Sorry for the crummy pictures but I only had my crummy phone. As you might know, a 1968 142S was my first car, which makes it particularly endearing to me. So when I saw this one downtown I had to snap a few photos. It appeared to be in all original condition and a daily driver. But just as I was gettign read to shoot, the owner came along.
He was an older man who matched the car well. He told me that he had just had the engine rebuilt on the car, owned it since 1980. He was planning to put a five speed transmission from an XR4ti in it, apparently there is a kit for that. We talked for a good while, the man knew a lot more about old Volvos than I. But we both agreed that when the last of the 200 series was built, Volvo stopped making real Volvos (I know our editor Tom Klokau will take up arms on this point). That’s not to say I would not own a newer Volvo, but it’s no “Brick” like these old beauties. Simple, rugged, dependable, roomy, and safe.
I would love to own an example of this, one of the world’s greatest cars ever built bar none. 🙂
My very first car after graduating from university was a 1969 Volvo 142 GT, White with a red interior. I bought it used from Omega Motors, Montreal for $2200. What a great car that was!. It had a tach on the dash, electornic overdrive and great foglights built into the grill. My wife and I enjoyed taking trips with it throughout the Maritime provinces and New England states. She wanted to go back to McGill to get her teaching degree. All I had to sell to pay for her tuition was our Volvo. So off it went. I still think about this car today and wondered what happened to it. I’ve owned several 240’s, 740’s and a 1966 544. The best had to be the ’69 GT.
Always liked these, at least until I drove the one my younger brother got as his first (running) car. It had an automatic, and that plus maybe a certain lack of compression made it by far the slowest vehicle Ive ever driven that wasn’t a golf cart.
Bro’s was black with a dark red interior, so it at least looked a bit snazzy, even if it ran like a duck pulling a wagon.
two things…
1)”That’s not to say I would not own a newer Volvo,”
i thought you just bought a 245?
2) “but it’s no “Brick” like these old beauties.”
why because the 200 series is so much more rounded or because they are too complicated and don’t last long?
My 245 is older, they were pretty much the same from introduction untill end in 1993.
Second question; the latter.
love the grill on these. why don’t modern car-makers use aluminum instead of the cheesy chrome plastic that’s on everything now?
And it has front door vent windows! Where I differ from Zackman, is in my assertion that it was actually the deletion of front door ventpanes (and heater control valves) that marks just exactly when cars went into the toilet. I barely spend any time in the back seat of a car, so I do not really share Zackman’s ire on the fixed rear window point. But I am driving every day. Let a guy shut the damned hot water off from the ventilation system and open the vent windows, and the world is a much better place. 🙂
And one more vote for the stamped aluminum grilles. I guess you can pick your poison. Those would get bent easily, while the plastic ones get broken. As much as I love the old potmetal diecastings, at least the aluminum and plastic do not require monthly waxings to keep the pits away.
Amen!
Mandated heater/demisters made vent panes unneccessary but I like em my Hillman has them great on a hot day.
What a charming little car!
Even though I am a recovering Broughamaholic (remember, you never recover), I find the practicality and simplicity of cars like these mighty appealing.
Edit: I just noticed in the top picture that my Escape’s twin is in the background. These things are everywhere these days!
In a strange coincidence, a 1968 142S has just popped up for sale on trademe – http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=481170450 At NZ$1850 buy-now, it seems reasonable – until you read that the vendor has owned it since he bought it new in California, brought it to NZ with him in 1972, and has used it as his daily driver for 44 years now! That history makes the buy-now price an absolute bargain – it does need body and trim tidying, but is fully roadworthy and still in use. Michael, Tom a bit of temptation for you both?