For the longest time, it was the ultimate suburban family transport. But this special Volvo Wagons have had a life far beyond the Wegmans parking lot and high school playground.
this special 1998 V90 not owned by any normal football parent, unless Paul Newman raced it around the country roads of Westport, Connecticut with the kids. drag or to get pizza.
The actor, who owned a racing team for three decades and has won four SCCA national championships, was awarded “Volvette” as a surprise gift from one of these teams in 2007, so named because it was crammed with a 400 hp 6.0 liter Chevy LS2 engine and four-speed automatic transmission found in sixth-generation Corvettes from 2005 to 2007.
The car, as well as dozens of artifacts from Newman’s racing career including rings, medals, artwork and memorabilia, are on display. auction Currently RM Sotheby’s online: High Speed: Paul Newman’s Racing Legacy. Bidding closes on June 13.
The V90 is one of two Newman machines in the block. The estimated winning bid is expected to be $20,000 to $25,000.
Newman’s affection for Volvos goes back a long time: his first full-blown Sweden example was a 1988 Volvo. 740 equipped with a 3.8-liter turbocharged V6 from a Buick Great country. The car was recently sold on Bring a Trailer for $87,777.
The Volvo in the middle is a 1995 960 with a turbocharged 5.0-liter engine Mustang V8. Newman famously convinced his friend David Letterman to buy one (Letterman used to co-own Racing Rahal Letterman Lanigan). Joking that Volvo’s scooters are “as ugly as homemade shoes,” Letterman still ordered one and continued to rave about it. With a power of 400 hp or more, such a modified Volvo 960 was tested by car and driver as fast as a mid-’90s Mustang Cobra.
Volvo hot-rod is now offered with capacity Porsche 911 parts on the front end of the vehicle and adjust the drive shaft. The auction’s description says, “The exterior was preserved, as Newman is known to prefer a more classic look to his Swedish station wagons.”
Sadly, Newman didn’t have enough years left to enjoy the Volvette. He died of cancer at the age of 82 a year after it was given to him.
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