I’ve done two Volvo posts for CC, one of which had to be prefaced with a health warning. So, Volvo fans, please be warned; this may not be what you expect.
I will not tell the story of the Volvo 240 again – you know it already. But there was never a commercial version, other than the expected long wheelbase station wagon and limousine versions. That means this conversion is likely unique – a pick up based on a saloon, using the standard rear window with a third high level brake light, the frame of the third side windows over a clumsy, flat piece of glass behind the doors and a pretty professional finish to the rear wings and rear panel. Other conversions I’ve seen have been based on the estate car.
This conversion, using the 2.3 litre petrol engine and automatic gearbox, and was done around 14 years ago. The front part of the interior is unchanged, and the rear seats obviously gone, replaced by a carpeted shelf.
The saloon boot lid profile has been retained, along with the standard rear lights and bumpers. There is no apparent tailgate, and a tight fitting cover the load bay, which is attractively lined in wood.
So, to line up with a Town Car stretch limo with a hot tub, is this perhaps a sort of Swedish sauna?
That’s a neat trick, taking a two door Volvo 240 sedan and make a utility truck with it. 🙂
Based on the gaps in the side trim, both belt line and lower door I’d say this one started life as a 4dr.
Definitely. It’s an ’86 registered car and Volvo stopped selling the 242 in the UK in ’84.
Don’t think they just stopped sales in the UK, but 242 production ended in 1984.
Maybe it was a Volvo flower car, to match a Volvo factory hearse. Flower cars, with sedan front ends and a pickup bed rear with no tailgate, were common in the funeral trade in the U.S., but I do not know whether they were used in other countries.
I had an Outtake of a Volvo hearse last Halloween:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/cc-outtake-halloween-hearse-swedish-style/
I don’t think they intended it to be a flower car, but it definitely comes off looking like one… waaaaaayyyyy too weird.
Well… As a devout fan of the 240, I feel like I should be able to manage a positive response to this photo…
“At least it has the Scorpius rims.”
That’s all I’ve got 😛
Dang; saw a nice Volvo double cab ute made out of a wagon the other day, but couldn’t nab it. I think the wagon is a better basis for one of these, with its longer rear end.
Wagon also has the opening ready made for a tailgate. But this is a good conversion.
I had that idea some while back…Volvos come out of the woodwork up here in PDX, so Im surprised I haven’t seen one. Just too bad these didn’t have awd as an option, thatd make a hell of a fun SUT. FWIW….I love the Subaru Baja’s in turbo/manual trans form!
I wonder if the people who do these sorts of customizations, prepare thumbnail sketches in advance? Or bounce the idea off people around them, who demonstrate good design sense? Unfortunately, it ends up an oddity, more than anything. The quarter window, long wheelbase and length, keeps it ungainly looking. The standard length front doors, combined with the huge distance to the rear wheels, just looks weird. A Saturn-style mini rear door would help offset this some. But I wouldn’t have attempted this.
The ideal starting point would be a 2-door sedan that was hit in the back and a wagon hit in front: the longer doors and longer tail with tailgate compatible spacing.
There are more stories to be had out of the 240 series. How about talking about the rare 243?
Volvo 240’s and pickup trucks both appeal to me. But this does not. I agree a conversion based off a wagon and a 2 door would look better and be more useful. The wood liner is good looking.
I’ve seen something similar here in oz, although it was years ago. IIRC the rear window didn’t come from a sedan and was more vertical. Aus golfer Stuart Appleby famously converted his E39 M5 into a ute.
No tailgate makes this a nonstarter with me. Looks like good workmanship so that’s really too bad.
Reminds me of the business coupes of the 1930s.
I’m surprised it wasn’t made given the popularity of the Ranchero and El Camino.
That’s because no american salesmen wanted to say “Volchero”.
All it needs is a Swedish flag on the door and to be driven by Bö and Lukas Hertig…
It does make you wish Volvo had built a small pickup based on the 240 – seems like a natural fit product-wise. What does Ingvar think?
Agree 100% as per my reply to Paul N
The smallest factory Volvo truck from that era was this FL4. Still a bit too big to use it as a commuter.
AS the owner of this vehicle, thanks to all of your for your various comments.
The conversion was undertaken in 1999 by a gentleman in North Wales in the UK.
He wanted to use it to take feed to his sheep in the remote parts of his farm. As someone has noted, the area behind the front seats has a storage space which is carpeted on top. His sheep dog used that area to travel in.
It was subsequently sold to an antiques dealer in a more rural setting, put still in North Wales.
When I saw it advertised for sale in 2012, it had been unused for some time (as I found out when driving it home) as there was a fault with the automatic gearbox, which turned out to be a faulty solenoid. It also had a very “doggy” smell inside!!!
It only had 78k (miles) on the odometer, which turned out to be genuine.
It gets used regularly and gets several admiring looks and comments where ever it goes.
I also have another 2 Volvo pick ups, one a 240 Estate and the other a 740 Estate.
I am always looking for the more usual Volvos the 1970s and 80s and amongst the collection is a White 740 hearse, a “one off” 760 black hearse, a 760 Estate Lowrider with hydraulic suspension.