(first posted 1/4/2017) In the not-so-vast, somewhat leisurely changing Scandinavian automobile landscape, with the possible exception of the classic Saab 900, there is no more iconic car than the Volvo 200 Series. With 2,862,573 examples produced over 19 years — an eternity in the automobile industry — the Volvo 200 Series was the car that put Volvo on the radar of many North American buyers, and the car primarily that kept the lights on in Gothenburg for all those years.
Introduced in late-1974, the 200 Series was not an entirely new vehicle, but a heavily re-engineered replacement for the 140 Series that had been produced since 1966. As a matter of fact, the two shared the same basic body shell, owing to the 200’s already classic looks in its early years.
From the cowl-forward was where the 200 visually differed most, with a longer hood and more substantial front end. 260 models (and 240s from 1978-onward) exuded a more classical front end, with what could be described as a Scandinavian interpretation of the Rolls-Royce radiator grille, seen in the image below.
A more prominent front end was not purely an aesthetic change, but one made for enhanced crash worthiness. In addition to front and rear crumple zones, incorporating features such as three-point seat belts, anti-lock brakes, and an energy-absorbing steering column significantly enhanced the safety of the 200, and it was this car that largely made the Volvo name synonymous with the word “safety”.
Around back, things were initially very familiar with the 140, with the 200 sharing the very same rear end. This featured car’s 1979 model year included the first, and most significant rear face lift of the 200’s run, with larger, wraparound taillights and squared-off corners for a more prominent appearance.
Mechanically, the 200 Series was a mix of old and new. The vehicle’s basic architecture was largely carryover from the 140, though wheelbase was 1.8 inches longer, at 104.3 inches. Rear suspension was little-changed from the 140, however front suspension now used a MacPherson strut design, something very advanced for an everyday family sedan of its day. Equally innovative for the 200’s class were standard four-wheel disc brakes and rack-and-pinion steering, with power steering standard on higher trim models.
Engines offered over the 200 Series’ production span were not entirely new either, but rather a mix of the old pushrod B20 inline-4 from the 140, Volvo’s newer “Red Block” family of inline-4s, a Peugeot-Renault-Volvo-developed V6, and Volkswagen-supplied inline-5/inline-6 diesels.
As somewhat typical of Volvos from this era, there was significant variation across the 200 range dependent on trim level and country. These variations included everything from the more predictable engine and equipment availability, to actual front end design, which like the later 700 and 900 Series that followed, gave the impression the Volvo was just slapping on whichever front ends they had lying around.
Early interiors of the 200 were very minimally-changed from the 140. The dashboard was largely retained, with the replacement of the jet-inspired round vents with more conventional square vents the most major transformation. The clock and shift-lever were also new, and the handbrake was relocated from the left side of the driver’s seat to the more standardized location between the two front seats. Head restraints were also changed to an open plastic design, something that would become an iconic trait of the 200. A later-model interior with the redesigned dash is seen in the photo two above.
And yes, despite its age, the 240 was still a very safe vehicle even by 1993 standards. Always having a tank-like body, by this point the 240 boasted a standard driver’s side airbag, rear headrests, and three-point safety belts for all outboard seating positions. In fact, my current boss happened to briefly own one of these some time ago and was rear-ended by a Toyota. The whole front of the Toyota was mangled, but the Volvo sustained no body damage — only a dent in the battering-ram like bumper.
Like so many long-produced vehicles, the 200 Series (more specifically, the longer-produced 240 range) holds a place in the memories of many, many people, whether it be personal ownership, ridership, or a form of indirect experience. Even if you never rode in one, the chances that you’ve seen infinitely many of this car over the years is highly likely, even someone like me who was born just a month before the final 240 rolled off the assembly line.
Now I usually don’t condone such a lengthy production of a car, particularly a family sedan, but the 200’s story is a little different. It’s important to remember that Volvo was neither a GM nor a Ford, each of which were producing millions of vehicles per year and held cash reserves that were probably greater than the GDP of many small countries.
As a small, independent automaker, Volvo simply did not have the resources to roll out all-new vehicles every 2-5 years like most competitors. It should be noted, however, that the 200 was not neglected over its two-decade run. Various mechanical, safety, and creature comfort improvements were made almost annually to the 200, with minor styling tweaks also occurring every few years.
Additionally, unlike so many vehicles that came and went during the 200’s lifespan, the Volvo 200 had a certain character that was hard to replicate, leading to its status as an automobile icon. Much like other “icon cars” including the VW Beetle, MINI Cooper, ’55-’57 Chevy, the original Corvette Stingray, the classic Saab 900 and the SJ Jeep Wagoneer, the Volvo 200 was decidedly a love-it-or-hate-it design. Its various quirks are something one views with either affection or contempt.
