Forgotten prototypes: Venus Bilo, Volvo's first concept car

The Scandinavian brand's first prototype was launched in 1933. It gave rise to the PV 36 Carioca.

Photo by: Volvo

By: Alberto Carmone

Nov 9, 2024 at 3:29am ET

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It all started with this. It was the Venus Bilo, the very first concept presented by Volvo in 1933, six years after the brand was founded. A daring prototype in form, at least according to the stylistic conventions of the time, which, although not very successful, served as the basis for the design of future models.

It was a kind of muse for the brand, which drew inspiration from the lines of this concept to shape its range in the years that followed.

History and heritage

Introduced in 1933 and developed by designer Gustaf Ericsson, the car was not manufactured by Volvo. In fact, it came out of the Nordbergs Vagnafabrik factory in Stockholm, and Volvo's involvement was not acknowledged until some time after its presentation.

Volvo Venus Bilo Concept (1933)

Photos of : Volvo

The company's aim with the concept was to test public taste and see if a production model based on these lines would be successful.

With a design inspired by the world of aeronautics, the Venus Bilo (whose name is a mixture of the statue of the Venus de Milo and the word 'Bil', which means car in Swedish) presented several interesting solutions. These included removable body panels, designed to make repairs quicker and cheaper in the event of an accident.

Volvo Venus Bilo Concept (1933)

Photos of : Volvo

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A few years after the presentation of the Venus Bilo, Volvo presented the PV 36 Carioca, one of its first production models. As far as the concept is concerned, we don't know how its history continued. It is believed to have been sold to a private buyer in Denmark in the 1950s, but no trace of it has been found since.