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Introduction. While
Volvos are relative newcomers to the roads of The
car which first put Volvo on the international map was the PV444, produced
from 1944. Its derivative, the PV544 (from '58 to '65), was very successful
in rallying due to its high power-to-weight ratio. The PV544s were only
produced in LHD, and there is only a handful in In 1956 Volvo
brought out the 120 series, or the Amazon as it was known in The
P1800 coupe was first produced in 1961, and was fitted with a new 1800cc
engine (B18) which was also used in the 120s. The first 6000 were assembled
by Jensen in The
120 was phased out in 1970, to be replaced by the 140 series introduced in
1968. This was the first of the "boxy" Volvos, with large bumpers
and many safety features. The 140 series formalised the numbering scheme in
which the first digit was the series number, the second the number of
cylinders, and the last the number of doors (e.g. the 145 was the estate
version). Strict adherence to this scheme was abandoned round 1985. The 140
saw the return of the grille flash which was a feature of the very first
Volvos. The
140 was, in turn, replaced by the 200 series in 1974, a new generation of
Volvo cars. The 240 series was powered by a new B21 engine with overhead
camshaft. The 260 series also had a new engine - the B27. This new
six-cylinder unit was the first result of co-operation between Volvo, Renault
and Peugeot for the development of car engines. The 200 series is still the
most common on the In
1975 a new car model was presented: The Volvo 66, with a 1400cc Renault
engine, it was produced in After
years of intensive development, Volvo was able to introduce the Volvo 760GLE
in 1982, powered by the six cylinder B28E engine. In 1984 the gap between the
240 and the 760 was filled with the introduction of the 740GLE and the
740Turbo, followed by the 700 Estates in 1985. In
1991 Volvo unveiled an exciting new model, the innovative 5 cylinder-powered
850. It had front wheel drive with a transverse 2.5 litre (actually only
2445cc) 20 valves, 5 cylinder engines. In the same year two new Volvo models
of the upgraded design - the 940 and the 960 - were included in the range.
The 960 featured a completely new driveline with an in-line six cylinder
3-litre engine with 24 valves. Production
of the 240 ceased in 1993. The model was in production for 19 years without
much change since its introduction in 1975. In
1996 the new S40/V40 series was launched. This Volvo was built in 1997
was an important year for Volvo NZ. Apart from the 40 series, which replaced
the 400 series, the 70 series and the 90 series had been introduced. The 70
series is the re-badged 850 series which underwent a major revamp. The 90
series is the revamped 900 series with 3 litre, 6 cylinders in-line engines. In
1998 Volvo introduced the S80, the new top-of-the range model with in-line
six cylinder units, transversely in the engine bay driving the front wheels, replacing
the 90 series, the last of the rear-wheel drive Volvos. The
Volvo Owners’ Club started in A
cross-section of members runs from the retired couple through to those much
younger for whom an older Volvo is their first car. Volvo owners are lucky in
that the cars really do run for many years without giving trouble, and parts,
even for the older vehicles, rarely pose a problem. Parts for older models
are readily available through Volvo dealers, and world wide specialist
suppliers. Some older models are now being dismantled. Rust can be a problem
on older cars imported from All
of the earlier vehicles were privately imported, often when their owners
moved to It
is not unusual to have two, three or even four Volvos within the one family . The club maintains a library of parts
and service manuals, magazines and technical bulletins, as well as much
safety-related promotional material published by Volvo which makes for
interesting reading……………… |