A true testament to their sound engineering, exceptional quality, and overall solidity, it’s not uncommon for 200s, particularly later 240s to run for 250,000 miles and above, largely trouble-free in their lifetime. Along with a little love from their owners, this is likely why we still see 200s of all ages still on the road so many years later. Skål!
Featured 1979 244 DL photographed: Rockland, MA – December 2016
Related Reading:
Nice find. One thing about the 240 is that it was so close to the early 70s Experimental Safety Vehicle in the slanted front end. The ESV got a good deal of publicity at the time, and the visual connection with the new face on the 140 series was one of the best ‘safety marketing’ moves of all time.
“Nice find”
There’s one just about every block in my part of town. 🙂
It’s the official CC of Eugene, as old Corollas don’t quite count (too ubiquitous to even notice).
Same with Melbourne. But sharing the love anyway. Sempre Volvista!
Just a shame they didn’t pick up the rest of the design too (I know: cost, etc.). Front end aside, it’s a bit anonymous, but the glass/sheet metal ratio is certainly more seventies than the 240’s deep sides.
I have owned a 945T, and now own a V70 GLT. However, circumstances look like they will keep me from ever getting any 240 or 2-series as a daily driver. Wondering how much I might have to go out of practicality’s way to get one in several years, as people who have them seem to hold onto them for a long time.
Nice to live vicariously thru articles like this one though.
What is your objective? Nostalgia? Your V70 is a much nicer-driving, more-powerful, more fuel-efficient, safer Volvo (I bought three 1998 S70s and one 1999 V70 in the past year, for myself and other friends).
One of my friends owned a 1980 242GT for about 15 years and I worked on it a lot. It was a really nice car in its era, but I wouldn’t go back to driving one today.
I don’t know actually know my objective; just musing aloud.
Maybe to time-travel back 30 years and get a used 240 then? 🙂
Very nicely done. In my formative (immature) teen years I never developed an interest in the 240 (did like to P1800) – I didn’t appreciate its engineering and the styling just reminded me of the many one-off safety concepts that the NHTSA would roll out every year or so in the 60s-80s.
It took me to my 30s to appreciate the car for what it is – and as a certified old guy now, am a true Volvisti and drive a Volvo C30 today,
In my work I have the opportunity to interface with first responder personnel here in Japan – all of them have stories of going to accidents where folks walked away from crashes in Volvos that in their view would have been fatal in a Japanese model.
Here in Australia we have a biscuit favoured by many in the 1960s and 80s and probably still savoured by some.The biscuits were made by an Australian company,Arnotts.That business was bought by a USA corporation.The biscuits are “Iced Vovos” and led to many jokes re iced volvos,in consideration of their northern european heritage.In Aust Volvos were considered as the vehicle of choice for those in a moderate income bracket,usually retired from work and people who played lawn bowls.In other words a conservative clientele.I drove a few times an early 1970s Volvo wagon and I liked the interior,although the seats were nowhere near as comfortable as my Peugeot 404 and the ride,steering and handling were many levels below the 1960 Peugeot 404.To me that period of Volvo is a major fail.
Such is the power of clever marketing, many people still equate Volvo with safety, years after they stopped emphasising it in their advertising.
They were safe and solid, but BBC’s Top Gear had a somewhat unscientific demonstration some years ago, emphasising their limitations. They suggested, with some crash evidence, a newer car, any newer car has a more crashworthy structure than an older Volvo.
I always thought this particular Volvo model reminded us of the best virtues of American cars, with none of the drawbacks. Spacious interiors without the excessive size, conventional engineering and durability, but with better handling and road manners.
my impression of scandinavian design, too. they build things (cars and furniture) that are the right scale and sensibility for americans but with an attention to detail that we seldom achieve here.
safe as milk
I agree, this car was 100% about function & form operating as a single force. Everything about the Volvo was purposeful. Excellent dash board layout, sturdy stance. Simple, yet elegant in it’s own way.
A very conservative design that looks like something royalty would enjoy. These Volvo’s had a certain appeal to them that screamed the owner was well off, but smart with his/her money!
I saw the program you’re talking about, it was actually the show Fifth Gear, and it pitted a modern Renault against the Volvo 240 in a 35mph head-on collision. The problem with the test as it was set up was they removed the engine, which in a normal 240 would’ve absorbed much of the crash impact, which as it was, basically left the front structure an empty box, which obviously won’t stand up to impact quite like a box filled with ~600lbs of metal.
Agreed on the marketing. There was an ad (which I can’t find) for them about safety appealing to young parents.
You could see the feet of a baby walking around several times, and it cuts to the sentence “There are the steps that sell a Volvo “
I’ve owned something like 50 Volvo 240, as evidenced here:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-nora-ii-iii-iv-etc-own-all-the-volvo-240s/
In many ways, I still regard them as the best car ever built. Sure, they had their flaws, but in general they were well designed and built, and with a modicum of care, lasted until they were pure iron oxide.
