When we think of vintage military vehicles, Volvo isn’t the first name that comes to mind, but after seeing this 1957 Volvo TP21 our entire perception of Volvo has changed. Volvo has always been known for building durable vehicles, but this machine is beyond their typical sedan. To say that this was built like a truck would be an understatement, perhaps built like a tank would be more fitting. Sure it is way out of our price range, but if we had the money, we would already be out spinning cookies in an icy parking lot somewhere! We aren’t the only ones who would love to have it, Robert J. would like to own it too, but he is in the same boat we are. Thankfully, he tipped us off to it, in hopes that someone here could save it. Have a look at this 4×4 Military Volvo here on eBay. Thanks Robert for the tip!

We were impressed with the Willys CJ5s we featured earlier, but in the overbuilt department they don’t hold a candle to this… truck… SUV… sedan. We aren’t even sure what to classify it as. Volvo based the TP21 off of their already beefy PV830 series chassis. They used the same 90 horsepower 3.6 liter inline six and three-speed transmission as the road going PV, but they reinforced everything, added four-wheel drive, a boxy front end, and some massive rims and tires. The PV830 series came in a variety of forms, from farm trucks to taxicabs, so turning it into a war machine seemed like a logical step.

Calling this a war machine isn’t the most accurate term, as the 700 or so that were built were meant more as command and communication vehicles than battle equipment. As you can see from the interior, this was by no means a vehicle designed to carry troops into combat, although we have no doubt it would have been more than capable of doing so. It was designed to get commanding officers into remote locations to survey, assess strategic value, and most importantly get orders to troops. Getting stuck behind enemy lines was never a good thing; hence the massive ground clearance and high traction tires.

This big rig runs and drives, but it does need some work. The seller seems upfront about its issues and is willing to answer any questions. This would make for one tough winter beater to haul the family in, but it will need a few things fixed before we would use it for anything other than short trips around the block. We would also want to add some safety equipment before hauling the family in it. We can only imagine the look on fellow motorists faces when this pulls up next to them at the intersection!