What’s going on?
Volvo has made many inventions throughout its history. One of the first was the invention of the concept car. This is how the Volvo Venus Bilo was born in the early thirties. A masterpiece that is lost and is unfortunately not in the hands of the manufacturer.
Volvo Venus Bilo
Revealed in Sweden in 1933 and it was built on the chassis of the Volvo PV655-model manufactured in series and sold by Volvo between 1933 to 1937- The manufacture of the Venus was carried out by the manufacturer of carriages and bodies Gustaf Nordberg based on the designs of his eponymous factory called Gustaf Nordberg Vagnfabrik AB in 1932.
Why did the developer name the concept car Venus Bilo? It was an allusion to the Venus de Milo, although it should be noted that “Bilo” means car in Swedish.
Volvo PV655
However, there was absolutely nothing about the PV655 in the exterior design that in those years was technically innovative. The body was manufactured based on the designs of Gustaf Ericsson who was the son of the inventor Lars Magnus Ericsson, founder of a telephone company that bore his last name.
Regardless of the innovative design, the Venus Bilo offered interesting solutions, for example, along with the vehicle, nine suitcases were designed that could be installed in spaces in the back or in the compartment located on the right front fender, the spare tire -one of them- and the tools were kept on the left fender.
A second spare wheel at the rear was used as a fendersince a visible part of that mentioned tire was what stood out the most in the back of the vehicle, and it was mounted on a base with springs, so in case of a light impact the vehicle would not have any damage, because that second spare tire would dampen.
Only one example of the Venus Vilo was built, but many of its innovative ideas and aerodynamic design led to the Volvo PV 36 Carioca which was produced between 1935 and 1938.
A fleet of Volvo PV 36 Carioca, at Volvo headquarters waiting to be handed over to the Swedish Police
Unknown location
The fate of the Venus Bilo is unknown. It was sold to a buyer in Denmark after World War II. In the mid-1950s, it was owned by the son of a salvage yard owner in Denmark and is known to have been rebuilt into a pickup truck by him.
The last time it was seen was in 1955 and since then no one has known the whereabouts of this important vehicle in Volvo’s history.
This is what it is believed to be the tone and color combination of the only manufactured copy (Digitalization)
On the internet there is a group of enthusiasts who are determined to find the Venus ViloI even created a website where you can contact them and help find that part, so if you know anything… you can contact them on their website called Volvo Venus Bilo The page is in Swedish, but it can be translated and there you can describe more of this unknown story of what may be the first “Concept Car” in automotive history.
