1967 Volvo 130 Amazon - Road Rally Prep'd

This lovely Amazon has had over £50k spent on a full professional conversion to full Road Rally/Regularity specification. So given that our estimate is between £14,000-£20,000, let’s start by stating for the record that someone is going to get the bargain of the century here.

Well-respected model specialist Amazon Cars, of Suffolk, carried out the works between 2010 and 2011, with long-distance rally experts Rally Preparation Services Ltd, of Witney, Oxfordshire then fully preparing the car to owner’s personal specification. Highlights are as follows:

• Twin-carburettor 2.0 engine

• Full re-spray in Red (original colour dark blue)

• Recaro Cross Sportster seats and Sparco five-point harnesses

• Safety Devices Volvo 120 FIA roll cage

• Gaz dampers and 20mm progressive road springs

• Upgraded anti-roll bars front and rear

• 10-bolt M30 Limited-slip differential

• Stainless steel oil catch tank, in-line one way fuel valve, twin Facet fuel pumps, braided fuel lines and large capacity alloy fuel tank

• High output alternator and heavy duty battery, electrical cut-off switch

• Brantz rally clock, ST230 Club Classic Tachometer and map lights

• AFFF fire extinguisher

• Sump guard, mudflaps, competition halogen bulbs all round and Cibie spot lamps

• Competition brake linings

• Spares kit

Built with a view to completing the epic Le Jog (Lands End to John O’Groats rally event), it never did. ‘For personal reasons I didn’t enter it,’ explains Barrie. ‘And I’ve never got back to rallying, so it’s been doing nothing since. That said, it’s had an MOT every year.’

That means it remains absolutely on the button and ready to go. Le Jog, Peking-to-Paris, Classic Malts, you name it and as far as we can tell this Amazon appears turnkey ready-to-compete.

To build one from scratch to this standard would cost a significant amount. Don’t believe us? Well, just take a look at the invoices in the photo gallery for proof and it’s the next owner who will directly benefit.

‘It still starts first time and drives extremely well,’ says Barrie. ‘I’m 81 years old now and I don’t think I’m doing an upcoming Le Jog, so it’s time for another person to enjoy it.’

The included V5 document shows a total of nine previous keepers in this car’s 52-year lifetime. It passed an MOT test on May 21 of this year, and that runs to the corresponding day and month of 2020.

For a rally beast it’s relatively discreet on the exterior. The only indicators being the incorporation of spot lights and mud flaps; look closer though and you’ll find an external electrical cut-off switch mounted on the scuttle panel, a riveted alloy fuel cap at the rear and a number of arrows pointing to various jacking and towing points.

The paint was renewed at the time of build and remains in very good condition, with the body looking to be generally rust free. There are however two small fingernail areas of corrosion on each front wing atop their respective headlights – the next owner could choose to clean these up or we’d suggest leave as is if it’s going to enter the events it should.

All chrome was replaced at the time of build at a cost of £2382, with new steel wheels and tyres fitted. Panel fit is very decent, with straight floors and sills complementing it, and we can vouch that it has that all round feeling of Volvo solidity.

Forget tinny Sixties British and Italian output, this is the Irn Bru of cars, ‘built from girders’ – albeit in Sweden. Ruggedness and longevity are the keys to any road rally and regularity car, and an Amazon has both in spades.

This is where things get decidedly focussed. Pop the door and you can see it means business. Those leather and suede Recaro seats (which alone cost £1654.79, before you factor in mounts and sliders) remain as new, and provide superb lumbar and lateral support. Factor in five-point Sparco harnesses and even under the hardest cornering the driver, and his co-driver, will remain steadfastly secure.

Everything required for a road rally/regularity combatant is in place, which given the specialists who rebuilt the car is as would be expected. Trip meters, extra Smiths gauges, compass, quick-access fuse box, fire extinguisher, foot rests, map holder and light, cargo storage nets, cabin electrical cut-off switch – you name it, and it’s there.

The roll cage is tight fitting and unobtrusive, with padding fitted, and Dynaliner acoustic sound deadening ensures the cabin remains reasonably well protected from obtrusive mechanical machinations. That’s not to say that the twin-carburettor engine doesn’t sing, because it does with a lovely gruff note.

Pop the boot and as well as the beautiful-crafted bespoke fuel tank and twin fuel pumps, you’ll find a first aid kit, tool set and two spare tyres.

Amazon Cars rebuilt the engine and gearbox, as well as fitting a limited-slip differential for quick getaways and flexibility in laying down power. Mechanically it’s still in top, rebuilt condition.

The engine sits in a well-presented engine bay. Twin ignition coils are mounted, so if one fails on a rally you can just swap to the other. You’ll also find a marigold installed for an extra layer of electrical protection on the distributor – period perfect!

The underside is protected by a large sump guard, which extends back to cover both gearbox and the front section of the sports exhaust system (also fitted by the owner before Barrie). It all appears to be in very good order under here, with a thick coat of protective Wax Oyl type substance in place.

On the road it soon shows itself to be a lovely, very solid and strong Amazon. It zings along beautifully, with no rattles and really does feel as tight as the proverbial drum. The suspension is vaguely firm, but no more than that and won’t prove tiresome at all over long distances.

If you’re doing off-road work you may require a bit more suspension travel – but such decisions are the next owner’s to make. Gearbox, engine and brakes are all superb and we can confidently state that as an overall package this is one of the best cars we’ve driven here at The Market – it’s that good. Based on the driving experience, if someone said this was a brand new Amazon, we wouldn’t quibble.

The proof of course is in the pudding, so if you’re interested then get down to our Abingdon HQ and try this rugged little beauty for yourself.

There’s a thick file headed ‘Historical Documents and Info’ provided with this car and inside you’ll find exactly that. A sheaf of previous MOT (all post millennial) certificates is present, as well as all of the receipts for the conversion works to Rally/Regularity specification.

There are also a huge number of invoices for all of the works carried out. We could list all the preparation costs here, but there’s no room! It is however all there in black and white in the photo gallery.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been restored and then maintained to the highest standard.

You may think our enthusiasm is bubbling over here, but we’ll reiterate what we said in this vehicle’s introduction: this is without doubt one of the biggest bargains The Market has ever offered and a real opportunity for someone.

Commissioned by a proper enthusiast without financial concern, this turnkey road and rally regularity car is absolutely on the button. He’s made the significant financial outlay to get it to its current standard, but it’s the next owner who’ll directly benefit. As stated earlier, we think it’ll sell for between £14,000 and £20,000, but for us even an extra £5k-£10k over that would not be unreasonable.

There’s a very good reason why Amazons are such a popular choice on the historic competition scene, and in this you’ll be competitive right from the off. Happy bidding.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located at The Market’s Abingdon HQ; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.