Volvo PV544 With S60 Recharge Powertrain Launched By Girl Gang Garage At SEMA

Volvo’s first unibody production vehicle came out in the mid-1940s as a smaller, more affordable model adapted for the post-World War II era. It was the predecessor to the more popular and arguably better looking Amazon and the company’s first model in years to have a four-cylinder engine. Dubbed the “Iron Maven,” this SEMA exhibit also happens to have four pots, but it’s a modern powertrain borrowed from the S60 Recharge.

It represents the work of Bogi Lateiner and his team at Girl Gang Garage. An all-female crew of more than 160 amateur and professional mechanics, welders, painters and body technicians, the team built the restomod over 18 months. The PV544 in question is a 1961 model warehouse find from Phoenix, Arizona found on a farm. It had to be completely disassembled before being significantly modified to fit a much more complex PHEV setup.

Although much shorter and narrower than the S60, the PV544 now has the 2.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged engine of the S60 Recharge, producing 328 horsepower. It also borrowed its electric motor, which produces 87 hp, to achieve a combined output of 415 hp. In an electric sports sedan, the total torque reaches 472 pound-feet (640 Newton-meters).

Restomod isn’t just about cramming modern hardware into a 61 year old car as the conversion requires 3D printed parts and some handcrafted parts too. The revitalized PV544 receives a suspension and control system as well as an infotainment system. Girl Gang Garage decided to paint Rebelberry as a nod to some of the purples that the Swedish automaker has offered in recent decades.

This is the third women’s car completed by Girl Gang Garage, after several classic Chevrolet trucks showcased at SEMA in recent years. One of them has a BMW S62 engine.

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