Brendan,
Thanks so much for this post. This is a fabulous, epic automobile.
As a lifelong Volvo enthusiast and collector, this is remarkable that you found this example, still being driven daily in the salt belt.
PJ
I agree Volvo just has that it factor about it (late 70’s & 80’s models in particular).
I remember as a young teenager wanting to press my head against the “odd/wierd” crinkle headrest. They looked so amazing..the ultra boxy shape reminded me of a mini tank they were built solid.
PJ,
Do you still have the bluish 1991 740? I remember reading the article when you bought it….
The 140 Series did have 3-point seat belts (both front and the two rear outboard) as well as 4-wheel disc brakes. My mother drove a 1973 144 which had those features for ten years until she replaced it with a 1983 DL (lower trim level of the 240 Series) which she drove for another ten years.
The ’73 did not have power steering which didn’t seem to be a problem since Mom was young and fit. The ’83 with its rack and pinion certainly did have power steering. That, along with the MacPherson strut suspension made quite a difference in the way the two cars drove.
For reasons unknown to me, instead of buying the last 240 Series Volvo available in 1993 she bought a Buick Regal. By then she drove only sparingly and may have decided she didn’t “need” a Volvo any longer. The Buick remained (mostly) in her garage until 2007 when it was replaced by the soon to be orphaned Saturn Aura which she still has and seems to be pleased with.
By the way, today is my mother’s 76th birthday. She is healthy, sharp, and active. Happy Birthday, Mom!
I’ve got to reply to my own post since it is exactly six years later and my mother is still going strong. She and my father just took the entire family (their two children, five grandchildren, spouses, and one new great-grandchild) to the coast over the New Year’s weekend. This was the second year in a row and truly the best present we could have received.
Mother loved both Volvos she owned and put many, many miles on them but in her garage now is a 2019 Buick Encore which she drives very little these days.
My only gripe with 80’s Volvo’s, and it’s a small one. Is that the composite headlights on the D-Series were really really. I mean like really really big.
To the point where up front it seemed like it took up too much space from the front fascia. It made it look extra foreign if you will since American cars did not jump on the “Euro” style composite headlamps until around 1987. Even then American headlights were square and small in comparison.
Anyway good write up. True legend all Pre 2000’s Volvo’s were. Today the SUV is nice, but that’s all I can recall as great from the Volvo stable sadly.
Agree on the headlights – the round lights were fine as were the quad rectangles. The single composites were a poor styling job, much like Alero tail lights.
Growing up in a Yale-shadow neighborhood, Volvo, Saab, Alfa, VW and even the occasional Lancia well-graced our area in addition to MB, BMW, and Audi. Volvo and Saab seemed to be the most popular, but still outnumbered by the usual domestic iron usually in wagon form.
I loved our S70 but unfortunately, it needed way too much mechanical love and affection.
I’ve mentioned it before, but when I met my wife in 04, she had a 84 DL she had owned since 94. At the time it had 165,000 miles. She had to have the transmission replaced a few years earlier and they couldn’t find a overdrive one, so hers was only 4 speeds, which meant 3500 rpm at 70. However the engine seemed to thrive on it, never becoming harsh or tempermental and still didn’t burn or leak any oil. It did have some issues with the engine management because at cold start it would idle up and down between idle and 1600 rpm’s for a few minutes but than it was ready to go. And the AC still worked. Fun car, I really enjoyed driving it with the sunroof open and all 4 windows down. However, it had already gone thru an early symptom of a failing wiring harness (which afflicted them for a few years in the 80’s) because to start it you turned the key on then pressed a seperate button on the steering column that a previous mechanic had wired up. Little did I know then that would be it’s downfall. By the time wifey decided to let it go in ’11, it looked like a 747 cockpit with all the toggle switches I had to rig up for the wipers and fuel pump, etc, etc. It also did not like rain. The body never leaked, but when water started spraying under the hood it would often just die or run real weak until it sat for awhile or it stopped raining. We sold it at 189,000 miles for $600 to someone here in town and would sometimes see it around, but it’s been unseen now for a few years. When I get home I’ll post a pic. Even with all the issues, it was for me an interesting ride. I really enjoyed it. And as a side note, which I failed to mention earlier, when the power steering pump failed, the pump and bracket from a 4.1 V6 in a 80 Electra parts car I owned was a direct bolt on. Even the hoses had the same threads. The pulley didn’t exactly line up, but it never threw the belt or squealed. So keep that in mind if you ever need to make that repair.
Here’s her 84 by my 74 Montego. Pic from 09.
I loved mine. It was like being in a club. I’d shop in the Towson/Timonium area, many times I’d come out and my wagon was surrounded by other Volvos. People would come up and tell me stories about how a 240 saved their lives.
