LV76 - LV79

After having continuously upgraded Volvo trucks to higher and higher GVWs, it was decided to design a really modern light-duty truck with modern components, to expand the annual production of trucks and try to take over market leadership in Scandinavia from the (cheaper) American light-duty trucks.

A light-duty truck that lasted
The resulting LV76-78 series was one of the best light-duty Volvo trucks ever made - at least according to the long service life they enjoyed and the surprisingly large number of trucks of this type which are still preserved in good shape (though one of the reasons why this type of truck did last long was of course because they were used for light-duty transport and could be used for all types of practical transport even in private use or on farms etc.)

The LV76-78 series (the only difference between the three types was in the GVW, the type of suspension and tyre dimension, while even the wheelbase was the same) resembled Volvo cars of the period. The front of the trucks, for instance, was the same as on the Volvo PV653 and PV658 cars, although the fenders were wider due to the bigger tyres needed even for these small trucks.

Suited for small service missions
Mechanically, the LV76-78 series was quite simple and rugged. No serious problems were experienced by owners and drivers, probably due more to simplicity than to sophisticated design.

The main use of these trucks was in light-duty distribution (a common use for these trucks was as a multi-purpose vehicle at market gardens) and as a service vehicle for fire brigades in smaller communities. In 1936, a slightly more powerful version, the LV79, was introduced, with heavier chassis components and double-mounted rear wheels. This truck was suited not only for distribution transport, but also for heavier use such as in buses and even for light construction use.

The LV76-78 was superseded by the LV10, while the LV79 was superseded by the LV11, both types having (like their predecessors) similar bonnet design to the concurrently produced large Volvo (taxi) cars.