Believe it or not, young Swedes grow up dreaming of modifying their Swedish cars; taking a few inches out of the ride height and dropping in a late-model drivetrain.

But a twin-cam, 24-valve 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine from an early '90s Volvo 960 sitting inside the body of a 1967 Volvo two-door wagon is rare, even in Sweden. Oh, yes, the turbocharged six is pushing out a claimed 600 hp.

To explain how this interesting Volvo wagon made it from Sweden to Las Vegas isn't a complicated tale. At the 25th jubilee of the Vallåkra Custom Car Meet outside Landskrona, Sweden, Mattias Vöcks's classic wagon was voted best car to represent Sweden. The prize was an expenses paid trip for Vöcks and partner (the Volvo) to appear at the SEMA show in Las Vegas.

The judges said: "This Amazon represents true Swedish car-building art with its focus on high build quality and unique detailing. It reflects personal craftsmanship of the very highest order. This is a car that stands out from the crowd while at the same time acknowledging a Swedish motoring icon that turns 50 this year. Finally, the winner truly epitomises the title of "Sweden's Hottest Volvo" with its 600 horsepower under the hood."