But I worked on it a lot. There were wonders about the design and then there were forehead-bonking blunders, like the brake line octopus switch or the self-corroding fusebox or the multiple Bosch relays that needed resoldering to work. I resoldered most of the PCB’s on that car, including the instrument panel. And let’s not forget the HVAC fan motor. Or the brittle interior plastics that tutored me on plastic repair.
There were moments when it shined. A friend asked me to transport a 14″ bandsaw to his new shop. It fit in the back, still on the stand. Someone gave me a clawfoot tub; it slid right in. With Hakkas on the rear and sensible technique I never got stuck and it still handled, being made for high aspect tires.
Tough useful vehicle for someone willing to do their own work and re-engineer a few things as they go. I was known at several junkyards, to the point where they’d leave stuff out for me after closing. Now, the Honda has cut me off from all that, I don’t know any junkyard proprietors. Not sure if that’s a complaint or not.
Don’t forget about having to keep a spare fuel pump relay in the glove box, the “helper” secondary fuel pump in the tank that was supposed to help out the main pump located outside of the tank but wound up dying and causing the main pump to help out? or the rubber drive shaft bearing that degraded and caused the drive shaft to get all wobbly?
The fuse box got all corroded due to it being where the water dripped when you opened the driver’s door when it was raining. I was always told that if there was an electrical issue(for example the radio was not working) find the fuse and roll it in the housing and that would fix the issue.
I concur with the crap interior plastics. I never found a center console that was not cracked in any of the over 100 I found in junk yards during the time I had mine.
Volvo was thinking smart, thinking ahead in the 1960s with the 140 and its boxy, roomy, structurally strong center body. It paid off as they were able to meet new safety standards and update appearance with redesigned front and rear “crush zones” even as styling preferences were changing from low and sleek to be more packaging-efficient. One wonders whether they did so with prescience, not having the resources of a General Motors to do all-new platforms and have to modify them at major expense to cure their ills, only to have the next styling trend catch up,with them. “This has to last us a long time…”
I owned a 1981 244 GL briefly in 1990, having bought it from my neighbors when the lease on my 300E ran out. Obviously it couldn’t touch the W124 300E dynamically, but I rather enjoyed it in its own way. The leather seats were very comfy, actually more so than the ones in my Benz. The tall, narrow body fit me well. Of course it was slow with an automatic, and the handling was a bit stodgy, but it was a very honest car.
I would have kept it, as it was in immaculate condition, but then the lease company offered me a screaming deal to buy the Benz, so I couldn’t resist. The Volvo went to a young woman who rented a little cottage on our property, and she drove it for a very long time.
Paul Niedermeyer
The Benz 300E was the better choice for sure.
I actually saw a black 1988 M-Benz 300E on the road a few days ago. It still has a stunning road presence, even in 2017. The BMW 5-Series of the same era also carries it’s prestige while on the road as well.
Dude that’s apples to oranges. I’ve owned 4 fivers (1 E12 – 528i and 3 E28s all big motor cars), an E30, a tii, one Volvo, 7 VWs and 8 SAABs (I currently have a ’91 900T). You can’t compare what was a $30K Benzo to a $15K Volvo bro, even if you can get them now for approximately the same price.
We had the exact same ’79 Volvo in this feature, because we couldn’t get the same orange we had on the ’74 Volvo that replaced the ’67 144s in the picture. It was one of the very first 140 series in the whole country — my friend’s father owned Jaguar Volvo BMW Cleveland. All in all between my parents and sister and uncle and me, 23 Volvos I believe the count is 🙂
http://christopher-king.blogspot.com/2013/09/kingcast-presents-volvo-for-life.html
Peace.
I hope you don’t mind my freshening your memories a bit…photographically.
No that’s fine thanks I had done that edit to that photo myself without quite as much color — and then promptly posted the wrong one on the website and just in a hurry today so I didn’t do it again!
I also owned 244 DL in 1991 – 1993. I bought it because of percieved safety, but learned on my own skin that it may be very misleading. In january 1993 I ran into the patch of ice that was behind a curve, making a few pirrouetes, smashing sideways into the electric pole (directly into the drivers door). Now that famous side protection bar (i believe pioneered by Volvo) went into play… and Failed.
It turns out that bar was too rigid, and instead of bending to absorb the impact of the pole, it was ripped from the front door frame, and ended in my right leg (luckily my left leg vas below the path of the beam, because it was an automatic and my left leg didn’t have any duties while driving).
So I was blocked in the car, ambulance couldnt help me, had to wait for fire brigade to cut the car and take me out.
I was consciuos the whole time, I remember they also give me one big crowbar so I was helping from the inside. I guess that give me something to do during this half hour. I was obviously in the state of shock, didn’t feel any pain untill later in the hospital. I was also very lucky and got only a very big reap into my muscle but the artery was not damaged, otherwise I could write this from the cloud only.
