In the beginning, there was public transport. Yea, verily, it did suck. Then came the INDUSTROTANK, and there was much rejoicing. Other motorists fled the tank's path. I could merge without fear. Two tons, underpowered, drank premium petrol and ate brake pads. It also proved that a Volvo only goes as slowly as you drive it.

Damn, but I did love that lumbering chunk of swedish steel. I only let it go when buying a new car became a cheaper option than keeping the tank on the road. While I had it, it went through one set of tyres, too many brakepads and fan belts to count, a harmonic balancer, a set of transmission seals, a complete air-con system refit (new gas), an impressive number of tail lights, got hailed on and repaired, hit a palm tree and allegedly killed the rear bumper of a Commodore without taking so much as a scratch (cracked bumper, my arse... trust my luck to hit a government car).
 
The Industrotank. The Big V. The Flying Volvo. The Industrotaxi. It had many names.
 
This was my point of view, a lot. Snoopy kept me company (he's asleep on the coin tray). When the factory-standard tape deck broke, it was four days - including a weekend - before I had a new one... a nice little SONY number. Being stuck with commercial radio will do that to you.
 
The interior, freshly Armour-Alled and vacuumed. Tres Porno, no? Note the seriously retro carphone, which worked right up until the analogue network got ditched. After that I never got round to taking the handset out. The air-con switch used to jam on windscreen. It was a barrel of laughs, the summer when they decided they couldn't repair it - hence the system refit.
 
The bat and the faery, on the rear quarter panels.
 
Now you see why it went through tail lights. Eight red panel bulbs. Count 'em. The lense over the far right tail light had a crack, so it used to fill up with rainwater and short the bulb. Eventually someone figured out what what happening, so now it has a small hole drilled in the bottom so it drains. Voila.
 
INDUSTROTANK, and proud. You knew when you were following the tank.
 
"...and that's the last thing I remember, officer..."
 

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