My neighbor around the corner loves his white Volvo wagons, but I’ve never seen them both out front together before. He must have been sweeping his driveway or something, so they finally meet, to show off just how reluctant Volvo was in deviating from the 740-760’s rectangularity when its FWD successor finally arrived.
And the V70 wasn’t really the 740’s successor either; the 850 played that role. But you get the angle.
Going to front drive was a huge undertaking for them even though they just grafted a Mitsubishi front in, so they must have just gone with the current body tooling. Nice pair. Toyota and Nissan did the same merely converting their cars Corona/Bluebird to FWD.
I doubt a single piece of glass or body panel interchange between the two. Plus the fuel filler went from driver side to passenger side.
What are you smoking, kiwibryce? It must be good. 🙂
That made me so laugh hard, Paul.
Unfortunately I live in Florida, where we’re only allowed toxic petrochemical pharmaceuticals. I’m slightly resentful.
It’s legal in Oregon in July, 2015, right?
Yes, but it might as well be already. I haven’t heard of anyone getting busted for pot in a long time, unless they’re growing hundreds of plants or transporting large quantities.
Here in Flo-ri-duh 57% percent of us voted in support of the medicinal herb, but here a majority in our leaders mathematical comprehension is 60%. As a multiple sclerosis patient, this is disappointing…and I have no right to complain as many more truly suffer. Our law enforcement will seize a vehicle for trace amount of a certain plant material.
Also we have rules that preclude some people who love each other, from marrying or visiting in hospitals. It isn’t just that I have more rights because I just have a propensity to be miserable with the opposite gender. Hey, at least I can carry a 1911 45 cal with hollow rounds almost anywhere, as long as it can’t be seen and I have taken a brief 5th grade level course. I’m envious of you guys on the West Coast, but at least I met a great Latina lady that made it worth it. Sorry if I got too political and off topic.
Kiwi Bryce, I’m fairly certain none of what you just said is true.
I believe that Bryce is mentioning the first gen Volvo S40, which was based on a mitsubishi platform.
I assumed that too, but even then it’s not right, since the V40 used the whole Mitsu platform. And Toyota and Nissan didn’t “do the same thing” when they switched to FWD; they were all-new cars. Looks can be deceiving.
I didn’t know Volvo and Mitsu had ever knocked boots…. Learned something today!
It was only on that one collaboration though. S40/V50 were platform twins to the Mitsubishi Carisma, which we never got in the USA.
I’ve also heard some not-so-good things about the first-gen S40/V50. The second-gen cars all I’ve heard has been positive, so even though I’m sure it still shared some Mitsu DNA, I assume the kinks got worked out.
Sweet looking Volvos. I’d take the white Volvo 740 Wagon.
We almost did when wagon-shopping ca. 1995, but got a yr-old Camry instead (it also had a 3rd seat). I actually liked the 740’s design & layout better, but worried about cost of ownership. The Camry served us well, though the 4cyl was a bit weak when loaded. Cornered like it was on rails, though not very agile.
I notice that usually when people have more than one car of theirs on the street they park them really close together and I see this person is no different. Nice looking pair of Volvos and I never realized the 700-series’ successor was front wheel drive, I thought it was just a refresh with some new exterior bits.
The 700-series’ direct successor was actually the RWD 900-series (renamed S90/V90 for its final year). The FWD 850 (face lifted into this car, the first V70) was the replacement for the 900-series. In reality, there was a lot of overlap between the model ranges. In 1993, you could buy a 240, 850, or 940/960 in the US: in some markets, the 740 was still offered, so you had three or four generations being sold simultaneously!
By the time Volvo became an FWD-only company when the S80 debuted, the model ranges were more clearly separated. This was not a good time for Volvo quality, though…
I’d argue that the 850 was actually more the 240’s successor than the 900’s. The 240’s last year was 1993, which was also the first year of the 850, while the 900 series (having been renamed S90/V90) carried on until 1998. The S80 was really the 900 series’ successor, though it never got a wagon variant.
“when people have more than one car of theirs on the street they park them really close together ”
Guilty as charged…
Just ran a Carfax on the white 700 Series wagon using its plate number – it’s a 1986 760 Turbo.
Couldn’t see the plate on the white V70 but I know it’s either a ’99 or a 2000, because of the turn indicator lights on the front fenders.
These are both very familiar cars to me, as plenty of my friends’ parents (and later on, my friends) owned Volvo wagons when I was growing up. Solid vehicles, with plenty of glass space and carrying capacity. The interiors of them always had a distinctive leather/plastic smell. Probably from seeing so much use, every Volvo station wagon I’ve every ridden in has had well-worn leather.
Looks like somebody’s remodeling the kitchen! Old fridge out, new fridge in. 🙂
A buddy of mine had a 740 in light blue with yellow tinted headlights and a big Warsteiner sticker on the rear left window. The Car didn’t have a muffler, reverse or second gear and you could here it coming a half mile a way. Sufficed it to say, we had a lot of fun in that car. Loved that body style. Reminded me of a mini Volvo big rig.
Even closer would be the 900 series or even the run-out V90 models, the revamped 700 series (more obvious on the saloon where the rear pillars and screen were changed). The other similar slab sided Volvos were the 440/460 range; no wagon though.
The 850 is probably the first Volvo I’d have, and when you look closely you can see the evolution from the 740 to the 850/V70.
Nice find, though the 2 refrigerators comment does have a point
Why settle for two when you could have three?
Back in 92 I was visiting Atlanta and on my way back to MS, a Volvo station wagon like the 1st one eased in my back door. I was driving a 90 Honda accord, I changed lanes to let him pass, he drove between 90-100 from ATL to B’ham where he picked up I-65 N & I continued west on I-20. About 10 minutes went by and a 89 Mustang GT & 88 or 89 thunderbird super coupe or turbo passed me with the hammer down, they ran 110+. I had to stop & get gas in Meridian & they kept kicking. What an awesome trip!!
My sister had the 4-dr. sedan version of that wagon, a 1986 white 740 GLE that she absolutely loved. I drove that car many times, and always found it extremely comfortable yet a little underpowered. It was reliable as can be and built like a tank! I can still remember the huge black steering wheel and the crank for the manual sunroof! Boxy but good…..now that is a TRUE VOLVO!!!
Your neighbor is white and boxy?
I’d love to have that 740.
I promise to keep it Volvo powered too.
Hmmm…white cars do not look good with body color matched bumpers.
Good things come in white boxes, or at least they do here. Quite a nice set of Volvos there! The 760 is something of a sleeper; the turbos (or at least the later ones) tended to have body colored bumpers and spoked alloys. Very nice condition on that 760 also (nice on both actually but especially on a nearly 30 year old car.)
Wouldn’t mind either one, but the favorite Volvo for me would probably be an 850R wagon.
Switching to FWD was the worst thing Volvo ever did.
Have you ever driven a RWD Volvo in the snow? My friend’s 240 was almost useless in the winter.
The 740 looks like the box the V 70 came in.
These are intelligently designed cars. No reason they needed to fix what wasn’t broken.
They’re boxy, but they’re good. I wish they would have kept a touch of those “boxy” design elements with the S60/S80 and the rest of the newer batch of Volvos. People seem to like and recognize them, even today. Five years ago I bought a ’97 850 GLT with only 68K miles! for only $3k. How much did I sell if for 4 years later with 104K on the clock? That’s right, $3k.