an Italian ice-cream seller, to be used for his summer holidays in Italy. When he passed way in c.1999, the Volvo was offered back to the Park Road Garage having covered 60,000 miles. In 2009, the then owner considered it perfect for his own rallying ambitions, the car was stripped down and thoroughly lightened, with all the glass and interior removed. Upgrades included a GT dash, a full roll cage, new coil springs and Bilstein shock absorbers, uprated brakes and larger-diameter 1980s Volvo wheels. The car was entered in the month-long 2010 Carrera Copacabana rally and proceeded to be the winner! It was one of only seven finishers in the challenging drive from Argentina to Brazil, traversing Chile, Peru and Bolivia. Following its victory, the Volvo has seen little action and remains in excellent order and is offered with a history file which contains the ownership history, MoTs back to 2000, and much documentation from the Copacabana rally. This vehicle has been recently fully serviced and MoT’d, it is described as in fantastic working order and ready to enter any of the many historic rallies around the world. Consigned by Mathew Priddy https://www.historics.co.uk/auction/lot/?lot=18985&au=105
