Despite being the sort of car people hold onto for multiple generations, we rarely get to see older Volvos in survivor-grade condition. They are never outright abused, but it does seem like because of their reliability, they get band-aid fixed for years until finally, it’s simply time for retirement. This 1991 Volvo 940 SE wagon bucks that trend, and it certainly helps that it was with one owner for three decades. That long-term caretaker certainly looked after it, and it’s now listed here on eBay with the current owner who purchased it in 2021.
The 940 SE was not exactly a revolution when it arrived in Volvo’s lineup, but that’s also sort of the point. Volvo stuck with the staid, blocky styling for quite some time, effectively leaning into its identity as an automaker more concerned with safety than sex appeal. If you wanted a car that would actually prove to be a sound investment, Volvo’s lineup through the 80s and 90s was an absolute home run. Offering a range of trims ranging from brown and boring to teal and turbocharged, there was certainly some spice available if you looked hard enough.
But the 940 was all about surefootedness and bank vault-grade construction. It offered a pleasing amount of luxury and excellent highway manners. The engine was a factory turbocharged unit, standard equipment on models like the SE shown here. The long-term owners enjoyed this Volvo, but when wife passed away, it didn’t see as much use. Still, her husband held onto it and continued driving it and maintaining it religiously at the local Volvo center. He drove it approximately 5,000 miles over the course of 20 years.
The B-230FT turbocharged and intercooled 4-cylinder engine is a single-overhead-cam unit that produces 162 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. That torque comes whooshing at well under 4,000 RPM, so you always have plenty of grunt to access even with the standard 4-speed automatic at the controls. You don’t get to enjoy these more ordinary Volvo models in survivor-grade condition like this one, so it’s not surprising to see the seller list it with a reserve price. It’s currently bid to just over $6,000.
I hope the caretaker didn’t drive it very far — or at all — with no belts attached to drive alternator, power steering, water pump and whatever else the non-existent belts drive….
Otherwise, it appears to be in very nice shape, and I freely admit to loving Volvo turbo-wagons. They’re great cruisers, built like tanks and carry plenty of stuff. All my experience is with manual transmissions, but I suppose the seller would want even more if this car had one.
At a guess, the reserve is probably at or very near $20K, which to me is too high. We could talk if they’d take half that much.
7 years newer, but similar to the one Rick Springfield bought a girl in the film Hard to Hold. Boring cars but great seats.
I love my 1993 960 wagon!(310 K miles terrible free miles). A recent (partial …internal) blown head gasket has me contemplating repair vs replacement. I really would hate to see it go…. Fabulous cars!
Bill, Do not sell it. We had two Volvo wagons over the years. The last one we let go in 2012. We could not get brake lines. We got 26 miles to the gallon with that car. It was a 1993 I believe it was a 740. It was amazing. We have a 2012 Escape now, and though we like it, it simply does not compare to the Volvo. We also bought our Volvos used, quite happy with all that. Cheers!
Soo, the seller bought the car in 2021 but claims the title is in the previous owner’s name… That seems like quite a red flag about the seller and his integrity?
It’s called “title jumping” and is illegal.
https://youtu.be/FL32B0FFQyU
Haven’t run into that… yet… But thanks for the education.
Title jumping is a frequent issue in cases on Judge Judy. Often part of a shady deal.
He warns about the risk of that in the vid, but doesn’t say it’s illegal. In Connecticut it really doesn’t matter for any car over 20 years old. They don’t even want to see the title if you have it. Bill of sale, proof of insurance, application for registration, and a photo ID and you walk out with your plates. All they want is the taxes and ridiculous fees.
It would be funny if someone in an official capacity in Kansas just happened to see the listing and went to look at the car…boy, you in a heap of trouble…
But he’s got 100% Positive Feedback!!!!
Right, but unless he is a licensed dealer, he has 0% ability to legally sell the vehicle (I know your comment was sarcasm).
Unless he has written permission to sell the car (even that may not be enough if permission is not remembered or someone changes their mind) or POA, he could be prosecuted. All it would take is a family member seeing that listing on eBay and saying the signature is not valid and the guy is screwed. Maybe they didn’t remember signing the title; he’s hurt his case in any event by holding an open title so long. He’s admitted driving it without it being registered, which also means it isn’t insured.
There’s lots to lose here, for both the buyer and seller.
The comments about the title are correct. The seller of this vehicle has no right to sell it unless he has Power of Attorney and a Letter of Authorisation, which is doubtful, especially given the time frame.
He is driving the car on an open title, which is illegal, because he didn’t register it and did not pay taxes on the purchase. Also, there is the possibility that the vehicle is stolen, It should not be listed on Barn Finds, and eBay should pull the sale.
This guy claims to be a Dealer in Kansas, but I know PA would never accept a Title from Texas on a sale in Kansas, that’s a bit too cute. It would have to be titled in Kansas first in the new owner’s name, then it could be titled in PA, where it would also be required to be Registered and Insured.
Without disclosing he is a Dealer he looks like a curbstoner/flipper, and I have to say it still looks shady as all get out because of the time frame.