Anyway, what is the “lessons learned” from this exercise? For me, it is that modern safety features, while certainly nice to have, are effective only in some limited number of accident scenarios, and the most important safety feature is still in my head.
Then too you can always have a freak accident and it sounds like you almost got the worst of all possible Worlds mate, glad you made it through.
I grew up in a 240 turbo wagon. Can’t say I remember it too fondly, except for the 3rd-row way-back seats. My parents say it was garbage, an assessment they also gave to my dad’s 760 GLE diesel.
After those Volvos, they spent the next 30 years in Japanese cars.
Too bad, because in many ways this is a “just right” design. If it had a modern engine and some extra safety gadgets, it would still make a lot of people happy. Or maybe not… Volvo moved to CUVs and survived. Saab didn’t evolve with the market, and it died.
Well you see by my comment above I’m familiar with both Swedes… I cannot say why SAAB was not more popular in the states, but when I was a kid in the early 70’s we cracked on them pretty hard even though my father’s close friend had a yard full of them and I loved them. By the late 70’s though I knew about the EMS and the rest is history.
You do know that the 900 was very costly to produce though right?
I just love my C900s….. I would love another tii more though, but not necessarily another 535is…. very hard to find a good one these days and they are kind of a gas guzzler.
I like the 900 coupe from that generation shown above. They were graceful looking and attractive. The sedan always seemed to look awkward looking to me. It was like that haphazardly grafted a couple of extra doors onto the coupe and sent it on its way.
I agree sort of… they were a bit odd looking. What was NOT odd-looking…. was the Convertible. Oh god…. another puppy followed me home!
Convertible #3, a ’93 N/A 900S. I may swap in my turbo shit from the white car. Can’t drive the white car anymore our dog was mauled and killed while in “care” of a kennel and there are just too many memories in that white car. I don’t even want to go get it from the dealer to drive it back home from where I dropped it off Monday.
There’s an immaculate unlicensed 240DL in my neighbourhood, that’s been kept under a temporary shelter for several years but regularly washed.
A good overview of a car I’m pretty familiar with, though never owned. One quibble, and a few comments:
– I wouldn’t have described McPherson struts as unusual by the time the 240 was launched. They were very common on European cars at least, Fords, of course, plus BMW.
– As alluded to by others, there were a few areas where quality was terrible. Electrics were probably typical of that era, as everyone seemed to have trouble moving from springs and needles and wires, to circuit boards and more relays. But the plastic? I borrowed my mom’s ’86 240 for a few weeks in 1989 and at least two pieces of interior trim shattered when I looked at them. I stopped by a local Volvo used parts place and they just laughed when I asked if they had any of those parts, used but undamaged. I guess they all broke. Even when the car was still in production. The plastic on my Ford Ranger was Mercedes-like by contrast. And then there was the exterior trim that started getting added in the ’80’s. Plastic hub caps, body side molding, those weird stamped aluminum bits at the top of the C pillars and the filler between the bumpers and the sheet metal. Lots of parts, poorly made and even more poorly attached. But truly a classic car, and more appealing in its rugged simplicity nowadays.
I agree with dman’s point about McPherson struts, since Ford’s entire UK range was suspended on these, at the front, from the late 1950’s.
Also, in that context, they weren’t necessarily seen as being an advance in design, in terms of ride or handling. More, as being the cheapest way which Ford could devise, to connect the front wheels to the car.
On Anglias, Cortinas and Escorts, as the ball joints wore, devastating steering shake could result. And with the vertical suspension loads being fed into the top of the light-gauge inner wing (fender), middle-aged cars typically needed aftermarket reinforcement plates to be welded into that area ….. or risk the bonnet (hood) being popped open, by an escaping McPherson strut.
In later models those issues were overcome, but for sporting purposes there continues to be a thriving market in strut braces, to tighten up the handling. So, this might still be considered a design which optimises production costs, more than suspension performance ?
I have always wondered about the differences between the 140 series and the 240, and thanks to your exhaustive detail and comprehensive writing, I now know. This has to be one of the best CC pieces of all time just for the wealth of detail.
In a lot of ways, this was a truly revolutionary car, although the RWD platform was dated towards the end. It could have really been amazing with FWD. But the safety features gradually became incorporated into most mass market cars, and concepts like space efficiency, durability, and ergonomic seating became widely adopted.
Consider, in 1974/1975, what was available to the average car buyer. This would have compared, price wise, to a fairly expensive Colonnade, Cordoba, or Torino. However, this had comfortable seating for 5, unlike the American products which had you sitting on the floor, adjustable backrests, more interior room, especially as compared with the Ford products without all the weight and wasted overhangs and wasted space, infinitely better fuel economy, much better build quality, and much better durability. Japanese cars were still for the most part tinny, tiny curiosities and hideous to boot. This was solid, spacious, and well designed.
