Volvo VESC

Volvo VESC
VESC on display at the Volvo Museum
Overview
Manufacturer	Volvo
Also called	Volvo Experimental Safety Car
Production	1972
Body and chassis
Class	Concept car
Body style	4-door sedan
Layout	FR layout
Dimensions
Length	5,520 mm (217 in)

The Volvo VESC, the Volvo Experimental Safety Car, was a concept car made by Volvo to showcase a number of innovative passenger safety features. It was unveiled in 1972 at the Geneva Motor Show.

History

In the late 1960s, Volvo had a first project with a focus on passenger safety called P1560, which resulted in a few different prototype models being made. The project was canceled in 1971, partly because of uncertainties about future safety rules - especially in the United States.

The following project was oriented along the contemporary Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESV) projects of US car companies. Using a V8 engine, it would be significantly larger than previous Volvo models. The plan called for ten prototypes, as a number had already been built into a new car model that would complement the 140 Series and become a replacement for Volvo 164. This project was also canceled, but a lot of the design and the already finished prototypes were used for the VESC project.

Safety concepts

The 5,520 mm (217 in) long car was designed for surviving a frontal collision at 80 km/h (50 mph): The front bumper area was made particularly long; in the case of a collision, the engine would be forced down under the cabin floor by a suitably shaped and reinforced firewall; a spring would pull the steering column into the dashboard (this has since become standard this is incorrect as a collapsible steering column which is commonplace today does not involve a spring pulling back the steering wheel, the author needs to cite a source for that)but in those times it was still common for the driver to be injured getting caught between the wheel and the seat); at the back of the front seats were large cushions to protect rear seat passengers. For resilience against a side collision, the car had strong reinforcements and crumple zones in the doors. The VESC roof would not be pushed in more than 75 mm in an inverted 2.4 m fall. The headrests were folded into the seats and would automatically extended in a collision.

Other features of the Volvo VESC were anti-lock brakes, back-up warning signal, integrated roll cage, three-point seatbelts which pulled tight during a crash, front and rear airbags, headlamp washers and wipers, automatic ride height control, center mounted fuel tank, automatic fuel shutoff mechanism, warning lights in the doors and an early rear-view camera provided by Mitsubishi Electric that used a 6.5-mm Cosmicar lens mounted between the rear taillights sending footage to a television screen in the cabin.

Outcome

Much of the car - especially the front - heavily influenced the upcoming 200 series, launched in 1974.

A Volvo VESC is on display at the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg.