The Severance actor and other Volvo owners tell unique stories about this sacred motoring tradition
If there is anything uniquely American about cars that gearheads and non-gearheads share within their lives, it is the tradition of the family car. No matter what brand’s badge is prominently displayed on the hood or grille, or whether it’s a minivan, crossover SUV, or sedan, it is a sacred place where children and parents alike spend hours on end, buckled in, to engage, converse, and watch the world pass by while on their way to make more memories.
It’s this intimate, safe space that is the subject of a new docuseries made by Amazon, actor Adam Scott, and famed Swedish automaker Volvo, called The Family Car: An American Love Story, which sets out to explore and tell the stories of people and the cars that earned this special distinction.
These Volvo families have stories to tell
Premiering November 7th on a special side of Amazon’s website, Fire TV, and YouTube, with a special feature-length film streaming on Prime Video on December 12th, this special four-episode docuseries directed by Chris Wilcha for Volvo embarks on a journey across the United States to meet families whose Volvos have become a major footnote in their life stories.
The docuseries spans the geographic and emotional landscape of America, featuring New York photographer Gus Powell, Florida-based musician Jahphet Landis, Maine-based chef and culinary icon Erin French, and Adam Scott’s California family. In each episode, Wilcha sought to explore the powerful bond between Volvo cars, their owners, and the families they serve, and to take a deeper look at what a family car means to them.
“Volvo owners often describe their cars as extensions of who they are, symbols of their identity, values, and community,” Wilcha said in a statement. “[…] I’m grateful both to Volvo for spearheading this project and to the many owners who let us tell their stories.”
Volvo
The Severance actor has some history with Volvos
Actor Adam Scott, best known for his roles in the 2008 film Step Brothers and TV shows like Severance and Parks and Recreation, brings his own family’s story to the final California episode. In a recent feature with People magazine, he said that he was first drawn to the brand as a movie-loving kid, seeing Volvos as a “sign of intellectual sophistication and a certain kind of brainy success.” He told the magazine that he brought both of his daughters home from the hospital in a Volvo and that his first big Hollywood splurge was signing a lease on an S60 in 2002, during his brief appearance in The Court; a big purchase he made before the show was recast.
“I really kind of sweated my way through it. And then right after I made the biggest purchase of my life, I promptly got fired from the job,” he told the entertainment magazine.
In his episode of Family Car, which premieres on December 5, Scott opens up about his personal experiences and career, reflecting on how cars have served as the backdrop for some of his life’s most significant moments. “The family car is more than just a mode of transportation – it’s where some of the most meaningful conversations and experiences of our lives unfold,” he said in a statement.
Final thoughts
It’s rare to see a piece of promotional material go beyond obvious selling points like range, MPG, horsepower, and space figures, but it is interesting to see Volvo tap into a feeling that can only seemingly be earned through meaningful ownership: a true place in the family as the family car.
No matter if the people highlighted are famous or not, Volvo and Amazon’s series seem to tap into the idea that the family car is one of those shared spaces where some of our most meaningful moments happen with the people we know and love. The car is one of those places—a true sanctuary—where families are together as they move forward and navigate the complexities of modern life, with their vehicles serving as both literal and metaphorical vehicles for their journeys.
Sometimes the most profound connections in our lives occur in the most ordinary places, while we are doing the most ordinary things, in whatever vehicle you choose.
