... každej chce DVOJKU... jen o tom někteří ještě neví ...
 Ondra z Volvofóra aneb Humbuk kolem dvojek - co je tak vyjímečné? ...čtěte zde

 Když řeknete dítěti, ať nakreslí AUTO,

nakreslí VOLVO 240 /zkuste to... volně parafrázuji
"Ask any child to draw “a car,” and chances are you’ll get an uncanny representation of the Volvo 240".  

 Každý nadšenec musí aspoň jednou v životě vlastnit cihlu.
Every enthusiast should own a brick once in their life.

  The Volvo 200 series is a range of large family cars (mid-size cars in the USA), produced by Volvo from autumn 1974 to 14 May 1993, with more than 2.8 million units sold worldwide = Volvo's best-selling car from 1975 until 1982.....At the time, Volvo guaranteed their cars would last for 19.3 years.  

Uvedení na trh
nalejvárna pro dealery..

1980:

Podle statistik Swedisch Motor Vehicle Inspection Company je průměrný věk, kterého se dožije polovina vozů Volvo
(averige life expectancy)  18,7 roku,
tj o 2,5 roku déle než u 2. v pořadí.

....dva kanaďané se vrátili do Monteralu s téměř sériovým volvem 245 po překonání Guinessova rekordu v objezdu autem kolem světa. 42 670 km zdolali za 75 dní /o 27 dní rychleji než původní rekord/.

1981:  Analýza Ken Warwick a Associated. Srovnání dat registrace Volvo a jiných značek v USA. „life expectancy “ vozů Volvo je o 1/3 vyšší než u ostatních aut na /amerických/ silnicích..

1985:  „Prostorné vozidlo, které vás doveze do 21. století..“ Aktualizovaná analýza KW v letech 1982-3 => „life expectancy “ 16,5 years =>Volva která tu jsou dnes, tady budou zítra…

1988:

Family Car Of The Year
Magazín pro 23 miliónů (!) čtenářek poprvé volil  RODINNÝ VUZ ROKU. Volvo 240 DL bylo zřejmě jediným evropským vítězem v historii této ankety...

VOLVO press release:

VOLVO REMAINS FAITHFUL TO THEIR TRADITIONAL VALUES

The Volvo 240 GL & DL continue to evolve under the surface, but the same values that made the 1988 240 DL the Family Circle Magazine Family Car Of The Year grand prize winner still predominate. Aside from aesthetic improvements …, the 1989 240s have several comfort and safety enhancements. … In keeping with the 240's role as a family car, both DL and GL sedans are equipped with three rear seat top tether anchorage points to accommodate child seats. The list of standard features continues to reflect the traditional 240 values: four-wheel power assisted disc brakes, steel safety cage construction, power windows and 25-spoke alloy wheels on GL's, air conditioning, and an AM/FM stereo cassette sound system which is a new standard feature for 1989. Despite its origins in the Volvo 144 …the Volvo 240 Series continues to be an outstanding, and surprisingly contemporary value. Almost 40 percent of all people who buy Volvos still choose the 240 Series. For those who want the traditional Volvo values in a more contemporary package, the 740 Series boasts a new entry level …                                                                                                     

..v roce kdy Wilhelm Konrad Hannes
v Deggendorfu kupoval Gustava, se Volvo 240 vyrábělo teprve 16 (!) let…  již za živa bylo v prospektu napsáno  >>>

DER KLASSIKER ...

Remembering a Suburban Icon

When the Chinese owners of the Swedish carmaker Volvo announced that they would no longer sell station
wagons in the United States, it triggered novelist and humorist Teddy Wayne to pen this “obituary” for the
fabled seven-seater.

1974 to 1993 - A Modern Classic?

  …Volvo’s four- cylinder 240 Series arrived in Britain in the summer of 1974… These impressive large Volvos can make fantastic classics, especially the estates , if you ever need a vehicle for towing and/or for carrying tough loads. The load compartments are about as big as you can get this side of the Atlantic, and will comfortably swallow large items of furniture (or antiques!), for example. Great practical classics… /3. 2011/

  Volvo throughout the 70s and 80s stuck with their regular offerings of safe and splendidly dull saloons and estates, the UK market sadly never receiving official imports of the 242 Turbo which has success in European touring car races during the 1980s. Although the 240 is slowly developing a slight charm, most old Volvos deserve to act as hardcore for the next motorway building programme.

Volvo History + Profile on the Volvo 240 and 260 By Bob Isaac

  The new Volvo car family had been developed with rigorous safety requirements. They were, in fact, so
rigorous that the car was used as the standard car for safety developments by the authorities in the USA…..
On two occasions, the car was given a facelift, for the 1981 and 1986 model years. Towards the end of its
life, the 245 experienced something of a renaissance. A version called the Polar became something of a
cult car in Italy.
I am sure the Volvo 200 will be seen on the roads for many years to come and one day I expect to see it listed as one of the great classic cars of the great era of motoring.

H

I

P

S

T

E

R

S

The Top Ten Cars for Hipsters    

 
#1.Volvo 240
#2. Mini Cooper (new)  # 3. BMW 2002
2.2010:

Welcome to the first ever Drive Cult top ten list, a compilation of the top ten cars for hipsters. In the 50s there were greasers. The 60s had the hippies. We have the 70s to thank for disco enthusiasts and the 80s for new wavers, while the 90s brought us the grunge dudes. We're not even two months removed from the noughties and I'm already pretty comfortable in saying that the decade we just left behind was personified by the hipster. ….The list spans several decades, countries of origin and price points. Each car says something unique, yet carefully considered with regard to image, about their drivers.
comment> I don't know about the others on the list, but the Volvo 240 and the Fixed Gear Bike are EXACTLY Right
comment > I live in a city with a major University and I see vintage volvos and fixed gear bikes on EVERY BLOCK. …

A hipster drives what?

The Best Hipster Cars
and their New Age Counterparts

    #1 Best Hipster Car – DeLorean DMC-12            #2 Best Hipster Car – Citroën Deux Chevaux

#4 Best Hipster Car – Volkswagen Kharmann Ghia            #5 Best Hipster Car – Volvo 240
….true hipsters say that their kind died out circa 2005 or so, but …. Since they do still exist, I have a question of great intrigue: What happens when Hipster Kitties break the chain on their fixie bikes? You can’t longboard everywhere, so what kinds of soul stealing metal coffins do the hipsters of anti-everything cherish? …V240> ……… this aesthetically unremarkable specimen is the ultimate hipster car. Which means that it’s not anymore? Either way, if you’re still driving the classic 80’s movie parents ride, it’s time to create the future hipster vehicle.

  A Half-Century of Automotive Eyesores:  Considering how many new cars are rolled out every year, it's no surprise that a few might be just plain homely. There's a chance that certain styles might become fashionable with a dash of retro hip. … But for the most part, the following 50 cars will never be anything but design duds……The overriding theme for the Volvo 200 series was safety, not looks. The front end is stretched yet barely sloped, giving the body a chunky look. The headlights and front rubber bumper are oversized and overbearing. Even the headrests could have used a redesign. 

… Here is a list of top 30 ugliest cars in the world. …. range of the last 50 years….. These messy, ugly cars that people love to hate have had their share of fans, but that doesn't mean their aren't ten times more people who hate them. It is very hard to find even one thing you like about these cars….  the list of things that contribute to the ugliness of these car design duds is longer than you can imagine.

Simple

is Beautiful:
Volvo 240 Wagon.

  A study in pared down simplicity, the 240 wagon, .., marked the end of an era for Volvo. ….But unlike an ill fitting suit, the 240's boxy construction remains classic, damn near iconic even. Simple knobs, dials and push buttons. Red for heat, Blue for cold. Utilitarian and smart. No computer-controlled anything. Reliable and, famously, safe…. The soccer-mom car from my youth. Designed by Jan Wilsgaard, Chief Designer at Volvo for forty years (1950-1990), he is quoted, wryly remarking on the success of the 200 series, "it might be due to the fact that the car is a little square and sluggish, just like the Swedes themselves."

