Volvo VESC

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Volvo VESC
FR layout
Dimensions
Length5,520 mm (217 in)

The Volvo VESC, the Volvo Experimental Safety Car, was a

Geneva Motor Show.[1]

History

In the late 1960s, Volvo had a first project with a focus on passenger safety called P1560, which resulted in a few different prototype models being made. The project was canceled in 1971, partly because of uncertainties about future safety rules - especially in the United States.

The following project was oriented along the contemporary

Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESV) projects of US car companies. Using a V8 engine, it would be significantly larger than previous Volvo models. The plan called for ten prototypes, as a number had already been built into a new car model that would complement the 140 Series and become a replacement for Volvo 164.[clarification needed
] This project was also canceled, but a lot of the design and the already finished prototypes were used for the VESC project.

Safety concepts

The 5,520 mm (217 in) long car was designed for surviving a frontal collision at 80 km/h (50 mph): The front bumper area was made particularly long; in the case of a collision, the engine would be forced down under the cabin floor by a suitably shaped and reinforced

crumple zones
in the doors. The VESC roof would not be pushed in more than 75 mm in an inverted 2.4 m fall. The headrests were folded into the seats and would automatically extended in a collision.

Other features of the Volvo VESC were

back-up warning signal, integrated roll cage, three-point seatbelts which pulled tight during a crash, front and rear airbags, headlamp washers and wipers, automatic ride height control, center mounted fuel tank, automatic fuel shutoff mechanism,[2] warning lights in the doors and an early rear-view camera provided by Mitsubishi Electric that used a 6.5-mm Cosmicar lens mounted between the rear taillights sending footage to a television screen in the cabin.[3]

Outcome

Much of the car - especially the front - heavily influenced the upcoming 200 series, launched in 1974.[3]

A Volvo VESC is on display at the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Concepts - Volvo VESC (1972)". www.media.volvocars.com. Volvo Car Corporation. 1 March 2005. Retrieved 2018-12-14.
  2. ^ Erik Shilling (12 September 2018). "Volvo's Concept Safety Car From 1972 Truly Had the Best-Looking Backup Camera Ever Made". Retrieved 2018-12-14.
  3. ^ a b Ronan Glon (22 March 2016). "A history of Volvo, as told through its concept cars". www.hemmings.com. Retrieved 2018-12-14.
  4. ^ "VESC: The Volvo Before Its Time". www.eurosporttuning.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved 2018-12-14.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Volvo_VESC&oldid=1219677844"