Volvo Tundra

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Volvo Tundra
1979 Volvo Tundra by Bertone in Bertone collection.jpg
Volvo Tundra in the Bertone Collection
Overview
Manufacturer Bertone
Also calledBertone Tundra
Production1979 (1 concept car)
Designer Marcello Gandini at Bertone [1]
Body and chassis
Class Concept car
Body style 3-door hatchback coupé
Related Volvo 343
Powertrain
Engine 1,397 cc (1.4 L; 85.3 cu in) B14 OHV inline-4
Dimensions
Length4,023 mm (158.4 in)
Width1,710 mm (67.3 in)
Height1,277 mm (50.3 in)

The Volvo Tundra is a concept car built and designed by Bertone in 1979.

Contents

Design

Bertone's design prompt was to do "something delicious" based on the Volvo 343. [2] The angular design was by Marcello Gandini, and continued the themes developed for the Lamborghini Silhouette and the Reliant (Anadol) FW11. [3] It was rejected by Volvo, who considered the design too modern and deemed it difficult to market.

It is often misreported that Bertone instead sold a very similar design to Citroën, where it was produced as the Citroën BX from 1982 to 1994. [4] However, this would have meant Citroën turned a concept into a series production model in less than 18 months. [5] The relationship is simply that the two designs appeared from the same design house. [6] [7]

The Tundra's rear-side window had a pulled-down top edge, an idea also seen on the BX C-pillar. The effect was of a floating roof, a design idea that would become popular in the 2010s. [4]

Many styling cues from the Tundra, including the color scheme, would be reused by Bertone two years later on the Mazda MX-81. [8]

Specifications

The Tundra was powered by the same 1.4 litre four-cylinder engine as the 343, producing 70 PS (51 kW) and sending power to the rear wheels. The interior of the car featured an electronic instrument cluster.

References

  1. ↑ "Volvo Tundra". carrozzieri-italiani.com. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  2. ↑ Padeanu, Adrian (2016-08-03). "Concept We Forgot: 1979 Volvo Tundra". Motor1.
  3. ↑ Perini, Giancarlo (1979-10-18). "Muotoilun kaunokkeja" [Design beauties]. Tekniikan Maailma (in Finnish). Vol. 35, no. 17/79. Helsinki: TM-Julkaisu. p. 62. ISSN   0355-4287.
  4. 1 2 Söderholm, Erik (2014-07-05). "Volvos konstiga konceptbil – som blev en Citroën" [Volvo's strange concept car – which became a Citroën]. Auto Motor & Sport (in Swedish). Egmont Publishing AB. Archived from the original on 2020-02-15.
  5. ↑ "Le projet BX".
  6. ↑ "Citroën BX prototypes Projet XB".
  7. ↑ van der Zanden, Thijs (2021), BX: A new generation of Citroën, ISBN   978-90-828147-9-8
  8. ↑ "Mazda Just Restored Its Amazing MX-81 Aria Concept Styled by Bertone". MotorTrend. 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2025-07-26.
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