I still see a lot of 240s and they must have been built right because nearly every one of them looks showroom new. The 740s have almost disappeared and the ones that are left are pretty Mad Maxed out. There are a few 940s around which have held up better than the 740s but not as well as the 240s.
I remember the 240 as being fairly expensive, and features which had been revolutionary in 1975ish were much more commonplace by the end of its run. Cars were safer, better built, more efficient, and the Volvo’s stark and cheap plastic interior wasn’t very attractive in its price range. The FWD 850 and S60 that succeeded it did NOT have the cheap, simple, trouble free reputation this car had earned and developed reputations for frequent and expensive problems.
I was reading on TTAC this evening that Volvo sold 70 odd thousand cars last year in the U.S. I would wager that they could have doubled that if they had continued to make the 240.
In 1974/75 in the US you had a lot of cars that was better than the 240 to choose from. Let’s face it, the 240 was slow, noisy, kind of harsh riding, not much equiped and not the best looker. But it was reliable (so was the majority of the american made cars still in 75), it was space efficient and the seats has always been good at Volvo (as in many of the american cars of this era). The Volvo was safe, but not safer than the average american car of the day.
So what did you get in the Torino that you didn’t get in the Volvo? A bigger engine, maybe more interior space, more equipment like AC/climate control, cruise control, power everything, adjustable steering wheel and the list goes on. You get a very quiet interior and a very nice ride for every day use.
What did you get in the Volvo? Space efficiency, better fuel economy, and maybe better seats (in the front).
Durability/reliability: The Volvo was good, but you can’t find a more durable car than the BOF american fullsize car with V8, automatic and a solid rear end. Ask all the taxi drivers in the US. If the Volvo was better, they would have choosen the Volvo instead of a gas hogging and to big Chevrolet/Ford/Plymouth fullsize sedan in the 70s.
I think you have some valid points but the Volvo did not really have that big bench back seat that the American big cars did, and when you stack 3 in the back the wheel wells turn you in a bit if you’re of any size.
And Volvos cost more than most of the cars you are comparing them to. Other than eating front brakes they were more reliable and certainly more nimble and fun to drive if not faster than most American cars man, at least in our experience which is why we drove them. Don’t ask a taxi driver ask my family LOL.
The 200 series did so many things: it was the only car Volvo made when they introduced the oxygen sensor/three-way catalyst, which ended up being the one true way to control gas engine emissions. They had turbos, sporty coupes, and for a few years the broughamy “GLE” version. All with unbeatable seats. And used by and for everyone from tradesmen using the wagons as vans to wealthy country clubbers.
I’ve preferred the 700/900 series, as a further refinement of much the same principles. The 200 series wasn’t supposed to last until 1992. I wasn’t buying new cars in the late 80s-early 90s, but the 240s really didn’t offer a competitive driving experience or fuel economy by then. But if you wanted a car with a tight turning circle, you didn’t like front wheel drive, and you wanted a 5-series or Audi 1/200 size car for cheaper than a 3-series or 80, this is what you could have.
In fact, the 700 series was supposed to replace the 200 series sometime in the 80s, and (I believe) we were supposed to get a smaller sporty coupe in 1987 or so. But Volvo decided the 480 wasn’t ready to take on Honda Preludes in the USA, so the 240s soldiered on.
Exchange rates and the fact that it was a compact hatchback. The 480 would have been much to expensive in the US for what it was. Those are the main reasons that the 480 wasn’t sold in the US.
Volvo’s downsize-project already started in the mid-seventies when they took over the DAF car factory in the Netherlands, till then Volvo had no small or compact cars. The 66 (formerly known as the DAF 66), the 340 (which was developed by DAF) and the 480 were basically Dutch Volvos. Design, development and production. The 480 was also Volvo’s first FWD car.
And it hasn’t aged well, at least not the front end. Considering the hatchback styling, it probably wouldn’t have sold well.
There was also the 440/460 which the US didn’t get. I wonder how they would have been received, considering the decent sales mustered by the Infiniti G20 and Acura Integra. The 440/460 were nothing exciting though…
The 480 has a cult-status here now, certainly the turbos. And it was an “out-of-the-box” Volvo at its introduction in the mid-eighties. The 440/460 was a typical rep-car. Nothing exciting, just a decent sedan. Like the first gen S40 (and V40 wagon), although there was an S40 T4 too.
Here you go, an S40 T4 with a 200 hp 1.9 liter turbo engine.
Count me in as one heck of a 480 fan. If I ever pick a project car up, it’s one of the biggest candidates.
The first gen S40 is also a very nice car, and the V40 is a timeless wagon design and my eyes can’t believe it’s a 21 y/o design every time I see one.