Comments: >>>.. i've been saying for years that the time is ripe for a reintroduced 240, similar to the revamp of the mini an the bug. the 240s you still see on the road today look relevant aesthetically and functional. perfectly suited for 2010.

>>>... Hi, I have one blue 245 wagon for 10 years now, I never regret this ride, it is made for the open safety road to travel and enjoy so much the material deal. The mechanical still simple, and inexpensive to maintain in good shape, now I have 368,000 km ..
Some older owners of the Volvo 240 told me they regrets this car so much for the kind of fun they lived with it. Some told me; this safety car save my life in a car crash.

>>>...I bought one of these cars … It has 347,000kms on it and it still going strong. It needed some work that had languished in the care of previous owners, but with all of that up to snuff, it drives incredibly well. There are new cars that feel less solid than this thing does.

>>>... I thought I was the only one who shared an obsession with the boxy form of the 240. I never leave comments as I usually prefer to admire your postings silently, but I cant help but share my relief that I'm not alone! A truly beautifully-balanced and perfectly-proportioned piece of machinery.

>>>... i owned 240 wagon'88.for those who own it..pls keep it for your next generation.

>>>... Ah... always wanted one of those wagons. Those who owned them never wanted to part with them, so I ended up with a four-door sedan. I am now growing old gracefully with it until one sexy wagon comes along, ..

>>>...it's the best car ever made but there is one problem that the car is bloody gasler!! in the same time i don't mind spending extra money rather than spending it on the garage for repairing.so the car is reliable + safety=240 best car!  

Classics of the Future
internet discussion  11. 2007

Talked about this with some buddies last night, and here are a couple things we mentioned:  if I was going to buy a car today, hoping that it would be a classic in twenty or thirty years, it might be something that was already a little bit old, maybe a Volvo 240 (production stopped in the mid-90s)…

 Video driftující cihly

Volvo 240 (resp. 245, protože je to kombík), je klasika. Jedno z nejhranatějších aut, které kdy existovalo si svou pověst zajistilo zejména bezpečností, prostorností a spolehlivostí. O čem se nikdy moc nemluvilo, byla rychlost - protože tohle Volvo jí po kapsách moc nemělo.

Stará auta prostě měla něco do sebe. Tohle s novým ekologicko-bio-environmentálně-multikulturním Volvem neuděláte. Dobře, v tom novém máte blůtůt, přípojku na ajpod a miliony bezpečnostních asistentů, ale ten nejdůležitější prvek výbavy - zábava za volantem - tak trochu chybí.

Classic Car Cultist:
Volvo 240

Many cars are popular because of their brawn, and some cars are popular because of their looks. The Volvo 240 has neither. And yet, since the 240’s inception and ultimate release into the North American market in 1975, the Volvo 240 has received an unusual following in the dark and mysterious underground of car enthusiasm.

As if power, strange looks, and racing success weren’t enough, the Volvo 240 has also made appearances in 626 films,.... and TV shows such as  <

There are so many trims and model types of the Volvo 200 series that true collectability based on scarcity might be difficult. The 240 is not a car that enthusiasts should collect with the anticipation to make a profit. However, the 240 has a massive following from hipsters to racers, to outdoorsmen, and to soccer moms. The 240 is a car to love and enjoy, remembered only in the dusty back pages of automotive history.

Is the Volvo 240
heading for
Classic Car status?  

 eBay (UK)...240 for  £1000,
which is an astonishing price
for a 21 year old car.

The 240 should be a classic, for durability alone. There were so many made that I don't think we'll see them as classic collectors any time soon.  .......This is probably the most acurate answer; its very durability means it'll stay roadworthy long after more delicate "classics" have been retired to collections. But as to sophistication, well it doesn't have any.... Ask me, I've got one.
244's & 245's have a strong following even when not equipped with a turbo..these cars are true icons of both styling and reliability,..
Maybe. It is a well-known model with a lot of followers. If the number of cars is lower than the number of enthusiasts the price will be higher than if it was just another old clunker. There is not going to be another car made like that in the foreseeable future, that's for sure.
The 240 is getting quite rare now, so people are willing to pay more than usual for one.

