Near the city of Ottawa in the US state of Illinois is Volvo Island. It is a small island that has been mounded up on the site of a former mine workings. In the middle of the island is… a 2001 Volvo sedan. This unusual concept, seen nowhere else in the world, has become one of the region’s most recognisable sites and an internet sensation.
The origins of Volvo Island
The idea for the island was born in 2012. Scott Mann, owner of two local car repair shops, was the author of the whole venture. A pit left by a nearby mine filled with water over time, creating a deep lake. Mann decided to set up a Volvo on one of the pieces of land remaining above the reservoir. He enlisted the help of a tugboat to do this, and once the car was at the end of the peninsula, an excavator was brought in and its narrow connection to the shore was removed. As a result, the car was cut off from the mainland and found itself on its own island. The idea with the Volvo in the middle of the lake was intended as an advertising joke and to help attract the attention of Scott Mann’s customers. Initially, the initiator of the idea considered organising a game for local residents to guess the placement of the car on the islet. However, he was concerned that someone would try to swim there to look for clues, and the artificial body of water is very deep and dangerous. This discouraged the organiser from pursuing the whole idea. The car itself, however, remained in place, becoming an unplanned symbol of the area.
A car on an island in the middle of the lake
Over the years, the peculiar advertisement began to act as a magnet for the curious. In 2015, it appeared on Google Maps and Google Street View, which brought it great fame. Soon, internet users began posting their own photos and short reviews, and Volvo Island found its way into lists of unusual places to visit when travelling in Illinois. Over time, it also became the subject of jokes and numerous memes. Ratings on map services remain high. Hundreds of comments describe the place as fun and full of peculiar charm. Although the area lacks classic tourist infrastructure, the islet regularly attracts people who want to see the famous Volvo standing in the middle of the water. Recently, the car has been joined by three other vehicles: one stands partially submerged by the shore and two others ‘climb’ the nearby trees.
The current appearance of Volvo Island
The car has not left the small island for more than a decade. Despite its exposure to the weather and bird droppings, it does not appear to be damaged. From the information provided by the owner of the vehicle and the lake, it appears that he has no intention of removing it and the whole ‘advertisement’ is doing very well and retains the form it was originally given. This original site in Illinois was created out of the sheer imagination of one resident, over time growing into an attraction known all over the internet. Volvo Island has written itself into people’s minds as something between a joke, an art installation and a local curiosity. It is hard to find another such unobvious element in the landscape, even in a country like the USA.
Source: onet.pl, motoguru.pl
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