Essentially the most iconic of all of the Volvos — all of the Swedish automobiles, for that matter — offered in the US is and at all times would be the brick-shaped 200 series, which might be purchased new here from the 1975 mannequin 12 months all the best way through 1993. Although it was an evolution of the earlier 140 series and seemed practically similar to its ancestor from any rear angle, the 240 (and, to a a lot lesser extent, 260) stays essentially the most recognizable Volvo ever made. As a result of these automobiles have been fairly sturdy and impressed such devotion from their house owners, loads of them stay on the highway to this present day… and which means loads of them put on out yearly and end up taking that final tow-truck ride to the boneyard. Here is a bread-and-butter mid-Eighties 244, with the smart four-on-the-floor overdrive handbook transmission and well-oxidized Richelieu Pink paint, present in a self-service yard close to Denver, Colorado.
Previous to the 1980 mannequin 12 months, U.S.-market Volvo 200s have been named in keeping with a really logical system: the mannequin title was a three-digit quantity, with the primary digit indicating the automobile sequence, the second digit representing the variety of engine cylinders, and the third digit displaying the variety of doorways. Usually, the trim stage would come after that. Simply to confuse everybody, Volvo did away with all the things however the trim ranges when figuring out these automobiles. Thus, this automobile would have been badged as a 244 DL through the 1975-1979 interval, however for the primary half of the Eighties it was referred to as merely the Volvo DL.
After all, everybody who is aware of previous Volvos right now simply calls this a 244, interval. DL stood for Deluxe, so in fact it was the most cost effective trim stage. The checklist worth on this automobile began at $11,085, or about $31,090 in 2021 {dollars}. That was cheaper than a brand new BMW 320i ($13,290 or $37,275 now), however costlier than extra luxurious and highly effective Japanese opponents reminiscent of the Datsun 810 Maxima by Nissan ($10,869 or $30,485 right now) and Mazda 626 Luxury Sedan ($8,895 or $24,950 right now).
If you happen to insisted on an computerized transmission in your ’83 DL sedan, the worth tag went up an extra 390 bucks, or about $1,094 now. This automobile has the bottom four-speed manual with the overdrive actuated by a swap on the shift knob.
With 107 horsepower from this 2.3-liter straight-four engine, this automobile wasn’t notably fast. Nonetheless, it weighed lower than 3,000 kilos (regardless of its blocky look), so it obtained out of its personal method properly sufficient when geared up with a handbook transmission.
I do not assume I’ve ever discovered a junkyard 240 with an odometer studying this low earlier than this automobile. Maybe the speedometer cable broke round 1991.
Air con! That is a bit frivolous for the type of one who purchased one among these automobiles new within the early Eighties, nevertheless it does get sizzling in Colorado.
I am unable to consider a extra applicable automobile for a student of theology in 1983.
All proof factors to a automobile that spent its total profession in Entrance Vary Colorado.
It’s extremely unique and by no means rusty, so why did not somebody reserve it? More than likely, each fancier of previous Volvos round right here has sufficient tasks already, and a dime-a-dozen DL sedan would not get the type of love that an Amazon and even a 242 may obtain.