The Death Of The Volvo Wagon: Brick Tailgate No More  3. 2010

Vzpomínka k ukončení výroby „cihlových zadků“ ..a opravdových kombíků

For decades, Volvo was the world's leading maker of station wagons and a stoic defender of the segment. Yesterday, we broke the news that the Swedes are finally throwing in the towel on our shores. Today, we mourn and reminisce.

The legendary 245,… heralded Volvo's domination of the wagon segment. …Over 1 million 245 and 265 models were sold.

"What can you say about a fifty-seven-year-old wagon who died? That she was beautiful and brilliant? That she loved way-backs and utility, furniture-hauling, and me?  What can you say? We say "hejdå, brick tailgate," and "rest in peace." We loved you, and while the world marches on, love means never having to say "My wagon ain't Swedish."

Volvo   => Perhaps one of the greatest cars ever made. Safe, reliable, good looking, fast, comfortable, luxurious and decently priced. Volvo drivers are generally smarter people who enjoy driving something different and unique. Modded Volvo drivers are proud to own a unique piece of art that can blow the doors of any ricer kid in a Civic that dares challenge him. It is something different that no one else has, and no one suspects it. The ultimate sleeper… The older volvos, pre-2001, were generally on the boxy sive, … These cars are different than everything alse on the road at that time. Sure you could have had the typical Lexus or BMW, but since they all have that "round" look, they all just blend together, and end up looking like a piece of tofu. The Volvo 850… had much sharper lines, not making them the boxes like the previous models of the 80's, but giving them character, and a presence that none of their competitors can replicate. .. The last year 93 of the classic 240.

240  => A model by Volvo driven by professors, intellectuals, and big headed service managers. …

Volvus  => Unofficial term for any 1986-1993 Volvo 240 sedan. In fact it kinda makes u think of a volcano.. or possibly walrus. That's if u have any sort of creative imagination. Damn can u believe that old Volvus has over 300,000 miles on it and still runs strong?? Try that in your average Chrysler.

tbricker  => person with a clapped out volvo that goes like stink. typically reserved for the 240 series wagon, but any volvo older than 1995 can fall under this term.

turbobrick   => 1. An affectionate yet self-deprecating nickname for a pre-1996, rear wheel drive, turbocharged Volvo. "Brick" is a reference to the aerodynamic, aesthetic, and structural qualities shared between Volvo automobiles(the older boxy variety) and rectangular bricks of hardened clay commonly used in construction.

"It might be a Volvo and it might be turbocharged but your 2001 Volvo s80 is NOT a turbobrick."

Volvo  stands for many things:

1. Very Odd Looking Vehicular Object.

2. Very Old Loose Vaginal Opening (Courtsey of another definition)….

Volvos are known to be "crappy," yet many of their oldest models such as the 240, 740, 950, and 850 series still surpass many of the standards held by crappy american or ricer car companies today.

Volvos run forever and ever. Additionally, Volvos are, for all practical purposes, the best cars on the market. Everything up to and including sexual intercourse is still safe while within the confines of Volvo's spacious cars.

Volvos are made in a country (Sweeden) where it is dark for more than 200 days of the year, beer costs more than the fridge you put it in, and "roads" are usually considered to be tracks made by "other tractors" through the middle of a desolate field.

Volvos kick the shit out of competition because they are the competition.

Sex Box => A slang for a Volvo 240.
Hipster's Cadillac => A fixed gear bicycle … fits snugly on the bike rack mounted to their decal laden, rusted out 1993 Volvo 240.

The Volvo 240

BEST PATROL CAR EVER?

