1967 - 1968 Volvo 123GT
Posted by David Kinney
When you think of collectible sports and GT cars from the 1960s, a number of British, German, Italian, and even French marques may come to mind. But a Swedish Volvo? Sure, we remember the P1800 sports car, yet Volvo made a rally car suitable for the street as well, the largely forgotten 123GT.
The Volvo 120 series (120, 121, 122) that birthed the 123GT was a staple of rallies and touring car races from the late 1950s through the 1960s. In 1963 alone, race-prepped 122s racked up class wins at the 6- and 12-hour races at Nurburgring, a class victory in the 6 hours at Brands Hatch, and a first place in the European Rally Championship, among many others. The following season saw an overall victory earned in the Shell 4000 Rally in Canada, and 1965 brought a first place in the Shell 4000, the RAC European Touring Car Championship, the World Championship for Manufacturers, the Acropolis Rally and the Syd Rally in Sweden. Not a bad showing for a car known mostly for safety, economy, and practicality.
Introduced as a 1967 model, the 123GT was an evolution of the 122, with a host of factory-supplied go-fast parts. Despite Volvo’s promise to the FIA of production of at least 5,000 units - the car carries Recognition Number 5152 - the best guess is that only about 1,500 123GTs were made over the two years of production, and given a low survival rate, the car is fairly rare today.
A press release from Volvo announced many of the new model’s features: “This car has been adapted for hard and sporting driving since it is fitted with more robust shock absorbers and braced tread tyres. Furthermore, there is a brake booster and windscreen wiper blades of the high speed type.”
A bit more important than those wiper blades was its motor, a Volvo B18B unit lifted directly from the P1800, producing 115 hp at 6,000 rpm. All 123s were equipped with a 4-speed transmission with an electronically controlled Laycock de Normanville M-41 type D overdrive unit.
The 123GT was fitted from the factory with fog and driving lights - 7-inch, pie-plate-sized Hella quartz iodine units complete with protective covers. The cooling system was sealed, a first for Volvo. Other features include twin SU carbs, front disc brakes, Pirelli Cinturato tires, chrome trim rings, special badging, and a chrome tailpipe extension.
Inside, the 123GT was fitted with a special three-spoke steering wheel and a soup-can style, stand-alone tachometer, mounted above the dash pad. The dash itself was specially modified for the 123GT with a small shelf. The front bucket seats are fully reclining units built by Recaro.
Owning a true GT car from the 1960s is something everyone should experience, if not for the image or the feel then just for the fun. The 123GT happens to be one (and a limited-production one, at that) that costs less than the price of a tune-up on a new exotic.
(From the March 2004 issue of Sports Car Market magazine.)