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Several of us have exchanged information about what makes up a 123 GT and how many were produced in 1967, 68, 69, and 70. There are lots of opinions so I decided to contact Volvo directly to see if I could get a "correct" answer. I am not sure that I have it yet, but the response that I received from Volvo is provided below.
Jerry
************************************
From: gcr@volvocars.com
Date: Fri 23-May-03 2:33 PM
Subject: csc File No: 37594
Your Global Customer Relations File Number is 37594.
Dear Mr Rogers,
I have just received some information concerning your query about your Volvo 123GT. Unfortunately has not been possible for us to obtain all the information you requested.
Volvo 123GT's built in 1969 and 1970 were built for export only. When looking at reference code of your car, it appears to be an original 123GT. However we do not know how many of them were built in each year because all 123GT in 2 doors have the same chassis/serial number.
Here is a very gross estimate:
1967 approx 1000
1968 approx 40
1969 approx 5
1970 approx 5
I hope that this information will help you.
Yours sincerely,
Volvo Car Corporation
Customer Service
Christian Christesen
Global Customer Relations Assistant
Dept 57130, SAA2
Volvo Car Corporation
SE-40531 Göteborg,
Sweden
Telephone: +46 31 3250077
Fax: +46 31 594379
Website: www.volvocars.com/gcr
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Jerry,
I guess it's nice to get a response at all, but the statement:
"we do not know how many of them were built in each year because all 123GT in 2 doors have the same chassis/serial number."
makes me question whether Mr. Christesen knows what he's talking about.
They may all have the same VIN, but, unless I'm missing something, they do not have" the same chassis/serial number."
gary
'72ES
'67 122S
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I couldn't quite grasp what they meant by that either. I can't imagine them having the same VIN or the same chassis number.
The bodies were built in a separate facility (indeed - a separate company called 'Svenska Stalpressnings AB' until 1969 I think) and thus subject to differnet numbering and accounting. The chassis number came from the body plant, and the VIN from the Volvo assembly plant.
Interestingly enough, the engine supplier, Pentaverken, was also an independent company that was eventually bought whole by Volvo, although much earlier (in the 30's).
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John,
The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), the Chassis Number, and the Body Number are all seperate items, and are often confused. They are also used in incorrect ways when registering classis Volvos. You wouldn't believe how many 122's or 1800's are registered using only the same identical Type Number from the Product Plate.
I should have said that it COULD be correct that all 123GT's, if they all had the same "package", would have the same TYPE Number, from the Product Plate, but not the same VIN, as the Volvo rep stated.
The VIN contains both the Type Number from the Product Plate, AND the Chassis number.
The chassis Number is NOT the body Number.
Through 1969 the body were produced by Pressed Steel (Stalpressnings in Swedish), just outside of Glasgow, Scotland, and shipped to Sweden. Therefore, FILO inventory storage for Bodies, and FIFO usage for locally produced Chassis, accounted for unmatched Chassis and Body Numbers. My wife is from Glasgow. She allows me my obsession more readily since I informed her of the Pressed Steel association .
A good link, that explains a lot of this is at :
http://volvoworld.com/VIN/plates6174.htm
gary
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As already mentioned, only the p1800 body came from Scotland, though directly to Sweden for assembly after the first few years (when they were sent to Jensen for final assembly).
I still wonder why they have a hard time discerning 123GT production numbers. Didn't they have a different Type designation (133)?
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posted by
someone claiming to be Joris
on
Wed May 28 05:03 CST 2003 [ RELATED]
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"Through 1969 the body were produced by Pressed Steel (Stalpressnings in Swedish), just outside of Glasgow, Scotland, and shipped to Sweden."
That's only true for 1800s. 122 bodies were always made in Sweden, by Svenska Stålpressnings AB in Olofström, which is a different factory from Pressed Steel. Even though the names are alike.
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What you say about the type, body and chassis numbers is absolutely correct. But it's only 1800 bodies through '69 that were manufactured by Pressed Steel. (I won't tell your wife, shhhhh...)
I once tried to find out how many 262C Bertones were manufactured. Volvo was able to guess around 6000, but also did not have any firm records. This was before Ford.
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Thank you Phil,
You don't realize it, but you are directly responsible for my perspective on how to be "doing these shenanigans", as Mike Dudek put it recently, on the 1800list, about the way I do my Volvo luv thang:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/1800list/
Your Tech Session on Carbs and Fuel, at the Rancho Cordoba, CA Volvo meet (my first), taught me some important points about
using your noggin, even if it feels like you're just having fun,
being excacting, and precise, but don't get hung up on it,
that many "experts" (in the audience, not you) can be also be
dead wrong about things they just don't get,
remembering to have fun,
and that if I ever get a Mullet haircut, just go ahead and shoot me.
;^)
gary
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Gary,
Glad you enjoyed that session... I don't think any of the audience experts actually walked out (which was an improvement).
See you at the Olympia meet in August?
8^)
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That is indeed good information... and fairly consistant with what has been discussed here on the BB.
What really gets me... after going to that volvocars.com, is the lack anything about company history. Geez, you'd think a car company would offer a little more on the past models... especially considering all the past models have been pretty damn good cars...
Oh well, I guess thats what the clubs and what not are here for...
And another thing... that website sucks. Don't work worth a damn if you happen to be using linux. Millions of websites out there that work fine, and a world class automobile producing company has a website that only works with windows or maybe mac.
I guess I'll just have to blame it on Ford.
Sorry... I know this brief rant belongs in opinions...
-Matt
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