Volvo LCP 2000 (1983). Back to the model of a forgotten concept

This model of the Volvo LCP 4 prototype has just resurfaced in the brand’s museum in Gothenburg, Sweden.

At the beginning of the 1980s, manufacturers were already thinking about the ecological vehicle. At Volvo, this gave birth to the LCP 2000, a model of which has just resurfaced at the brand’s museum in Gothenburg.

Perched on a crate at the back of the Volvo museum in Gothenburg, Sweden, a preparatory model for the LCP 2000 concept car, presented in 1983, resurfaces.

Volvo LCP 2000 / LCP 2 / LCP 4 style model — The flat hubcaps contribute to the good energy performance of a car that only drinks 4 liters of diesel per 100 km.

A light and frugal car

Volvo LCP 2 prototype phantom view — Note the smallness of the hood, in order to give access to the mechanics without penalizing the flow of air on the bodywork.

The project was born in 1979 in response to the second oil shock, LCP being the acronym for Light Component Project, designating a vehicle built using lightweight materials coupled with optimized aerodynamics. Previously officiating at Saab, the engineer Rolf Melle was at work with a design calling upon unusual materials at the time in automobiles such as carbon fiber or magnesium. Made in one piece, the floor was made of reinforced plastic via aluminum spacers. Offering four seats, the Volvo LCP 2000 placed the front and rear passengers back to back in order to simplify modularity and offer the largest possible boot volume.

Four seats back to back

Volvo LCP 2 prototype — Note the wide notch in the tailgate, which is essential to let the occupants of the bench seat sit

With its carbon fiber door frames and plastic tailgate, a solution widely used today on production vehicles, the car only weighed 707 kg on the scale. In its early days, it had a 53 hp 1.3 turbo diesel engine, then was fitted with a 90 hp 1.4 whose consumption remained below 4 l/100 km. With its headlights evoking those of a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 called Daytona and its smooth grille like that of an Alpine A310, this prototype has not remained in the memory.

LCP 4: the sharpest version

The model found in the museum is that of the Volvo LCP 4 prototype pictured here.

At the rear, the truncated stern houses a double window. The upper one is almost horizontal on this model which sports a coupé look and serves the ultimate version of the LCP 4 concept, while its lower counterpart is vertical and provides perfect rear vision for the rear passengers who use it as a windshield. . In the Volvo range, it is the 480 coupé marketed from 1986 to 1995 which seems to be the vehicle aesthetically closest to the first version of the LCP 2000.

TO READ. Volvo. The most produced models of the Swedish manufacturer