Modern Classic: Volvo 240

The Volvo 240 came as a two-door (above), four-door or a five-door station wagon. Photos: Volvo

The Volvo 240 is perhaps the most enduring model ever made by Volvo but also of all manufacturers, with many still on the roads that have more than 500,000km on the clock.

 The Volvo 240 is as synonymous with Sweden as herring and ABBA. Words like “logical” and “safe” are used to describe this iconic model. When originally sold to doctors and dentists, it ultimately ended up a great learner’s car for teenagers when it survived in working form for 20 to even 40-plus years.

As a teenager growing up in a small country town in Australia, I could name every local who owned a Volvo 240. My economics teacher had a metallic blue estate (only because her husband was an accountant could she afford to drive that). A friend’s parents had a bright yellow one. The local doctor had a metallic gold 265GLE (from the mid-1980s) sedan with the V6 engine. 

The 240 was the entree to the Volvo range and if you were lucky and aspirational, you eventually upgraded to a 700 or even a 900 series.

Introduced in 1973, the Volvo 240 would live on for almost 20 years until 1993.

Some also call the Volvo 240 the ugliest car to ever hit the roads, but those who loved it were fanatics. It developed a cult following and was produced in four-, five- and two-door forms with a lower roof for the American market.

Even Ikea’s founder, Ingvar Kamprad, drove one for 20 years before it was called off the road for not being safe, ironic as when it was produced it was one of the safest cars around.

First introduced in 1974, and designed by Jans Wilsgard, the Volvo 240 actually traces its shape back to the 140 of 1966 to 1974. Incredibly the Volvo 240 would live on for almost 20 years until 1993 and overlap its successor – the 700 series – by 10 years. 

Just over 2.8 million Volvo 240’s were produced, with over 1.4 million of them being the four-door,

It even lived on briefly with the 900 series, the successor to the 700 series, for one year. Many feel the 800 series, which began in 1992, was the real successor to the 240 series. Although perhaps many get confused on the 700 series as it sported a similar, if not softer (but more angular) front to the 200 series.

A major styling update in 1977, early in its life, endowed the 240 with more modern wrap-around rear taillights and a softer boot line. Transmissions were initially a three-speed automatic and a four-speed manual, however later on four-speed automatics and five-speed manuals made their way into the range.

Just over 2.8 million Volvo 240s were produced, with over 1.4 million of them being the four-door, 900,000 produced of the five-door, and 200,000 of the two-door. Stretched versions were also offered, including in the wagon “estate version”. Diesel and turbo charged engines also appeared, to supplement the mainstream petrol engines.

The 240 was around 13cm longer than the 140 and more modern. It spawned two broad sets of models being the four-cylinder 240 and the six-cylinder 260. These models were named into a myriad of sub-models and designations over their years, but broadly speaking the 240 ran four-cylinder “red block” engines (so named for the red coating on the engines) ranging in capacity from 2.1 to 2.3 litres. 

The Volvo 240 had a two-door forms with a lower roof for the American market.

The 260 ran a V6 engine at 2.6-litres which was later expanded to 2.8-litres and was designed jointly by Renault, Peugeot, and Volvo.

The Volvo 240’s main calling card was its safety features. One drove a Volvo because of its ability to survive a crash as it had large crumple zones, accentuated by the long bonnet. It also had Lambada sensors on the engine which reduced hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxide by 90 percent. 

It sported dual circuit disc brakes with strong stopping power for its day. Its front suspension was Macpherson strut and it had rack and pinion steering, both ahead of their day versus competitors.

The Volvo 240 was raced on the track and achieved its milestone moment by winning the European Touring Car Championships in 1985.

Today the Volvo brand is in a renaissance, especially under Geely Automotive’s ownership. It's become green and increasingly electric. 

Harking back to the roots of the brand in iconic cars like the 240, we see the metamorphosis of the brand to its current form today. Safety is still a key platform for Volvo but many manufacturers have caught up and today Volvo’s are about style, minimalism, and dare I say, value for money (with high kit against other manufacturers).