I first posted this message in the awd/fwd forum. I was encouraged to repost here. I have a 1956 Volvo Tp 21 (Swedish Military Radio Command Car) This is a four wheel drive Volvo with dash controlled locking differentials. Why isn't this model listed in your awd/fwd forum? Does anybody else in the States have one of these?

I am including my replies to the reponses to my original posting. first reply: Dear Al, answers to your questions: 1) I looked for one of these volvos for twenty five years. I finally found someone who had two and was willing to sell one. 2) Both of the differentials have dashboard controlled vacuum-actuated locks. The control valves and indicator lamps are located at the lower left-hand edge of the dash.3) I'm not sure which switch you are referring to on the dash. There are three unusual (to most Americans) looking switches related to lighting. One is for switching between blackout lamps and servilamps(normal road lighting), one controls the head,tail and parking lights when the first switch is in the service lights position, the third switch is for trafficators (turn signal lights). There is also a backup lamp switch, heater and ventilation controls, choke, and throttle, and chain connected to the radiator blind on the dash.4) My Radiopersonterrängbil 915 (Swedish Military designation for the TP21/P2104) has been separated from its radiogear. It still has the antennae mounts and some wiring left. Those big boxes under the radiobench are power supplies for the radios. Since the trucks have Direct Current(DC) electrical systems, tranformers can't be used unless the DC was converted to Alternating Current(AC). This coul have been done by a device known as a "vibrator" or by a motorgenerator set(a DC motor coupled to an AC generator (alternator)). In the radio manual for this truck the powersupplies are refered to as omformers. This term doesn't exactly translate into the english word transformer. I know that some of the radios used in these trucks operated at higher than 12 volts, but I don't know if it was AC or DC. second reply:I begin this reply with a quotation that I got from a Sugga guestbook at a Swedish TP21 website.

""The demand for terrain vehicles became urgent as the swedish Defence Forces where steadily motorised. Volvo

met the demand for a four-wheel drive staffcar with the TP21, which immediately became known as the 'Sow'

(perhapsbecause of its rotund rear end!). The model was based on a light truckframe, with a driven front axle, and

was fitted with a body based on the PV830 taxi, shortened slightly to increase the off-road mobility."

KSlla: VOLVO Gothenburg Sweden, Christer Olsson & Henrik Moberger"

The TPV you refered to is known as the TPV/m43, meaning that it was a 1943 model. It preceded the TP21. This vehicle many similarities to the sugga but the running gear was lighter with no differential locks, 7:00-16 tires instead of 9:00-16, a model EG engine instead of an ED engine. The body wasn't shortened to the sugga configuration. I know of one in a military museum in Europe.