Tommy loves Volvo BM – “My Victor is like one of the family”

In the meadow below the barn at the home of Tommy Abrahamsson, senior technical adviser at Olsson Parts, there is a Volvo T22 dating from 1948. This is a much-loved ornament that gets even more stylish at Christmas when it is lit up with fairy lights. Just around the corner we’re met by two timeless icons – a 1975 Volvo BM 650 and a 1960 Victor. There they stand, lovingly cared for, and always ready to jump in and show what true Volvo BM power is all about. Tommy regards these classic machines with warmth in his eyes – there’s no doubt here about his genuine passion. 

The 650 is pure comfort
When Tommy picked up his Volvo BM 650 in Falkenberg in 2005, he knew exactly what he wanted.
– I’d had a 600 before, but it didn’t have either a proper cab or heating. The 650 is entirely different! Here you are both protected and warm, sitting in real comfort, he says, patting the tractor with pride.

The 650 has to work for a living. It helps out in the forest, hauls the wood home and makes sure the boat gets to the lake every spring.
– I service it every year, and I’ve replaced the wheel bearings, repaired the hydraulic system and re-upholstered the cab. It’s also had a new floor mat, and I replaced the hydraulic cables after they froze completely one cold winter. When we ask Tommy why it was Volvo BM in particular that won his heart, his response is as natural as it is fast: 
– It’s quite simply the best tractor. I have friends who drive other tractors, but nothing beats Volvo BM – there’s something special about them. Tommy has had an interest in vehicles in general and tractors in particular ever since he was a child. Home-made soapbox cars were replaced by the real thing, and when his father brought home a Victor from the neighboring island of Tjörn in 1971, Tommy was naturally there.  

Victor – a legend with cult status
– I remember it like it was yesterday. Dad had to choose between the Victor and a Volvo BM 320 Buster – thank goodness he went for the Victor, Tommy laughs, admitting that the bright red, almost orange 1960 tractor has a special place in his heart:

– Just that wonderful, special sound can make you almost religious. The direct-injected diesel engine sounds like a hot-bulb engine. It’s pure magic – the Victor has cult status and a soul of its own.

While the 650 is used purely as a utility tractor - “It’s got a strong heart” – the Victor is used for the smaller jobs, like ploughing the potato field and transporting wood. Tommy built the forestry trailer that he uses himself:
– I had a few weeks off one winter, so I built a trailer. Perfect for the Victor, he laughs.
When Tommy was a child, the Victor was the only tractor on the farm and had to do all the work. When it arrived on Orust, it was still in its military get-up, but Tommy’s father quickly made it more farm-friendly.
– The Crown had installed a big winch, which immediately started smoking. There were no hydraulics, so we fixed that. I installed the loader some thirty years ago. Despite Tommy’s gratitude to his father for the fact that he had opted against the Buster in favour of the Victor, a Buster still came his way a while back.
– It needed care and attention, and I couldn’t resist, admits Tommy. It was a good practice item for my son, who spent many hours working on it. Tommy sold the Buster on a couple of years ago. The Victor, on the other hand, will always be here.
– Victor isn’t a tractor, he’s a member of the family.