[v8volvo]

Yes good point, that is also certainly true. That smell coupled with the LOSS of coolant would be a warning sign of headgasket trouble.

But again if the smoke smells like fuel and you don't see any other signs of cooling system problems (coolant loss and/or evidence of sooty color or oil intrusion into coolant) then you can assume it is NOT a headgasket problem.

Also worth noting: if you had an issue with the headgasket causing white smoke (steam) from the exhaust, then you would typically see that white steam all the time, not just after starting the engine. In fact in most cases the steam would be heavier when the engine warmed up.

White smoke only after cold start that disappears as the engine warms up, with no other evidence of cooling system issues, again is typically related to either an issue with the starting aids (glow plugs/cold start timing advance system), improperly adjusted static injection timing, or engine mechanical issue (injectors/valve clearance/compression).