I had two 1980 DL models, a 2-door sedan and a wagon. The 2-door was the same shade of blue shown in the car show photo, but looked very much like the featured 1979 model. However, the 2-door retained the single round headlights and horizontal grille of the 1975 models, not switching to the quad rectangular units with the upright grille until 1981. The ’80 was the last year for the bright side window frames and the first for the “aerodynamic” black mirrors attached to the base of the A-pillars.
The 2-door became the longest I have owned a car, and the one with the highest mileage — 21 years starting as a young used car in 1982 and ending up with about 245,000 miles (estimated because of the infamous cracked gear in the VDO odometer) in 2003. Obviously it was durable, but not as reliable as today’s Hondas and Toyotas. Mine was the base model with no power steering and 4-speed manual (no overdrive). It had no a/c, but after the first sweltering summer without it, off to the dealer it went for the a/c unit.
The wagon (chocolate brown, with a manual, but not a diesel!) was in my possession only briefly, as a bridge between a ’77 Impala I no longer needed and a new ’90 Sable, which not so ironically was sold off a full 3 years before the decade-older Volvo.
Great piece, Brendan! Very comprehensive!
I can appreciate these Volvos as they are solidly built and have character. But personally, I much prefer the 700-series Volvos. If I was going to buy an old Volvo, it would be one of those, or one of the objects of my affection as a child: a late-model Volvo 960 with those pillowy soft leather seats.
I had a 1990 240DL wagon for a few years. It was a very good car. Volvo 240s have their fair share of issues but none that ever strands a person.
I did have to laugh about that posted ad which said “Invest in durable goods” They must not have been talking about the interior as the plastics(especially the center console) would crack just by looking at it.
it is rare to see a pre 1986 240 out ant about, Volvo used a biodegradable engine wire harness during those years which broke down causing all sorts of issues and a lot of folks did not want to invest in a rewire of the engine bay.
The only thing I hated with the car was the locking of the door. With the 240 to lock the drivers door I had to close the door and put the key in the door and lock it. The design would not let you push the lock button down so as to keep you from locking your keys in the car.
But all in all it was not a bad car
Volvo 240 was the best selling car in Norway for a lot of years (late 70s-early 80s). My dad drove one for some years. A blue sedan 240 GL, 1986 (?) model. Not very much options, but it had power steering. The engine was slow and noisy, and I remember my dad said it used quite a lot of gas. But it was reliable and safe. Our next car was a Peugeot 505 GTi, I remember dad talked about it as a much more modern car, quicker, quieter, rode better and was actually very reliable too. Much better equipped also.
Today, the Volvo 240 has some cult status over here, but we in Norway got the 240 quite a bit more stripped than in the US I think. Power steering was not too common, and things like AC og power windows of a Norwegian sold 240 I may not ever have seen. The 740 and 940 is better cars I think, in terms of ride, quietness and driveability. The Carbed 240s had som quirks and the ignition system was not the best in the early 80s. All 240s in the US got the fuel injected engine (because of the emissions) I think?
Volvo’s reputation for safety began long before this car. In 1959, Volvo was the first automaker to offer three point lap and shoulder belts, making them standard equipment, in fact.
This made a huge impression on me in ’64, when, at the age of 11, I belted myself in to my elder cousin’s Volvo for the first time. Here was a carmaker who actually cared about protecting little ol’ me! I had already hit a windshield with my head, flying out of the front seat of my mother’s Ford when she rear-ended another car at slow speed. Maybe that Volvo started my lifelong obsession with European cars.
One of my dream cars! As long as it has a manual transmission.
I tried to find one of these last time I looked for a car, but the 200 series Volvos available at the time in my price range were near the end of their (lengthy) lifetimes.
There aren’t too many of these 200 series Volvos left in my part of the world (central VA), but the post-1985 models (with the “TV screen” headlights) still make an occasional appearance. Here is a photo of a true believer’s group of 3 Volvos in a setting that bears a passing resemblance to Eugene.
You are right about the scarcity of old Volvos here in Central VA. I was recently reminded of my favorite “lost” car: a 1972 142S. Only owned it a few months back in 1980 before a collision resulted in the car looking like the crash test Volvo pictured above. Not even a crack in the windshield. I was looking through Bring a Trailer and seeing Volvos of that same vintage, I thought “when was the last time I had seen one in the wild?” In the past two weeks I have seen two of this 240 vintage, the first was a beautiful, mint-condition sedan in claret that drove past me before I could think to take a picture, and the second was less pristine but still in good condition. But I swear that they are the only ones that I have seen in a long time.
Which is odd because in Maryland(aka the rock salt capital of the country and one state above yours) they are still plentiful. I guess VA’s yearly inspection has culled the herd?
I’ll bet you are right! They used to be quite plentiful here into the ’90’s.
