As weatherworn as Keith Richards and more block-like than a brick, the Volvo 240 is 10 times the car any Lamborghini or Ferrari could ever be. Stick with this one; it’s a contender for the best car in the world - even though its existence may have slipped your mind.
Forgotten Hero: The Volvo 240
Experts talking about future classics often explore the wild avenues of Pagani or the melting pot that is the Porsche range. Some even go for hot hatches. We’ve decided to talk about a Volvo. Don’t abandon us yet though, there is method in the madness.
Produced in the same numbers as children, the Volvo 240 may be a tad difficult for most of us to appreciate as a viable ‘classic’, yet, with three million produced over 19 years and a following to rival most pre-pubescent boy bands who won’t hear a word said against them, the boxy Swede ticks more boxes more than any supercar.
The 240 also mops the floor with supercars in other aspects. Alright, so it might not be as glorious to look at as, say, a Porsche 911, but what it lacks in the bravado department it more than makes up for with an estate load bay the size of a small house and the capability of Starship Enterprise mileages under any circumstances. It’s also a sturdy old bus with safety aspects well ahead of its time. If you were to have a crash against a BMW equivalent, the Swede might need some scratches polishing out while the German would probably require major surgery. Could a Ferrari GTO do all that? We think not.
Although basically an updated 140, the front end was completely overhauled to accommodate new suspension and provide a new face, almost like a Scandinavian Doctor Who regeneration - same reliable underpinnings, but with new characteristics and new styling. The 240’s durability, reliability and popularity saw it built for nearly two decades; the last models appearing from Volvo’s Malaysian plant in late 1993 - No, we didn’t know there was a Malaysian Volvo factory, either. Few supercars last that long and certainly wouldn’t be as dependable in everyday life.
As square as John Wayne’s jaw and capable of surviving a Scandinavian winter (or nuclear winter to the likes of you and me), the 240 also racked up impressive feats within motorsport, winning the Super, European and Australian Touring Car Championships. They’re now pretty popular on the banger racer circuit, thanks to their inherent tank-like strength. Would a Lamborghini Jalpa survive a racing pile-up and then take you home afterwards? We think not.
Handle like a supercar it doesn’t, however. In fact it’s a bit of a dinosaur to drive – the steering is heavy and the body roll is enough to induce motion sickness. In the dictionary, a Volvo 240 estate attempting to traverse a roundabout defines the word ‘Wallow’. Wild fishtailing is a common problem for the overloaded rear-wheel drive 240 under careless driving. Fortunately, there’s plenty of safety to protect you if the worst does come to the worst. Having an in-town crash with a 240 is no issue although, sadly, some drivers adapt their driving style to reflect this – using various objects to bounce off and the local brach of WH Smith to draw to a halt.
So, how is it doing so far? Well, it’s built like an armoured personnel carrier, is safer than a reinforced concrete bunker and can boast an impressive racing history. It can also carry more than any sports car, is more reliable than a super car and tougher than any hypercar. All for the same price today as a laptop. You can pick one up for as little as £350 and get years of heavy work out of it with very little maintenance.
Alright, it’s about as stylish as a snowplough and handles like a drunk hippo, but there can be no qualms about it; the Volvo 240 series is a timeless classic that is at home now on busy modern roads as it was upon launch in 1974. Easy to insure, spacious enough to carry large sections of your house (whether in estate or saloon form), robust, surprisingly economical and able to withstand the worst the motoring world can throw at it, it’s a car which can do almost everything on the cheap. A good one goes for silly money, while rebuilding one is the making of a junior mechanic.
Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you… the best value for money car in the world. Ever.
Get a look at your new Volvo 240 on CCFS.