VCOA meets VAPG

It’s always nice to meet folks who are as passionate about the Volvo brand as we are. A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend my first Volvo Club of America (VCOA) owners meeting at our super-secret test facility located outside Phoenix, Arizona. Actually, I’ll let the secret out of the bag. Internally we call it APG, for Arizona Proving Grounds, and it’s located in Wittmann, just off Happy Valley Road, about 40 miles outside of Phoenix.

Fences topped with razor wire surround it and security is as tight as a Swedish bank. There are cameras and patrolmen monitor the fence line 24/7. The property is located directly under a military no-fly zone, so even spy photographers with access to a Cessna can’t get within several miles of the facility.

But for one great day (with months of pleading ahead of time), APG was opened to the VCOA. Sure, it wasn’t carte blanche accessibility, but it wasn’t bad. The engineers hid all the really cool stuff under tarps and inside locked garages, but visitors still got to wander around and even take a tour of the several test tracks. Local retailers brought all the new iron and the VCOA members brought the old stuff. I took a few shots while I was there and some highlights were a few excellent examples of P1800s, a hot-to-trot 850 T5-R and a couple of sweet C30s. A real crowd pleaser was the 2007 ipd SEMA C30 with unique gull-wing doors, nitrous injection and wild Swedish-flag-inspired paint. When I let it be known the car was set for crushing in the next couple months (we have to do this because it’s a Euro spec car that can’t be sold here) there were actual tears from a few of the onlookers.

The cars weren’t the only part of the day that was impressive: the local Peoria fire department brought their newest cutting tools and went about cutting a V50 to shreds in a matter of moments. Despite this, our cars are tough. A firefighter explained to me that a year ago they broke a Jaws of Life tool while trying to hack through the B-pillar of an S80. Another big hit was the live XC60 City Safety demonstration. At one point there were more than 50 folks lined up to get a crack at running into a giant inflatable car or some pylons. Regular readers of this blog know this is impossible. Still, it’s always fun to watch the expressions on the unwitting driver’s face when the XC60 hits the brakes hard.

I would encourage any Volvo owner to join the VCOA. It’s a nationwide organization that’s full of Volvo freaks who are true enthusiasts.

– James Hope, Product Communications Manager, VCNA

ipd C30 Video

Nice P1800

City Safety Demo

Fire department getting ready to rip into a V50

Fire department extraction demonstration

Tags: C30, City Safety, v50, vapg, vcoa