A flat-top Dodge in Sweden (and plenty of Volvos, too)

Published by Mike on December 16, 2009

1937 Dodge

We recently made the acquaintance of one Per Thyrén, of Linköping, Sweden, who stopped by the Hemmings Forum to see if he could find out a little more about his 1937 Dodge. “Okay,” says we, “send us a picture.” But it’s not like any other Dodge we’ve seen. Per has an explanation for that:

My 1937 Dodge was originally a firetruck here in Sweden. I think in the 70-ties or 80-ties a beer producer started using it as a “commercial, or event” vehicle.

I bought it myself from the beer and soda producer ÅRBO.

In the 30-ties 40-ties most US trucks shipped to Sweden came without cabin, and I think even often in parts, and got assembled here in Sweden.

The reason was to lower import, custom costs. There where a lot of cabin builders around, companies that generally had their roots in building horse wagons.

So, the Swedish cabins more or less always had a frame of wood, with just steel nailed on it. This was normal cabin construction until mid or end 50-ties. Then all steel constructions took over.

I actually don’t know if my Dodge had the cabin it has today originally, or if it was mounted there after its firetruck life. It looks like the doors could be original Dodge (I am far from sure), and the rest of the cabin built here in Sweden.

From flipping through Don Bunn’s Crestline book on Dodge trucks, we see that Dodge used special front sheetmetal for 1-1/2-ton and 2-ton trucks in 1937 to differentiate those trucks from the light-duty trucks. Yet those wheels don’t appear contemporary to 1937 at all, more like ’20s or early ’30s, if they’re even Dodge wheels at all. Very odd.

But that’s not the only oddity in Per’s collection. He also shared with us photos of his ‘49 Volvo L201.

First owner was a company servicing smaller water power plants. They had it until 1981 when a collector bought it. I bought it myself about 15 years ago.

I thought it was a very strange cabin, looked more American then Swedish, and it is made completely from wood only with some aluminium parts to strengthen it. So no steel on the outside here. Even the roof is made in one piece from pressed plywood, or “baked wood” as they called it 1949.

Me and other people I know had no idear what cabin this was, until one day I got in my hands an issue of the Volvo magazine RATTEN (=“the steeringwheel”) of Dec 1949. There was an article about Volvo boss Helmer Pettersson who had started a cabin factory with Volvo as part owners. The idear was to build more exclusive, better,light but strong, good sight for driver (I can not agree!), standard replaceable sections, more silent cabins then where offered on the Swedish market (Volvo still did not make cabins of their own, they just sold chassies with a mounted front).

Helmer Pettersson was also engineer and designer, -he was one of the men behind the Volvo PV 444 that came 1947. His son Pelle is still a famous designer, -he is the man behind the Volvo P1800, many boat constructions and still designs those around the world sailing boats.

Anyway, the HP cabin factory probably did not live for long. I have never seen another still alive, so I think my truck is the only one still excisting, one reason might be only 80000km on the meter (50000miles). I keep it stored dry, would not like to know what a little rain might do to it….

When I bought it the engine was stuck, reason turned out to be a leaking enginehead packing many years ago. I just put in an engine from a firetruck, runs beautiful. Next thing will be to restore brakes. Paint etc I will leave just as it is, original. The engine is a flathead petrol 6-cyl, model ED, was common in smaller trucks and the larger cars like PV60, 831, taximodels etc from 1946 to 1959.

Another unique Volvo in his collection is his 1946 LV127 fire truck.

The fire department sold it, probably in the 70-ties, to a “saw” (Swedish translation, -a place where they cut up trees to “planks”). They had it in case of fire, but there never was any fire. I bought it from them a few years ago. Again, the cabin and everything in the back has a frame of wood, even the doors. Just covered with steel on the outside.

It has a 6-cyl straight topvalve engine. Frontmounted waterpump, connected to the truck engine. A smaller watertank in the rear, I think 1-2 kubic meter large.

Also in Per’s collection, a 1938 Volvo LV78, a 1944 Chevrolet Earth Auger K 44, and a 1957 Volvo 934, all of which he sent pictures of.