Maybe you don’t see them elsewhere in central VA because they all ended up in Richmond. Hordes of the things running around here, though I agree that the vast majority are post ’86. Take a walk around the Fan or the Museum District, and I guarantee you’ll see several 240’s (and a bunch of W123 diesels for good measure).
The blue wagon looks a lot like the 93 that I bought in 2003 and drove for a few years, until I couldn’t keep the oil in the engine. Turns out that the shop that I had doing maintenance (not Volvo specialists) kept neglecting to change some filter and so it blew a seal. (that’s the explanation that I got from a Volvo place, anyway).
Also, both hatch hinges broke and I drove it with the hatch roped and taped to the back of the car until the replacement hinges that I ordered came in. Unfortunately I can’t find the picture.
All that wagon glass was heavy and it was a slug accelerating, but it was reasonably sprightly when up to speed and sure could haul a lot of stuff (like my double bass, for example).
My current daily driver – an 87 244 affectionately known as “The Beige Bomber”. 130K miles, one elderly owner. Should last a good while, but I have already repaired several de-insulating wires… That problem was finally solved for 88. For now it’s a fine vehicle – and the 26MPG was better than expected with a non-locking converter. Call me the heretic, but I honestly preferred my 91 940SE Turbo to the 240 – it was quieter, smoother and more comfortable.
Nick B, super nice ride. I actually like the bullshit trim items on the later models.
I remember when the Volvo 240 series was on the road. Although no-one in my family owned Volvos, I’ve always liked them.
I do like the quad-round lamps of the featured car. In my opinion the best-looking of the many front end treatments over the 200-series’ long life. Great original color too!
We owned 4 240s, between ’81 and ’86. The problem areas are well covered above. What we loved were the comfortable seats, the feeling of solidity, and the airy interior with great visibilty and easy in-and-out access with the high squared-off roofline. The ’83 saved our daughter’s life when she was T-boned in the driver’s door at high-ish speed in Baltimore. We had also owned a 122 and 144; their interiors, though simple, were nicer and had more durable and attractive materials imo. The 144 remains my favorite.
Another thing that comes to mind about the transition from 100-series to 200-series, and regarding the change from a-arms to McPherson struts.
The B30 inline 6 in the 164 was a bit of a dead end, and vee engines didn’t really fit too well with the double a-arm front end. Initially the idea was to fit a V-8 into the 240, but then the fuel crisis happened, and that V-8 turned into the PRV V-6, but either way the strut front end made it much easier to drop a vee engine in the car.
Not much to add here beyond what’s been said in the article and the comments, other than to note that in 2017 when this article was written, it was probably hard enough to find 3 240s in the wild on Massachusetts roads; at least in the timeframe that the author was probably willing to put into finding them curbside.
That would be even more difficult today in 2023.
Sad to say, but these venerable bricks that used to be everywhere – particularly in New England – are pretty much all gone. Back to the ground, shipped overseas in containers to be pampered in the motherland, or rusting silently next to teetering sheds and garages out in the country. I see one late-80s 245 every so often…and then there’s my mid-70s 245. Otherwise, nada. I hear it’s different on the other side of the country, but they’re gone around here.
Of course, so are VW beetles.
I’m sorry but by the time Volvo stumbled on Mac Phearson struts they were commonplace Ford began using them in their UK Consul, Zephyr in 1950, Volvo hyped up the safety image on what is actually a very ordinary car.
We bought a new 245DL in 1985, when child #2 was on the way… it was obvious our ’82 Accord sedan wasn’t going to handle two kids, a golden retriever, and luggage any longer. A neighbor was a Volvo dealer and cut us a reasonable deal.
The car did well by us, though an occasional expensive repair popped up, such as a new steering rack. Endearing (?) traits included the acceleration boost (albeit feeble) obtained by hitting the overdrive button on the shifter knob and the way one had to gently but firmly shut the rear doors to flex three car seats a bit in the narrow body (we didn’t stop at #2). The roof rack was always in use on trips.
The car was replaced in front-line duty by a 1989 Taurus wagon, with more space for kids and dog. It was also our first car with some decadent features… power windows, seats, locks and an automatic. The car seats didn’t need to be flexed, and the front bench could accommodate one as well (we didn’t stop at #3, either).
The 245 soldiered on as my daily, replacing a 1975 Opel 1900 wagon. We kept it until I got my first company car in 1985 (a Taurus SHO, quite a different cup of tea!). When we listed it for sale I priced it a bit above what I thought was reasonable. In the first hours it was in the paper three people were on their way to see it. The first offered several hundred above our asking price if we would hold it until he got back with cash. Had not had that experience before, or since!
I loved the stolid, workmanlike service of the car. The squared-off body was exactly what a utilitarian wagon should have… perhaps that’s why one of our current cars is a 4Runner? Thanks for this article, it brought back great memories of a good car and our then-young family.