1968 Volvo P1560 Prototype by Coggiola

The Volvo P1560 Prototype, developed in 1968 by Italian design house Carrozzeria Coggiola, was the first in a series of experimental vehicles based on the Volvo 140 series. Commissioned by Volvo, these prototypes were built to explore advanced safety features, including crumple zones, door intrusion beams, and airbags—technologies that were still emerging at the time. A total of ten prototypes were created as part of the project, with the aim of possibly replacing the 140/160 series.

Despite the innovative safety work, the P1560 project was cancelled in 1971 due to uncertainty about upcoming safety regulations in the United States, which made it risky for Volvo to commit to a new production model. Instead, the company chose to evolve the existing 140/160 series into what became the 240/260 series, known internally as project P1720. These later models would go on to incorporate many of the safety innovations first tested on the P1560 prototypes.