Bijzonder ook dat ze links rijden, maar de vrachtwagens en ook de prachtige vracht zijn allen linksgestuurd.
Ergens niet ver voor Dagen H (03-09-1967) denk ik.
Ben niet zo thuis in de oudere modellen, dus kan daar geen jaartal aan afleiden...
Bijzonder ook dat ze links rijden, maar de vrachtwagens en ook de prachtige vracht zijn allen linksgestuurd.


Ik was hier ook wel benieuwd naar dus heb het even opgezocht:turbopilot schreef: ↑za 22 jan, 2022 11:11Deuren gaan normaal open, kort door de bocht vanaf 93F dus 1960
En als je goed kijkt ook grotere achterruit dus al 96
Maar waar ik mij vaak over verbaas, in Zweden zie je sowieso eigenlijk nooit rechtsgestuurde Saabjes![]()
Why were pre-1967 Volvos left hand drive?
Comes the question why Volvos were offered with left-hand drive in Sweden during the days of left-hand traffic. Let us quote Volvo president Assar Gabrielsson from chapter 74 of his sales handbook, dated 1936:
"When automobiles first appeared in Sweden, roads were narrow and twisting. It was very difficult to pass a horse and cart or another car, and you really had to concentrate on the left shoulder of the road. American cars were always delivered with their steering wheels on the left side, and for such a small market as Sweden they were reluctant to change their cars to right-hand drive. Consequently, salesmen of American cars in Sweden often exaggerated the importance of the left shoulder. Through this, the Swedish people has become used to have the steering wheel on the left side, in spite of Sweden having left-hand traffic. In most other countries, the steering wheel is located at the right side when the traffic is left-hand, or at the left when traffic is right-hand. We at Volvo are fully convinced that taking the road standard into consideration, the left shoulder is of little or no importance. It is much more important to have a clear view of the road ahead when overtaking. Therefore, the most logic thing would be that Volvos were made with right-hand drive. In spite of this, we have kept left-hand drive because we do not feel that we have to be pioneers in this area. We believe that we would only meet resistance from our customers and create extra work for our dealers if we only delivered right-hand drive Volvos. We will therefore continue to sell left-hand drive cars. Volvo trucks and buses, however, can be delivered with left-hand drive or right-hand drive at customer request."
Be that how it may. The logical thing at the time would still have been to have right-hand drive cars in left-hand traffic but very few cars, most of them British, were right-hand drive in Sweden at the time. The American influence was so strong that Swedes merely accepted the facts as they were. One must remember that American cars topped the Swedish registration statistics until 1948 when Volvo took over the top position (from Chevrolet).
The truth is probably that is was much too expensive to convert cars for the relatively small Swedish market. And this continued over the years to follow. When right-hand drive Volvos could be had in Sweden, after 1967, the only people that would use them were countryside postmen and disabled people.
As a paradox, though, Swedish railways still run on the left on double tracks, as a reminiscence of old times maybe. No doubt this will also be "harmonized" in due time.
