Describing the Volvo 240 as the ‘best patrol car ever’ is a pretty bold statement. … Read any of the aforementioned journalistic reports on a Volvo 240 and you will always, without exception, here it described as ‘tank like’ or has ‘all the style of a tank’ etc etc. … This ‘tank’ label was penned by one journalist in the mid 1970s and has been used by a succession of others ever since who were either too lazy to dream up there own description or whose actual knowledge of cars was somewhere close to zero. …. The last model 144s and the early 244s came with huge bumpers to help reduce damage during slow impact crashes and to assist with sales to America where such bumpers were a legal requirement on new cars. This is where that tank label became stuck to the brand.

During that 15 year period Hampshire Constabulary used every single type of 244/240 model ever produced and purchased an incredible 270 units, making it by far the single biggest model ever used by the force ever. And during that same time other cars came and went, newer, supposedly better products from other manufacturers were all tried and tested but all failed to match up to the Volvo 240. It was only when the car went out of production and Volvo had no natural replacement for the car did the force have to seriously look elsewhere....

So what was it that made the 240 the success it was? It certainly wasn’t’t the fastest thing on the street, nor did it handle as well as some of its contemporaries, but that was about it really. It would depend on which era we were talking about as don’t forget this model stayed with us for 15 years. So let us talk about the cars hey day, the mid 1980s when it was called the 240 and came with a 2.3i engine and 5 speed box. One of its most discerning attributes was its incredible turning circle, just... twice its body length. For a large car measuring just over 15 feet in length that is remarkable and just the thing a Police driver needs to make that quick turn around.

Its interior comfort is legendary, even amongst motoring journalists! But every single Police officer who has had to sit in one for eight hours a day will tell you that the seats are superb and when your car is your office then that is vital. Another Volvo legend is its safety record, which is second to none. Is it justified? Most certainly, yes. …The average mileage for each Volvo 240 was 160,000 miles, which was usually achieved within three years, …… They were on the road 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The cars would mostly always survive on the original engine and gearbox and had very little known weak points. ….Top speed was 112 mph from 131 bhp and a 0-60 time of 9.2 seconds. That’s comparable to a Ford Escort RS2000 that the journalists all rave about! In practical day to day events there was very little that could escape the Volvo 240. As an area car driver at the time I was involved in many successful pursuits and the only time I can recall having difficulty keeping up with anything was following a stolen BMW 2002 Tii saloon which I could match on top end but just couldn’t’t get any closer than the 500 yard or so start he had on me. He eventually ran out of fuel! ……Handling and road holding is another department where the 240 was a bit antiquated. The ride was somewhat harsh and the damping left a bit to be desired on rougher roads but the power steering made easy work of slow speed driving. The brakes were superb, even by today’s ABS assisted standards they were good, which gave the Police driver supreme confidence when required to drive at speed. …

In 1984 Volvo produced the 240 Police Special, a unique car built for the Swedish Polis ….. The interior had half vinyl and half velour front seats and all vinyl door trim and rear seats to help mop up the blood and vomit. There was no carpet just a heavy duty rubber compound on the floor.

Every Car Has a Story...

1978 Volvo 245DL
– The Quintessential Volvo  

1982 Volvo 244DL
– Best Value Box

1984 Volvo 240GL
– Sensible Luxury

1978 Volvo 245DL – The Quintessential Volvo  

This car, the Volvo 245, is the essence of Volvo. Whenever someone mentions Volvo, whether in mixed company or among fellow gearheads, this is most likely the image floating in everybody’s heads. This is Volvo distilled into its most functional form. Volvo has lost its way a bit in the last fifteen years. If it wants to get its mojo back, it could do worse than using the original 245DL as a template. …….Now, the 240 was a boon for Volvo, and was incredibly long-lived, lasting from 1975 to 1993 with relatively minor changes, but it was certainly not an all-new car. The Volvo 140 Series, .. was the platform upon which the 240 built. ……When the 245 came out, I’m sure even Volvo didn’t know just how long it would endure. With the exception of another freshening in 1986 and a driver’s side airbag added in 1990, the 240 carried along all the way to 1993.  It was THE Volvo, and whenever someone mentions how tough and reliable a Volvo is, I bet they’re thinking of one of these. So, Volvo, how about a retro 240 for 2012? I would be among the first in line.

>>>… There are only two bad lines on this car.

