Merrill the 1960 Volvo PV544

1960 Volvo PV544

Volvo's creative genius arrives in waves. My obsession with the Swedish started in the 90s when I first laid eyes on the 850 T5R in Cream Yellow. One of the fastest bricks on the road, it had ruler-perfect lines that were undeniably un-aerodynamic but I still fought the kid who told me so. Hey, we were in elementary school, and no elementary schooler should be talking about the aerodynamics of the BTCC cars.

In 2000, we bought a lame and horribly slow S40 and the upkeep on that abomination was the final nail in our Volvo coffin. We still loved what the company did, especially in the fast Coupe market in the 2010s and finally the V60 sled that was recently discontinued. The love for Volvo came in waves, just like their strokes of genius. So when our greasy-handed friend Saris( Sah-reese) Mercanti offered up the 1960 Volvo PV544 for the article. It was a no brainer.

Hello Saris, please introduce yourself briefly, (where do you live, what do you do, and have done that is cool and exciting.)

I live in California, I ride bikes, have busted my knuckles while wrenching, and desperately want my pilot's license.

What is your car and motor history? Who got you stoked on Internal combustion engines?

When I was a little girl, I remember wanting to be at preschool early so I could play with the cool monster trucks. I had no interest in dolls, but I was obsessed with firetrucks. I've always been fascinated with mechanical things.

What is in the fleet at the moment?

With four wheels?

We have a long-travel 2nd Gen Tacoma with 35” tires, 4.88 gearing, Fox 2.5 resi’s, front and rear lockers, 4.0 V6, stick shift, and ‘glass fenders. We also have a unicorn 98’ 3rd Gen 4Runner with sleeper stock 32” tires, mid-travel suspension, rear locker, the 3.4 V6, and stick shift. And, of course, the car we’re discussing today - the 1960 PV544.

We just sold a 1987 Porsche 944 Turbo. Don’t worry, it stayed in the family! We're now looking for a replacement, preferably something more reliable than an aging German car. Suggestions welcome!

Tell us how Merrill ended up in your driveway.

Merrill is my mother-in-law Linda’s dream car. I wasn’t sure why she was so enamoured with this particular model, so I called her. Linda said, “I don’t know why I’ve fallen in love with this car, but I love the look of it. I almost bought one back in the 1980s named Waldo. This car [Merrill] is special because we were both born in 1960, so we’re the same age”

Linda has been forwarding us PV544 ads for years. This particular car she found through a Craigslist post with zero photos—you know the type. It belonged to a gentleman named Merrill, who bought the car from his parents. They had purchased it brand new from a dealer in Oregon. Merrill forwarded her some photos of what appeared to be a rust-free car with pristine paint, a perfect interior, and a too-good-to-be-true price.

Merrill (the person, not the car) is now in his 80s and can no longer drive. He had parked the car under a cover and knew his kids weren’t as passionate about it as he was (sorry for ratting you out, Merrill!), so he wanted to sell his baby to a Volvo family.

My partner’s family fits the bill perfectly. His father still owns his first car, a 1972 Volvo 145. The odometer stopped working at some point, but it has over 400,000 miles on it (643,000 km).

Jim took his girlfriend, now wife, to prom in that Volvo 145. It’s the same car he brought his son home from the hospital in. For nearly twenty years, 145 was his daily driver, adventure wagon, family hauler, and sometimes truck. It would eventually become his son’s first car.

Wrapping this back around, Ryan bought the PV544 to restore for his mom. It showed up in my driveway on the back of a car trailer towed by the Brota. Turns out, when you rent a car trailer, you need to indicate the weight of the vehicle to ensure you can legally tow it. Naturally, the PV544 is so old, it wasn’t in the UHaul system. If they ask, it’s a weird-looking VW bug…Nothing to see here.

How often does she run and usually to where?

Merrill is actually a he…. And you’ll need to define “running,” because I’ve learned there’s a difference between “running” and “driving.” Since we purchased the car in 2022, Merrill has mostly been “running” on blocks in my carport.

Ryan would like to point out that over the past year, we’ve performed a disk brake conversion, completely revamped the drivetrain, fuel, and cooling systems, and had the gearbox rebuilt. The car is basically new again, which means it's almost ready for an epic mother-son road trip along the California coast to its new forever home. Let the record show, that he also claims this will be our last “ran when parked” project, but I don’t believe him.

