When introduced, the car was named the Amason (with an 's'),[7] deriving from the fierce female warriors of Greek mythology, the Amazons.

[10] The Amazon featured strong articulation front to rear, pronounced "shoulders", and slight but visible tailfins.

[11] The Amazon's bodywork was constructed of phosphate-treated steel (to improve paint adhesion) and with heavy use of undercoating and anti-corrosive oil treatment.

[12] The station wagon (estate) version was introduced at the 1962 Stockholm Auto Show, and Volvo manufactured 73,000 examples between 1962 and 1969.

Having trialled it against a Citroën DS19 Safari and Humber Super Snipe station wagon, Hampshire Constabulary purchased a white Volvo Amazon 1800 station wagon with a Ruddspeed upgraded engine initially for use as an accident tender, carrying equipment used by the police when attending scenes of road accidents, before transferring onto traffic policing duties alongside the Humber Super Snipe.

In total, five white Volvo Amazon station wagons were acquired by Hampshire Constabulary's traffic division, however the purchase of foreign police cars was the subject of local controversy, with letters of complaint written to Hampshire's Chief Constable and in Autocar magazine; Hampshire Constabulary would later find themselves the subject of national controversy and faced heavy criticism by the Home Office for purchasing multiple Volvo 144 saloons for traffic police use.

[15][16] In 1966 the Volvo PV ended production, replaced by the Amazon Favorit, a less expensive version of the Amazon, without exterior chrome trim, a passenger-side sunshield or cigarette lighter, and with a three-speed rather than four-speed transmission — available in black with red interior and later white or black with red interior.

[17] In 1967 came the 123GT, which was a Model 130 with high-compression four-cylinder B18B engine (from the Volvo P1800), M41 gearbox, fully reclining seats, front fog and driving lights (on some markets), alternator, fender mounted mirrors, special steering wheel, dash with a shelf and tachometer, and other cosmetic upgrades.

In 1962, Volvo introduced a two-door version, a five-door wagon, and the new B18 engine, deleting two-tone paint and upholstery.