BUILDING BLOCK

At first blush, the green four-door 144E on these pages may appear as nuanced as a well-hammered anvil on a blacksmith’s workbench. When new in 1973, it was decidedly familiar, having already been on the market seven years, and its basic shape would endure another 20. The car’s brand-pillar characteristics lacked sex appeal; sturdy safety, efficient comfort, and engineered durability were familiar Volvo traits that, in its era, weren’t major selling points for American car buyers conditioned to respond to Detroit’s advertising status, speed, youth, and glamour. But for those willing to look below the surface, the import proved surprisingly multifaceted — as forward-thinking as it was conservative, as lively in enthusiast hands as it could be stolid — and its unique, individualistic appeal made lifelong fans of a small section of the public. We took a turn in the orthopedic driver’s seat of what may be the world’s finest unrestored, original-owner 144E, to experience the Swedish cultural concept of lagom, in its highest automotive form.

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