When Merrill is driving, he’s wonderful for cruising backroads spiritedly. Compared to our previous ‘68 Bug, the PV is a class apart with a much nicer interior. It’s spacious and quiet, doesn’t feel like a complete death trap, and the suspension performs flawlessly - especially on rough roads.

Unless your only frame of reference was a Prius, you’d be hard-pressed to call it fast…but with a 1.6 liter 4 cylinder that produced 80hp when new and a 2,200 curb weight, it goes pretty good for a 64-year-old.

The PV series was unveiled in 1944, long before the US Federal Highway System was built. Cars from the pre-highway era, like the PV, weren't designed for freeway use. In other words, this car doesn’t like being revved up over 55 mph, but it will do 65 with the stock 4.55 rear diff gearing.

The four-link rear suspension, more commonly found on trophy trucks, makes it perfectly suited for cruising along Swedish farm roads or winning rally races. So, it’s perfect for our crappy mountain roads.

What are some cool details about Merrill?

Fun fact - did you know you run MTB tire pressures in a PV? The factory recommends 21 PSI front, 24 PSI Rear.

The original PV was called the 444 because it was a 4-seater, 4-cylinder car with 40 horsepower. The updated PV544 was essentially the same car with seating for 5 and about double the horsepower. So, the later nomenclature makes as much sense as BMWs does today.

Developed during the war, the PV was intended to be a practical and affordable car to help Sweden in the post-war recovery period. It was the first Volvo sold in America and Volvo debuted the first ever European delivery program with this model.

Other European marques, like BMW and Mercedes, would follow suit. For those that don’t daydream of custom ordering a Porsche, these programs allow American customers to pick up vehicles directly from the European factory, take them on a vacation, and then save on taxes when shipping them home.

But the main thing to remember about PV cars is that they were pioneers in safety. They were the first cars to feature a laminated windshield. Laminated windshields consist of two layers of glass with a layer of plastic resin in between. In a crash, this keep the glass together, preventing shards from flying everywhere. It also improves impact resistance, so the windshield is less likely to crack from a rock strike.

The PV544 is known for being the first car to come standard with 3-point seatbelts. Volvo invented this technology in 1959 and believed it was so important, they made the patent free to use. The seatbelt is credited with saving at least a million lives. The version in Merrill is miserable to use. The belt is difficult to adjust, not stretchy, it doesn’t self-retract, and the clip looks like something a hipster messenger company might spec.

One of my favourite features is the unique “thermometer” style speedometer, where a red strip moves outward as speed increases. Did I mention the car averages 25 mpg (10.6 km/l), which was twice as efficient as most American cars of the era?

So, um, Merrill is all those things, plus he’s got a bitchin front disc conversion. The original PVs had hydraulic assist drum brakes, but the later Amazon 122s featured discs. The “disc conversion kit” we purchased should have come with a “warning: fabrication required,” but it’s on there now! We had to add a brake proportioning valve to keep the rears from locking up before the fronts, but it’s solid now. In the process, Ryan also added a hydraulic brake reservoir, since the car didn’t originally have one.

What's your bike background?

Is that your way of asking if I have a BMX background?

*Kind of but not really. It's like asking for your licence and registration for the bike, cause, you obviously can ride the shit out of it!

What bike are you most hyped on at the moment?

Due to a recent spinal cord injury, I have reduced mobility and power in my left leg. The Ibis Oso has helped me get back out there. Mine is built to be extra moto, with a 190mm dual crown fork, a 170mm coil shock, a number plate, hand guards, and fenders.

Before my injury, the Ripmo was my ride-or-die. I know it’s not trendy, but I prefer mechanical drivetrains because the shifting action is faster and you can click through more gears. Also, no batteries to fret over, which is nice.

The only custom bits on my bike are the We Are One The Package bars (because they look so freaking cool), an O-Chain, and I subbed in XTR brakes. I can’t be the only one who prefers Shimano brakes and SRAM drivetrains.

Is there a project vehicle on the horizon?

Every car is a project car.

Desert or the Mountains?

Why not both?

What do you have in mind for me to drive back from Sea Otter next year?

A Buick Roadmaster. It has a Corvette engine, classy wood paneling, and extra cushy suspension—perfect for navigating our pothole-ridden American highways