Ewy Rosqvist’s, Rally Volvo PV 544 Sport on auction at Artcurial in Paris today!
Images in the article are of same model, and not of the car being auctioned today. Article originally in Swedish, and translated using Google Translate. We will link to the original soon.
The cherry Volvo PV 544 Sport on February 9, under the club in Paris, is the same rally car as Skåne Ewy Rosqvist so successfully competed in the early 1960s. The car is in original condition and is fully sold out with the starting number of the Monte Carlo rally in 1962 left along the door sides. The Artcurial auction house is in the process of being sold in connection with the annual Rétromobile car show. From kl. At 14.00, the car auction can be followed directly online via www.artcurial.com/motorcars. Volvo has sales number 115 and expects a final price in the range of € 35 – 50 000 (SEK350-500 000). The expensive Volvo PV 544 Sport sold at an auction last fall for SEK650,000.
By Volvo Cars [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Ewy Rosqvist got a taste of driving when she was employed as an assistant by veterinarian Ernst Pålsson in Ystad. The work involved visits to many of the farms in the area. Here, among other things, Temperature-sensitive Target Sperm (!) is collected to rapidly transport to the veterinary station in refrigerated thermos. Then it was possible to get away on Österlen’s narrow gravel roads!
The career as a rally driver began in 1956 and Ewy became very successful as a rally driver. She was nominated both in 1959 and 1961 for the European champion in the rally. The competition contract was concluded with Volvo 1960. The PV 544, which is now on sale, is the same as she won the women’s class in, among other things, Midnight solo rally (1960 + -61), Finnish rally (1960 + -61), Vikingsallyt (1960), Acropolis raid (1960 + -61), Alpina rally (1961) and Polish rally (1961). Ewy Rosqvist was also appointed Sweden’s premier sports woman in 1961.
By nakhon100 (Volvo PV 544 Sport) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Mercedes also raised the eyes of the young rally champion, which led to a contract with the German car manufacturer in the spring of 1962. In September of that year, she won the demanding Argentine rally with Ursula Wirth as a scorer. In the following year, the couple won the Monte Carlo rally Women’s Class.
Ewy ended racing in 1965, but continued to work for Mercedes, now at the headquarters in Stuttgart. She is the only female rally driver that Mercedes had. Ewy married the German baron Alexander von Korff and moved after her husband’s death in 1980 to Stockholm where she now lives.
“I have nice memories from the rally time, but today I do not drive a car. Every summer I always visit Skåne. My dear parents home in Stora Herrestad is still there, and my brother lives there. It always feels good to come back to Österlen, “says Ewy, who is 90 years old next year.
Featured Image:
By Wilfried Wittkowsky (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Article written by Tommy D Strömberg cabbe.se
