Indestructible Globetrotter
Both during his working life and afterwards, Hugo van den Berg has seen much of the world. The majority of it he saw from behind the wheel of his red Volvo 145E Grand Luxe, which he bought new in 1972 and which, after almost 325,000 kilometers, still faithfully does its job.
We didn’t meet at his home in Naarden, because his daily Toyota C-HR is there. The Volvo is housed in a former storage facility for Zuiderzee ships on the edge of Naarden-Vesting, where it finds itself in good company. Hugo has more special four-wheelers there, such as a Fairthorpe TX from 1968 based on the Triumph GT6, of which seven were built and only two now remain in our country. Other classic car enthusiasts also store their cars there. A group with varying compositions regularly gathers to chat and tinker.
Started with a Beetle
While enjoying coffee and cookies, Hugo tells his story. “My first car was a Volkswagen Beetle. I also got married in it, or at least that was the intention, because on the way to the town hall, the crankshaft broke. I also drove a Citroën 2CV, but gradually moved towards larger and sturdier four-wheelers. At that time, I worked for the MID, the Military Intelligence Service, and learned Russian and Spanish there.” The latter came in handy, as Hugo was stationed in Spain for a period. It was the time of dictator Franco, and the country was very poor. “Even the wealthiest people had themselves driven around in a Seat 600, with the passenger seat removed, so there was still enough legroom. With our now repaired Beetle, we didn’t stand out, but unfortunately, that one also broke down. The Renault 4 that followed the Beetle wasn’t such a success: the gearbox failed on the way from Madrid to Barcelona. With the help of diplomatic circles, we acquired a Volvo Amazon. Ultimately, I made the switch to a German media company.”
Volvo 145 bought at Naarden Volvo dealer
A lease car was included, but Hugo didn’t want it. “The Amazon had in the meantime made way for a Renault 16, but the Swede had left such a solid and safe impression that I wanted to go in that direction again. With two children by then, I found a station wagon handy, and with that fact – and with the help of the bank – we bought a new, red 145 E Grand Luxe at the Naarden Volvo dealer, the license plate 00-40-VN of which was issued on November 17, 1972.”
For Hugo, the switch from Renault 16 to Volvo 145 was about reliability and especially safety. “Fortunately, I have never needed the Volvo’s safety.” The bare purchase price of almost 22,000 guilders was considered a rather princely sum at the time, but our host still had something up his sleeve to further embellish his newly acquired asset with fog lights, Wolfrace wheels, and a Coenen sunroof.
Drove the 145 to Madrid shortly after purchase
Hugo cannot remember the first drive in his new car, but he does remember making a trip to friends in Madrid shortly after his purchase. Additionally, a family visit to France was undertaken once a year. During these long journeys, Hugo discovered the joys of the station wagon. “I removed the children’s bench that faced backward in the luggage compartment to increase the loading capacity. That’s how I discovered that exactly 67 bottles of wine fit in the trunk. I brought them from France to our country as contraband. Furthermore, I bought many car parts in Great Britain and secretly brought them along as well. It’s a simple, beautiful, and reliable workhorse for family, work, and contraband,” Hugo summarizes his red vehicle. Never felt the need to sell it? “No, and neither did my wife.”
Despite company car, the 145 was allowed to stay
But however pleasant the Swede was to deal with, at some point Hugo still got a company car. The Volvo 145 was allowed to stay nevertheless. It wasn’t in the way and gradually acquired another, perhaps much more enjoyable role. “With a few friends, I mapped out beautiful, long trips. Including to Russia; I visited Moscow three times. I also drove the Volvo in the Sahara. Wonderful journeys, I love them. I even drove the Monte Carlo Rally once. Not in my Volvo or another Volvo, by the way, but the sporty kilometers were covered with a Triumph TR3A.”
The 145 cannot really be called sporty, although with its tough wheels, fog lights, and special IPD stabilizers, which reduce body roll in fast corners, it leans quite a bit in that direction. As does the red paint, which here and there shows that the Swede is no longer the youngest. It is therefore in original, used condition, separate from the power source, which was once replaced.
Pleasure drive car
Thus, the role of the Volvo gradually changed: from family car to pleasure-drive car. But that too is coming to an end, as the 145 can now enjoy a well-deserved retirement. Hugo: “That means: I still drive it, but not as much as before, also because we stay in our second home in Southern France for several months a year.” The Volvo has kept a nice souvenir from its many stays in the land of Marianne: “Because of the bright sun, I had vinyl installed on the roof at some point. For the rest, I do the maintenance myself. I’m not technically inclined by nature, but I taught myself everything.”
The 145 is well stored
Conveniently, there’s the storage facility, where many car parts, space, and fellow tinkerers are available – alongside countless car magazines. So you never get bored there. Neither do we, as Hugo gives us a tour of mostly beautiful cars stored by others. All in all – classics, magazines, pleasant people – makes our visit a pleasant experience with Hugo and his classic Swedish brick, of course, in the leading role. He experiences that ‘classic’ feeling when he’s touring, as the car and driver gradually attract more and more interest from fellow road users. That brings us to the future of the 145. “It will go to my grandson later, although I also bought a two-stroke Saab 93 for him a while ago.” We’d all want a grandfather like that!
