Volvo PV 36 Carioca

The Volvo PV 36 Carioca is a luxury car manufactured by Volvo Cars between 1935 and 1938. The word Carioca describes someone from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and was also the name of a dance that was fashionable in Sweden at the time when the car was introduced.

Volvo PV36 Carioca
Overview
Manufacturer	Volvo Cars
Production	1935–1938
Designer	Ivan Örnberg
Body and chassis
Class	Luxury car
Body style	4-door saloon
Layout	Front-engine rear-wheel-drive
Powertrain
Engine	3,670 cc (3.7 L) EC I6
Transmission	3-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,950 mm (116.1 in)
Length	5,000 mm (196.9 in)
Curb weight	1,660 kg (3,659.7 lb)
Chronology
Successor	Volvo PV51

Volvo PV 36 Carioca rear view

Visually the car was styled similarly to the then strikingly modern Chrysler Airflow and Hupmobile Model J Aero-dynamic.^[1] Volvo styling was heavily influenced by North American auto-design trends in the 1930s and 1940s, many of the company's senior engineers having previously worked in the US Auto-industry.^[1]

The PV36 was the first Volvo to offer an independent front suspension, but the car used the same side-valve engine as the traditional Volvo cars that were still produced alongside the modern Carioca. The PV36 was an expensive car, with a price at 8,500 kronor and Volvo didn't build more than 500 cars. The last one wasn't sold until 1938.