First, the droop in the rear upper door. I understand this one, because it is just a manufacturing tradeoff to allow use of sedan doors on the wagon.     
>>> i can’t agree. the rear door droop, as you call it, adds character. sort of like the cindy crawford’s mole <<
…The second is the rear wheel opening. It may be an optical illusion, but the shape of it seems somehow off. Other than these two niggling points, this is a brilliantly styled car. Almost timeless.

>>>   My brother drove a 240 sedan, dark blue with a dark blue cloth interior, for years, from 1987 until 2003. Solid as a rock, never missed a beat. He cared for it well, it still looked showroom fresh when he finally traded it on…

>>> I’m still trying to figure out why we never had a Volvo wagon; if I could re-write history, it would include at least one or two.

>>> THEY DON’T EVEN SELL A WAGON. What a damning thing, to abandon the essence of a brand, the THING you stand for.

>>> I want one. In fact, I’ll take four…one for every member of the family.

>>> Finally, my car on Curbside Classics. …. I honestly cannot think of any other 30+ year old car that is capable of 20K annual mileage, and still allows owner servicing. Mine is very durable- not always reliable, but it has always given me a few days notice of a failure. They tend to break the same ways- fuse connections, alternators, oil leaks, heater cores, speedometers, but once you know the foibles, you keep spares on hand and get adept at swapping parts.

>>> sorry if this insults anyone…and I know it will but….these things are turds!

Reliable, sturdy, bricks…whatever it is you want to call them but they never seemed much better than driving a truck to me. These and Saab 900′s were the “thing” to have in my High School back then…I never ever  understood it.

>> The 240 series cars are the ultimate Volvo in my eyes. I’m … GM freak but having been around these a lot in the past (ex-boss, ex-girlfriend, ex-best-friend) I’ve really grown fond of them.

I particularly like the slash grille, boxy styling, and nerdy dash layout. ….. Oh yeah, I like the fact that they painted those 4-cylinder engines red. Looks cool. ….. You say that I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one.

>>> Thanks for writing that up Tom, quintessential or perhaps even archetypal indeed.

>>> Finally, I picked up a 1980 245 very similar to the one pictured above and a 1982 244, which now has 345,000 km on it. Tanks…. every one of them with excellent heaters. My 2 latest Volvos are a 1996 850…a girlie car….. and a 1988 744,which introduces a whole new level of “tankdom” to Volvos. None of these cars has ever let me down…..Never had an engine, transmission, or major power train issue with any of them. And you can work on them…..Only serious problem with the 240 is the heater fan motor burns out and is a nightmare to change out….. If Volvo is listening, bring back a retro 240 with the 2.3L four banger……I’d buy one tomorrow….

1982 Volvo 244DL – Best Value Box

Pop quiz: What is the most boring 2012 model car in existence? The Camry, you say? Well done. Now, what was the most boring, competent and efficient car of the 1980s? For those of you who missed the ’80s or were too young at the time to remember them, may I present the 1982 Volvo 244DL. It’s not a hot rod, not fancy, not exciting. But by God, it was competent, comfortable, and you never had to fret over it breaking down or needing constant mechanical attention! There was good reason why in the ’80s, Volvo was known as “the car for people who think.”….. My parents were Volvo people. Starting with the ’73 1800ES …..to 245DL, they were a practical choice for a young upper middle-class family with kids in the plan for the near future. Safe, reliable, well-built. European, but not flashy or pretentious… This was nothing new to Volvo Car Corporation. The Swedish company made its bones in the North American market with sensible, roomy and reliable sedans and wagons, starting with the Amazon… making even more inroads with … 140 Series. Despite the no-nonsense design and sensible shoes marketing, Volvos were

never cheap…. The 1975 240, itself … was about the same size as a Plymouth Valiant or Dodge Dart, but pricewise was closer to a larger Oldsmobile Cutlass or Eighty Eight. But for “Volvo people” like my folks, the extra money was worth it for the peace of mind such a car afforded…..   Another major boon was the wonderful glass area. A tall roof and thin pillars were great for passing and merging, and the ample room inside

