1960 Volvo 544, restored, car show winner, former movie car, B16, 6-volt, 4-spd

1960 Volvo 544 Additional Info:

Up for sale is this well-preserved classic Volvo 544. I have a collection of vintage Volvo's and have owned this one for three years. In those three years I've probably driven the car less than a thousand miles... attending car shows, my local Cars & Coffee and just cruising around town when I want to get attention. A new acquisition has forced me to consider selling some cars that I just don't drive enough.
As per the previous owner, the restoration was done in the 1990's but has really held up nicely. The paint has typical small nicks and touched up spots but nothing serious and nothing you'd really see unless you are within a few feet. Ultimately, the photo's are an accurate reflection of the car as it sits today- the opening photo taken last fall and all the others this week. I just won a trophy at a local car show 3 weeks ago and in fact can't remember if I've ever come home empty handed from any car show I've taken this car to. The previous owner advises that the car won the "Peoples Choice" award at the Volvo Sports America show in 2005 at West Point, NY and "Best in Class" and "Best in Show" at the Volvo show in Cape May NJ in 2006. These are Volvo only car shows so it validates the quality of this 544 neaxt to its peers.
Like me, the previous owner kept this classic Volvo primarily as a garage queen. The previous owner acquired the car in 2005 from a movie prop company in Canada. This 544's most famous cameo in a big name movie is in the opening scenes of the Tom Hanks/Leonardo DiCaprio film "Catch me if you can". The car is on screen for about 10 seconds in the opening scenes where Tom Hanks is standing outside a French prison. I doubt this famous movie story adds value to the car but can guarantee it's always a great conversation starter at car shows. The last photo is a screen shot from the movie with the car.
Mechanically, this 544 has been a pleasure to own. It starts first time/every time with the manual choke, idles smoothly and drives down the road as it should. The car has the original B16 1.6 litre 4-cylinder engine with dual SU H4 carburetors... the engine that evolved into the workhorse B18 that Volvo used well into the 1970's. In the past year I replaced the fuel pump with a new factory spec manual pump and added a new 6-volt battery. The odometer is not working and shows 55000 miles but the previous owner estimates the car has about 133,000 miles which is what it now says on the clean Virginia title.
The car is wearing 4 like-new Coker wide-white 15 inch tires...they still have most of the new nibs on the tires. Included are rare original Volvo hub caps. The front of the car sports working amber fog lamps and a super rare Volvo 544 dealer plate. Rubber and glass is excellent all around. Windows roll up and down as they should and the rear side windows pop outward for nice ventilation. The trunk (see photo's) is super clean with a factory rubber mat. All chrome is excellent (see photo's) including a cool optional tail pipe cover.
The interior is quite distinctive and in superb condition. The original dash oil and temp gauges are inoperable and were replaced with an under-dash unit (see photo). In the dash is an original Volvo AM radio but it is not currently working. There are two new speakers in the rear deck lid leading me to believe that a newer stereo was removed at some point and the base radio returned for originality. I haven't bothered to source whether the radio doesn't work or was simply not reconnected. The headliner is in good shape with a minor sag near the back edge that could be tightened up easily. Carpet is excellent...as are the door panels and seats.
Underneath the car is solid and rust-free and appears to have been undercoated, likely during the restoration.
These green 544's are quite rare (most are black, silver, red and white). I found another one at the National Import show a few years ago and noted that this one, while originally green, and single stage repainted during the restoration, is just slightly off on the original factory color of that car but mine more closely resembles the dealer brochures from 1960.
The front windshield is covered by a rare and expensive custom vintage sunshade that was sourced from a Swedish parts supplier in the Netherlands.
All in all, this is one of the nicest 544's you will ever find. For those who aren't Volvo-aficionado's... parts are readily available from multiple domestic sources and not expensive. Like the Beetles, these Swedes were well built but simple cars. This would be a wonderful addition to any collection and is priced to sell.
I am located near Charlottesville, Va and am happy to show the car for a personal inspection. Questions? Email me through Ebay and I'll respond within 24 hours if not sooner. I'd be happy to speak personally with any serious buyers if desired- just email me your contact info. I'm generally suspicious of Ebayers with less than a 10 feedback score, so if that's you- contact me before hitting the "buy it now"