Design: Steamy Hot Open Volvo -- Caresto Hot Rod Jakob

Volvos -- safe, stylish, detachedly cool. Who would make a hot rod out of a Volvo? Why, ex-Volvo guy Lief Tufvesson of Caresto naturally, and he's done it before. Explain yourself, my tall Nordic friend:

"Volvo has always been a special make for me. These were the cars I learned my skills on in my youth, and I also worked for a while at Volvo's concept-car department. So instead of obtaining inspiration from an old Ford, as is usually the case in Hot Rod circles, I wanted to build something that meant more to me personally. That's why I chose to bring together the most classic attributes of Volvo, the Jakob, and my own modern Hot Rod style,"

What a great tribute to hot rod genius Boyd Coddington than to see the reach of the culture he helped popularize extend to Northern European near-luxury brands. It's also a nice back-at-ya for one of the United State's best known Volvo lovers, Iraq War salesman extraordinaire Colin Powell, seen here with his own:












More to the point check out the beautifully spare bodywork and detailing. The body is stripped down to its basic bucket shape and the windshield rails dive down deep into the cowl area. Also check out the ginormous brutalist design of the exposed rear axle.