Hi all,

Just trying to find out a bit more re 123GT Spot Lights (not fog lights) There seems to be two types as you can see in this picture. Most factory brochures, photos and manuals show the one with the vertical strips as the spot light. So what is the story with the one that has the clear lens, as I have seen several GTs with them.

George

George,

After I sent my response and was putting away my documents I noticed something interesting that I thought that I should pass along.

As I previously stated, the four page 123GT brochure showed the car with one driving light and one fog cornering/light. That brochure shows the car in the dark green color with tan interior. That brochure was dated 3/67 and printed in Sweden.

Ahhhhhhh, but there is also a second 4 page brochure which shows the car in red with black interior. This brochure is dated 8/67. The photo on the front page of the brochure shows the car with two fog lights!!! The photos in the inside are nearly the same as the early brochure and one of the small photos shows a driving light and the verbage states one driving light and one cornering/fog light, but again, the photo on the front shows two fog lights which is how they were sold in Germany and other markets.

Jerry
1969 123GT

G'day Jerry, thanks for your observation re the two fog lights on the red GT brochure. I never looked that close. I think you're right on there. As for the other info, I have that on the website already thanks to some of your previous emails a few years back.

What I was asking was in regards to the correct spot light. Whether it had the thin vertical lines through the glass, as some do, or not as some others that I have seen. I have a feeling they are both correct. I am told they are Hella 162s which refers to the diameter in mm of the glass. There was a Hella 164 too I just found out. I have a new glass and was wondering why it was a tad too big. So it must be for a Hell 164.

Thanks again
George
http://www.volvo1800-120club.com/123gt.htm

Hi George,

The "extra" lights on the 123GT were always shown on the factory brochures as one "spot" or driving light and one fog light. The actual wording on the 1967-68 four page brochure was one cornering/fog light and one extra long-distance light.

Driving lights were very popular on British sports cars of the 50s and 60s, but were never very useful in most markets. In Germany they were in fact not allowed.

Although the Volvo literature nearly always showed the driving/fog light combination, the 123GTs sold in Germany came with two fog lights. I bought my first 123GT new in the spring of 1968 and was disappointed when I saw the two fog light rather than the way it was shown in the brochures. As I learned, that was the only way they were sold.....at least in Germany.

The 1969 Swiss brochure for the 123GT that I have a copy of shows two fog lights.

Hope that helps.

Jerry
1969 123GT

I think it is the striped one that is original. As exposed as they are, chances are that the lenses (or complete light) have been replaced over the years.

The same light was also sold on the aftermarket in many different configurations.

Rolf
ClassicRoad.com

These are probably the most extreme pencil beams, which mean an intense illumination of a very narrow corridor -- good for driving on a (24-hour) auto race on a track at night, where you're going 100mph down a strait stretch.

Such a pencil beam is not useful on a public road, where you want to have a broader illumination to see what's on the side of the road, or ahead on a road with more curvature; and you can't (or shouldn't) use it if you're within a half mile or more of a car ahead (when does that ever happen on today's roads?).

The lamp on the left, with the vertical lines, is probably more practical -- the lines would indicate some fresnel effect that spreads the beam into a slightly more useful (and less intense, straight ahead) illumination pattern.