2012 Gray! on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 1987 Volvo 760 GLE Sedan

When Volvo finally created a replacement for the iconic 200 Series (which first appeared here as 1975 models but were virtually identical to their 140 predecessors from the A pillar back), that car was the 700 Series. As it turned out, the 240 was so beloved that it ended up outlasting its supposed successor in the showrooms, but the 740, 760 and 780 earned respectable sales worldwide. The first of the 700s to arrive in the United States were 760 sedans and wagons, with sales beginning in the 1983 model year and the cheaper 740 showing up for 1984. We saw a 760 Turbo sedan in a Colorado car graveyard last year, and now here's a naturally-aspirated 760 sedan in a Northern California yard. The middle digit in Volvo model names represented the number of engine cylinders in earlier years, so you knew a 164 would have a straight-six under its hood, while a 264 boasted a V6. That rule got bent with the 700, so the 740 Turbo had a four-cylinder (presumably, turbocharging made up for the missing two pistons).  In this case, though, there really are six cylinders present. This is a 2.8-liter version of the PRV V6 engine, which was developed jointly by Peugeot, Renault and Volvo and used to power an incredible variety of European vehicles plus a handful from Detroit. PRVs went into the DeLorean DMC-12, the Volvo 262C Bertone Coupe, the Alpine A310, the Citroen XM and the Eagle Premier/Dodge Monaco. Because the PRV design began as a V8 (that, sadly, never went into production), it has a V8-style 90° cylinder-bank angle. This one was rated at 145 horsepower and 173 pound-feet. There was a version of the 760 available with a straight-six engine as well: the 760 Turbodiesel, which used a Volkswagen-sourced 2.4-liter oil-burner making 106 horsepower and 140 pound-feet. 1986 was the last model year for that car in the United States. There was no manual transmission available in the 760 by 1987, so this car has the four-speed automatic. The MSRP for this car was $28,290, or about $78,304 in 2023 dollars. You got a sunroof at no extra cost. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Perfect for off-roading! This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Who needs rebates? This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The wagon version held eight very large dogs.

Volvo PV444 turns 70

Volvo has made all manner of vehicles over the course of its long history, including coupes, convertibles, hatchbacks, sedans, wagons and SUVs. But the vehicle that started it all was the PV444.
Or rather, we should say, the PV444 is what re-started it all. Because while it wasn't Volvo's first model, it was the first one it produced after the war. Monday, September 1, will mark 70 years since the PV444 first debuted at the Royal Tennis Hall in Stockholm pictured above, where the company received 148,437 visitors.
That presentation there took place shortly before the end of World War II when the vehicle wasn't even finished yet. A team of 40 engineers and designers were still fine-tuning the final version, but were eager to show the public what it would start building after the last bullet was fired and peace would return to Europe.

Volvo to convert all SUVs and sedans into EVs, develop electric luxury van

Volvo Cars is gearing up for an electric blitz to convert all its mainstay models — three SUVs and two sedans — into electric vehicles and to introduce a luxury electric van aimed at boosting sales in Asia, two people with knowledge of the plans said. The Swedish carmaker, 82%-owned by ChinaÂ’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, is expected to launch at least six new battery electric vehicles through 2026, the two people told Reuters. Volvo has announced an objective to make its entire lineup fully electric by 2030. The companyÂ’s Australia unit has said it plans to sell only EVs in that market by 2026. The previously unreported product plans amount to the largest revamp of VolvoÂ’s model line-up since Geely acquired the brand from Ford in 2010. Under Geely, Volvo initially started to share technologies such as car platforms with Geely. The makeover for Volvo, a Swedish brand that built a reputation for safety and utilitarian design, follows from a greater focus on customer trends in Asia and a push to win sales there, the people said. The two people with knowledge of VolvoÂ’s planning asked not to be named because details have not been announced by the company. Geely declined to comment. Among the new battery electric cars being planned for the next four years is a Volvo-branded MPV or van that would be based on a vehicle GeelyÂ’s Zeekr brand sells in China. Called the Zeekr 009, the hulking, battery-electric van pictured above, which starts at about 500,000 yuan ($74,179), offers three rows of seating. The vehicle competes against the likes of the Toyota Alphard, a business or family van, with airplane business class-like seats for passengers that has proven popular in Asian markets such as China and Japan as a limousine alternative. Volvo has moved development work on sedans and the coming people-mover model to its Shanghai research and development hub, they said. That center, which has tripled its design staff to about 60 people, has recently moved to a new and larger building in Shanghai, one of the sources said. The first of VolvoÂ’s new planned electric models, the EX90 sport-utility crossover, was unveiled late last year. It is expected to hit showrooms in early 2024. Other battery electric cars in the pipeline include electric versions of VolvoÂ’s mainline products – the XC90, XC60 and XC40 crossover vehicles and the S60 and S90 sedans, the sources said.