COMMENTS

>>> In 1980, Lisa Birnbach quite possibly did more to spur the sales of this car than anyone in history, featuring it as de rigueur transport for the Madras- and Lacoste-wearing set in her opus, The Preppy Handbook. And with that, another quirky niche vehicle turned into a status symbol for the well-heeled masses…

>>> In the 1970s, I think that there was only one family that I actually knew who owned one of these. And they were of swedish background. 10 years later, they were all over the place. In the 80s, my flight instructer was a young swedish guy (named Lars, of course). Before coming to America and getting into flying, he had been a mechanic in Sweden. I told him about my then-current fascination with Saabs. He rolled his eyes and said “Get a Volvo instead – much better cars – except the 6 cylinder.” From one short sentence, a summation of all wisdom about swedish cars.

>>> I find nothing boring about the 200 series Volvos. In fact, they strike me as one of the most distinctive, interesting cars built in this time period. 80′s Corollas, Camrys, Sentras, & Stanzas — ugh — now those are boring. >>>

>>>I love your sense of humor, you really crack me up! To paraphrase Tom’s statement with Cars (UK) Magazine’s opinion of Volvos we have “the car for people who think they like trucks”. I have a number of friends that have made very good livings owning their own independent Volvo repair shops, so I don’t have any illusions about the myth of Volvo reliability or longevity.

>>> My experience of Volovs of the era was that they were not as reliable as their aficionados like to claim but when they did break, they were really easy to diagnose or fix. The big exception, of course, to this was the dreaded Volvo heater fan motor, which was really a face-palm kind of design. The DLs in particular were very simple cars: ...Compared to Detroit stuff they were good cars but they were never, ever, cheap.

 >>> The 240s were durable but not necessarily reliable… Volvos of that era developed big rust holes in the sheet metal just behind the rear wheels, in front of the mudflaps in the salt belt

>>> There was a very famous engineer at Volvo that walked at great length to specially equip the cars to the needs and requests of the police. All that experience made Volvo a good provider of police cars not only for Sweden, but also for the rest of Europe. They export a lot of police cars to the UK, among other countries.

>>> I borrowed an out-of-town friend’s 1984 240 DL to get around town…. On the plus side, I was able to perform miracles of parallel parking thanks to its … turning radius. I’d still like a 240 as a city car: easy to park, big black bumpers, and no blind spots to hide idiot-drunk-college-studentpedestrians

>>> In 1974 when gas prices spiked, my dad went shopping for a fuel efficient car. He had heard about Volvo cars so he priced one out. I remember his shock when a Volvo 244DL with overdrive (and nothing else, not even a radio) stickered at $8000. That is $37,000 in today’s money, a lot for a poorly equipped car. He reasoned an expensive Volvo would rust almost as fast as cheap Corolla,

… Volvo indeed made good cars but their volume was so low they had to have high prices to build in quality. This in turn severely limited how many cars they could sell. In 1975 there was a good argument that a Volvo was the safest car on the road but by 1990 there were many good, safe cars around… I have driven lots of old Volvos. They are strong, tough cars. They are also ponderous and slow. I don’t think I could ever stand one as a daily driver.

>>> …. The 240 was rejected out of hand because we considered it outdated by that time.

>>> Sure, compared to America stuff of the era, Volvos were relatively reliable. The thing is when the Japanese started making really good stuff circa 1990, people like myself got used to the exceptional reliability of said cars. Volvo had lost its claim to fame .

>>> Neighbor had a late 70s early 80s ¨… The wiring harness was bio-degradable to the point that the sheathing delaminated from the wires and he ended up dumping it after 4 or 5 years. From the outside it looked great, he always took care of his cars but the evil lurked underneath.

>>>…A superb design and very under estimated .I ran an old 240 auto for 11 years and it did everything you could ever expect from a car I would love to own another one now.

