Volvo’s timeless beauty, the Amazon, was introduced to the world for the first time 60 years ago. Named after the female warriors in Greek mythology, it is still one of the most iconic models in Volvo’s history.
While the three-point safety belt's simple basic design has remained largely the same since Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin introduced the device 50 years ago, it has also undergone numerous refinements to deliver collision protection more effectively and remains an integral part of the industry's high-tech safety system development.
Few people have saved as many lives as Nils Bohlin - the Volvo engineer who in 1959 invented the V-type three-point safety belt. A design as obvious as it was intelligent, it remains as perfectly suited to the seat occupant's body today as it did 50 years ago and still provides the most effective protection in the event of a collision.
Fifty years ago today, the Honourable Henri Courtemanche, Secretary of State of Canada, authorized the paperwork for a new corporate body operating under the name of Volvo (Canada) Ltd.
On August 13, 1959, the world's first car with a standard three-point safety belt - a Volvo PV544 - was delivered to a Volvo dealer in the town of Kristianstad, Sweden.
In 1956, a prototype of a new passenger car from Volvo was presented. The car became known as the Amazon in Sweden and the 121 and 122S on the export markets. The designation 122S was used for a version with a more powerful engine.