This is a 1968 Volvo 123GT, the higher-performance version of the venerable Volvo Amazon – now widely regarded as one of the toughest cars of its time and a rally car that was all but unbeatable in many endurance events.
This particular 123GT was in same-family ownership for over half a century, and it’s now been given a refurbishing to get it back on the road – maintaining as much of its originality as possible. Fewer than 2,000 of these were ever made, and today they’re among the most collectible Scandinavian cars of the era.
History Speedrun: The Volvo Amazon 123GT
- The Volvo Amazon was launched in 1956, it marked a turning point for Volvo as it shifted from building utilitarian cars like the PV544 to producing modern, globally competitive family sedans. Styled by Jan Wilsgaard, it had clean lines, American-inspired styling cues, and a major emphasis on safety – with front seatbelts becoming standard by 1959.
- The Amazon proved its durability in world rallying, where the 122S variant powered by the B18 engine won grueling events including the Acropolis Rally, Safari Rally, and Monte Carlo Rally. In 1963, Tom Trana secured the European Rally Championship in an Amazon, forever cementing the model’s reputation as a tough and unexpectedly spritely competitor.
- Introduced in 1967, the Volvo 123GT was a performance-focused Amazon built using mechanical upgrades from the P1800 sports car. Its 1.8 liter B18B engine with twin SU carburetors produced 115 bhp, paired with a four-speed manual gearbox and electric overdrive. Uprated suspension, front disc brakes, and unique trim details completed the package.
- Produced in small numbers between 1967 and 1969, only about 1,500 to 1,800 examples of the 123GT were made, making them rare today. The 1968 example shown, long held in one family, has been carefully refurbished with new mechanical components, refreshed suspension, and period-appropriate upgrades before being offered for sale by Bonhams in the UK.
History Speedrun: The Volvo Amazon 123GT
When Volvo launched the Amazon in 1956, it was stepping into a completely new era. The PV544 that preceded it was already known for toughness and reliability, but the Amazon was a clean-sheet design that clearly showed Volvo’s ambition to compete in the global family car market.
The 123GT was never built in large numbers – estimates suggest between 1,500 and 1,800 examples were built from 1967 to 1969, though exact figures remain hotly debated. Image courtesy of Volvo.
Designed by Jan Wilsgaard, the Amazon adopted a modern three-box layout, subtle American styling cues, and an emphasis on safety – seatbelts were fitted as standard from 1959 – well ahead of most rivals. Available as a two-door, four-door, or wagon, the Amazon quickly earned a reputation for toughness, a quality that would help it succeed both in everyday urban driving and on rally stages from Africa to Australia.
Volvo saw motorsport as a way to prove its engineering, as did many manufacturers at the time, and many still do today. The Amazon 122S was powered by the B18 engine, and it became a formidable rally car in the early 1960s.
It secured class and outright wins in punishing events like the Acropolis Rally, the Safari Rally in Kenya, and the Monte Carlo Rally. In 1963 Tom Trana won the European Rally Championship in a 122S, forever ensuring the Amazon’s place among the toughest rally machines of the time period.
This almost surprising success reshaped Volvo’s image globally – instead of being seen only as a maker of sensible, safe family cars, the company began to be known for producing fast and almost impossibly strong race-ready cars.
The Debut Of The Volvo 123GT
By the mid-1960s, Volvo wanted to further capitalize on the dual identity of its sensible-yet-sporting Amazon. The answer was the 123GT, introduced in 1967. Rather than build an entirely new model, Volvo took the proven Amazon two-door coupe platform and upgraded it with parts borrowed from the Volvo P1800 sports car.
Under the hood of the Volvo 123GT sat the B18B, a 1.8 liter four-cylinder with twin SU carburetors, a higher compression ratio, and a sports camshaft – it delivered 115 bhp at 6,000 rpm. Image courtesy of Volvo.
Under the hood sat the B18B, a 1.8 liter four-cylinder with twin SU carburetors, a higher compression ratio, and a sports camshaft. It delivered 115 bhp at 6,000 rpm, compared with around 100 bhp in the 122S. Power was sent to the rear wheels through the M41 gearbox, a 4-speed manual with electrically operated overdrive, giving the car long-legged cruising ability that made it ideal for both urban and highway use.
Beyond the engine, the 123GT received uprated suspension and disc brakes at the front to better handle spirited driving. It was also generously equipped by the standards of the late 1960s – a tachometer, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, fog and driving lamps, reclining front seats, fender-mounted mirrors, and unique 123GT badging all helped set it apart from the regular Amazon.
Performance was competitive for its class, with top speeds in the 105 – 110 mph range and lively acceleration compared to many mainstream family cars of the time.
The 123GT was never built in large numbers – estimates suggest between 1,500 and 1,800 examples were built from 1967 to 1969, though exact figures remain hotly debated. It was sold in select markets including Sweden, Canada, and parts of Europe, but it was not officially imported to the United States. This limited production and distribution, coupled with hard use by many owners, means that original surviving cars are relatively rare today.
The 1968 Volvo 123GT Shown Here
The car you see here is a 1968 Volvo 123GT that remained in single family ownership for over half a century, and as a result it comes with a wealth of history and invoices. As you would expect, it came new from the factory with the 4-speed manual transmission and electric overdrive, and it’s still a matching-numbers car with the original engine.
For the last 20 years or so, the car was in storage, as a result the person who bought the car in 2023 undertook a series of jobs to return it to roadworthy condition. These included overhauling the braking system, adding a new clutch and new wheel bearings all around, fitting a new rocker cover and sump gaskets, and rebuilding the differential.
The car you see here is a 1968 Volvo 123GT that remained in single family ownership for over half a century, and as a result it comes with a wealth of history and invoices.
The car also received refreshed suspension, including lower Bilstein shock absorbers all-around with progressive rate springs to improve handling and slightly modernize the stance. It also has new Kumho tires, new windscreen rubber, a new driver’s side fender apron, new performance air filters, and a Simons sports exhaust system.
The car is now being offered for sale by Bonhams out of the UK and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.
Images courtesy of Bonhams
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.