Volvo
Venus Bilo (1933 streamlined prototype)

Why it matters

A one-off streamlined six-seat car ordered by Gustaf L. M. Ericsson on a Volvo chassis. Its integrated, flat-sided body was so unusual that photographs appeared in the New York Times in early 1934, and its airflow ideas are linked to later Volvo streamlined cars such as the PV36 Carioca and PV51.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

History

Ericsson ordered the body in 1932 from Nordbergs vagnsadelmakeri och vagnfabrik in Stockholm, on a Swedish chassis described as a Volvo PV655. It was finished in November 1933. The body was a streamlined unit with flat sides, no running boards, and five easily exchangeable steel side plates; it seated three in front and three behind, and the seats folded into beds.

Some sources say Volvo sponsored the build, which was denied when the car was presented. After the Second World War it went to Denmark and, by the mid-1950s, had been rebuilt as a pickup truck by a scrapyard owner. It was in use until 1956; its later fate is not known, and one researcher now documents how few traces remain.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Venus Bilo Level C Konditori 100's Garage (Arne Granfoss), via Wayback Machine · 2000-04-21

   • the chassis was swedish, a Volvo PV655
   • Five easily exchangeable steel plates made the side of the body easy to repair
   • almost 5 metres long
   • 1,9 metres wide

   Accessed 2026-11-13