Volvo ÖV 4
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The Volvo ÖV 4 was the first car built by
Volvo The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
. The designation ÖV 4 stands for ''"Öppen Vagn 4 cylindrar"'' in Swedish, which means Open Carriage, 4 cylinders. The model ÖV 4 has later often been referred to as "Jakob" but that was just a name for one of the 10 pre-series ÖV 4 that was ready on 25 July 1926, Jakob's
name day In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, among other parts of Christendom. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively that of a ...
. All 10 prototypes were assembled in
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
at the company AB Galco, Hälsingegatan 41 where
Gustaf Larson Erik Gustaf Larson (8 July 1887 – 4 July 1968) was a Swedish automotive engineer and the co-founder of Volvo. He held a Master of Science (M. Sc.) degree in mechanical engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Biography ...
worked at that time. Only one of the 10 pre-series cars manufactured during 1926 was saved for posterity and is housed at the
Volvo Museum The Volvo Museum is in Gothenburg, Sweden. It covers the development of Sweden's leading vehicle manufacturer Volvo, from the first ÖV 4 to the current cars, trucks, buses and other products. The museum also has displays of Volvo Aero and Volv ...
in
Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
,
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.


History

The engine was designed by Gustav Larson and its main chassis components by Jan G. Smith, a designer who had worked many years in the American automobile industry and returned to Sweden in 1924. Many of Jan G. Smith's original drawings for the ÖV4 and other technical papers that he collected in America are saved in the archive of the National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.The original drawings can be photographed at the National museum, referred to in this article. When the first series produced ÖV4 was about to drive out of the factory and engineer Eric Carlberg put it into first gear, the car went backwards, where the car was actually in reverse gear. The explanation was that the differential gear in the rear axle had been fitted incorrectly. This mistake delayed the introduction by one day and the official introduction day for the ÖV4 was then adjusted to 14 April 1927, the day AB Volvo officially says the automobile company Volvo was "born"— this is from a marketing point of view. The company as an automobile company was born as a subsidiary company to
SKF AB SKF (Swedish: ''Svenska Kullagerfabriken''; 'Swedish Ball Bearing Factory') is a Swedish bearing and seal manufacturing company founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1907. The company manufactures and supplies bearings, seals, lubrication and l ...
on 10 August 1926.


Models

The
cabriolet A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
was not very successful in the Swedish climate; the covered version, PV 4, was introduced in the summer of 1927. This had a Weymann body and the original design was rather ungainly. Helmer MasOlle, who had been inspired by his personal Voisin C5 when he designed the original ÖV 4, was reportedly furious about the PV 4 and would not be associated with it. By 1928 a more balanced design was introduced, with a longer bonnet and thinner pillars. The oval rear window of the original PV 4 was gradually replaced by a rectangular unit. Between 1927 and 1929 a total of 996 cars were manufactured. Of these 694 were PV 4 and 302 ÖV 4. 251 of the covered cars were of the "PV 4 Special" model. The ÖV 4 production includes 27 naked chassis and 70 small pickup trucks (ÖV 4 TV) developed for Telegrafverket, the royal telecommunications company. Some of these light trucks were sold to other customers. The TV model has a small convertible top mounted just behind the front seats, with a cargo area behind.


Technical specification

* Engine: 4-cylinder side-valve, volume 1944 cc * Power output: at 2000 rpm * Max. output torque: * Gearbox: 3 forward, 1 reverse * Max speed: recommended 60 km/h (37 miles/h), top speed * Weight: Beginning in 1928, four-wheel brakes became optional fitment. Lindh (1986), p. 242


References

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Notes


External links


Volvo Museum, Göteborg, Sweden. Official website.

National Museum of Science and Technology, Stockholm, Sweden. Official website.

Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. Official website.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Volvo OV4 OV4 First car made by manufacturer Cars introduced in 1926 Hisingen