>>> They weren’t THAT slow. If you compare a base 240DL with an automatic, and say, a pre-1990 Accord with an automatic, you’ll find that they’re both about as quick as one another, but the Volvo is a lot more relaxed and torquey. They also are more fun to drive, thanks to steering which has actual heft to go along with feel.. The 240 was quite dated when discontinued in 1993, but old Volvos were luxury cars in their own way. Spartan and dated, certainly, and also inefficient and somewhat crudely built, but until the very late ’80s and early ’90s, they outclassed their more precisely assembled, efficient and chic Japanese rivals in road manners, comfort and substance. Their 740/940 successors were lateral moves and not any meaningful improvement to most buyers.

They weren’t any safer, they weren’t much more comfortable, they weren’t any faster (sans turbo) and they handled only a little bit better. …

>>> I don’t agree that the 740/940′s were a lateral move though. They were a lot more modern than the 140/240 in many ways: structurally, safety-wise, electrically, and they were a lot more rust-proof. I mean, they almost NEVER rust (and I live in New England). The did have the good old b230 engine though, so I guess that’s pretty lateral.

>>> I still daily drive an ’82 242 with about 230k miles on it. I’m a little confused about some of these comments about their reliability. 30 years out, this car still continues to be really reliable. … I spend more time and money fixing rust related problems then I do fixing mechanical problems.

I will someday however have to address the rotting wiring harness. Mine’s still in pretty good shape though.

>>> Funny how some people claim that older Volvo’s were not that reliable to them and others claim that they were dead solid. Makes one wonder…

1984 Volvo 240GL – Sensible Luxury
The Volvo GL was a stroke of genius for Volvo. Adding a little luxury and exclusivity to its tough-as-nails 240 series gave you the option of a luxury Volvo without the hassle of the 264GLE’s troublesome PRV V6 engine. It was so well received that it lasted all the way through the Eighties, while the 264GLE was gone by ’83…. Volvo decided that they would combine the engine of the 240 and features of the 264 to create a new model, the GL. …As with the DL, the 240GL had a 2.1L inline four cylinder engine …. In a road test of the GL, …
Car and Driver had much to say: “(The Volvo GL) is a genuinely amusing car to drive. It’s alert, responsive, and stable. The handling, braking and roadholding that go with that luxury are first-class, and although the ride is European, it would not offend a Pontiac driver. (The 2.1L four) is an infinitely lovable engine…that just seems to beg for abuse”

In 1982, a GL station wagon was added, …….. Starting in 1983, the 240GL was the nicest 240 you could get. … The Volvo 240 was arguably the world’s most practical car at the time. These cars were very space efficient, with ample head and leg room for passengers. The trunk was a perfect box shape (like the rest of the car) with 13.9 cubic feet of space. …..The wagons were even more practical, with 41.1 cubic feet of space in the cargo area…. Need more room? No problem, just load up those trunks or traveling shells onto the available roof rack.

Volvos reputation was built on these cars. Not only were they practical, they were assembled and finished with extremely high quality. Instead of electrogalvinizing, used by many manufacturers at the time, Volvo used a hot bath process to galvinize every square inch of the bodyshell. It produced a protective layer of zinc that was three times thicker than possible by using electrogalvinizing. Front fenders were made of Zinchrometal and used plastic liners in the wheel wells to boot. Door latches had built in drains, all exterior trim was made of stainless steel, and the exhaust system was aluminized. These cars were built to last, and Volvo wasn’t shy about advertising the fact. Their brochures in the ’80s spelled out all of these features, and more...DOPLNIT

Volvo 240 Station Wagon: Sex Machine

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1986 Goteborg

Ten Cars You Can Live In ....

10. 2008

# 1. Dodge Sprinter

# 2. Volkswagen Westfalia

# 4. Dodge Caravan

# 5. Volvo 740 Wagon

...A Volvo station wagon is a great choice for a family looking for a safe place to live and the Volvo 740 is perhaps the best balance of value and space....When you get kicked out of your gated community you can also use it to sneak back in as a soccer mom and not as someone who uses a soccer ball for a pillow..

Volvo estate named

best passion wagon

# 1. Volvo Estate

# 2. MB Sprinter Van

# 3. VW Camper Van