Volvo 444-544 Tyres
1952 Volvo PV 444 CS
Volvo PV444 and PV544 1944–1965
- Volvo 444-544 models left the factory with either 590 - 15 Tyres or 550 - 16 Tyres tyres.
- If you want to fit period crossply tyres then we would suggest the 590 H 15 Avon Turbospeed and the 5.50 x 16 Avon Tourist for their respective sizes.
- We would however recommend fitting a radial tyre, as it affords much better handling and reduces wandering on modern high-speed roads.
- The recommended 15" tyre is the 165 SR 15 Michelin XZX.
- Our recommended 16" tyre is the 5.50 R 16 Michelin X.
- For these 15" tyres we suggest the Michelin 15E innertube.
- The ideal tube for the 16" tyres is the Michelin 16E innertube.
Volvo 544
History of the Volvo PV444 and PV544
Built between 1944-1966, the Volvo PV was a series of two-door, four-passenger cars with the models being the Volvo PV444 (1943-1958) & Volvo PV544 (1958-1966). The car was created by Volvo during the midst of World War II as a smaller more fuel economical vehicle that would ensure the company's survival (once all that war business had blown over) with production beginning in 1947.
Volvo's first unibody automobile was the PV444. Its body structure was influenced by the 1939 Hanomag 1.3 litre, which Volvo engineers acquired and examined. It was also the first Volvo with a four-cylinder engine in over 20 years (earlier models had used side-valve straight sixes). The earliest PV444s were powered with 1.4 L inline-four engines with three main bearings, overhead valves, and a single downdraft carburettor designated B4B. This engine's output grew to 43hp in October 1950, and to 51hp in October 1955. Beginning in early 1956, US models got an upgraded version designated the B14A, which was outfitted with twin side-draft 112 in SU carburettors for a total of 70 horsepower.
The PV544 was introduced in 1958. Subtle variations between the PV444 and the PV444 featured a curved one-piece windshield in place of the two panes of flat glass, bigger taillights, and a ribbon-type speedometer. The 444's three-speed manual transmission was replaced with a four-speed transmission in the 544. By expanding the breadth of the rear seat and utilising thinner backrests on the front seats, the interior was changed to accommodate five passengers instead of four.
The B16 engine was superseded in 1962 by Volvo's new B18 engine, which had originally been built for the P1800 sports vehicle, which had been released the previous year. There were five primary bearings in this 1.8 L engine. Again, single and dual carburettor variants were available, denoted by the letters B18A and B18D.