BUYING GUIDE
The 240 is the archetypal hauler but what made it such a mainstay and what should you look out for if you fancy owning one? Read on to find out…
The Volvo 240 earned its stripes and then some, despite being usurped by the 740. It even outlasted its newer stablemate, such was the love for the car amongst customers.
The 240’s toughness and longevity endeared it to buyers and still does with classic enthusiasts.
It is the model that solidified Volvo as a staple of British motoring and cemented in maker’s spot in the ever-stable sector of middle-class motoring – where brand loyalty and reliability are foremost in buyers’ minds.
The 240’s ‘indestructible’ nature was hammered home by its successes as a racing car; its reliability and surprising turn of speed saw it rack up wins in Europe and Australia.
To this day, Robbie Francevic remains the first and only winner of the Australian Touring Car Championship to have done so while driving a Volvo.
Three bodystyles were offered from new; the saloon in two- and door-door guise and the five-door estate, plus the 262C coupé, which was rare then and is the appreciating choice now.
Engine choices spanned inline fours or V6s with a solid rule of thumb being that 240s had the inline four while 260s had the six-cylinder option.
That said the V6 was the powerplant given to later GLT- and GTE-specced 240s.
Diesel engines were also an option, again in both four- and six-cylinder guise.
As with the ‘Amazon’, the trim levels and badging of Volvos from this era is a bit of a minefield so potential buyers are urged to check with clubs and specialists to see exactly what engine and trim level they think they are buying.
While the 200 series’ reputation easily precedes it, there are some areas where some buying nous pays dividends to ensure that you’ve got a strong example of the breed.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Lower-spec cars had cloth upholstery with leather featuring on more luxurious variants.
The buttons on the earlier hide seats can work loose and disappear.
The multitude of cloths can make like-for-like replacement tricky.
WHY I LOVE MY VOLVO
‘I have two GLTs and a Torslanda. My father was an antiques dealer through the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s and today owns a couple of high-end furniture stores, so Volvo 240 ownership was always i
