The Volvo 240 is what you see in the dictionary when looking up the meaning of the word “venerable.” It is the epitome of a classic European sedan that will never excite you but will still put a smile on your face knowing you have one in the fleet. For those of us who either grew up in a community where European cars were present or had a family member with an inclination towards them, it was almost inevitable that you knew of a friend or another family with a 24o in the mix, which is why nostalgia is a powerful factor when deciding to buy one. This battleship gray sedan is in excellent shape and offered with no reserve on eBay.
My brother recently fell into Mercedes-Benz W123 ownership thanks to a local in town offering up a long-term family owned car for a very fair price, and he is smitten with it. I suspect the reasons would be the same if he happened upon a 240, because while the diesel-powered Benz isn’t sporting in the least, it is charming in ways sports cars can’t be. Safe, serious, and stodgy, the 240 hails from an era when the European marques were more interested in selling you a car that would survive a nuclear blast than something that was bought purely to one-up the neighbors. A 240 was the opposite of a disposable purchase, unlike today’s Volvos.
Isn’t that a shame, when you think about it? Similar to airline travel going from a luxury experience to the Greyhound in the sky, Volvos (and other brands like it) have latched onto consumerism as a way to move metal, with little to no thought given as to whether anything from your model lineup will still be in circulation 30, 40 years from now. Volvo had every intention at the time of seeing the 240 last through multiple generations of ownership; now, a Volvo is a car that maybe racks up 100,000 miles before it becomes problematic or not worth dirt as a trade in. It’s amazing to see how we continue to think we are getting more for less, but really, we’ve traded long-term value for expensive luxury vehicles that will never appear on eBay a few decades later as a vehicle worth owning in its twilight years.
The 240, on the other hand, continues to find favor both as a new-age classic and a car you can continue to use as a daily driver. I find it highly unlikely anyone will be attempting to keep an XC60 or X90 on the road in the year 2050. This 240 has just over 100,000 miles which means like the W123, it is barely broken in. The 2.3L “red block” engine is a legendary motor from the years when Europe was cranking out literal battleships on four wheels and this 240, with its low miles and what appears to be rust-free body, has miles to go before it sleeps. Find it here on eBay with bids to just over $4,000.
Volvo still has the same name as 40 years ago but…
There were a couple of times in the 80s we had a Volvo in the shop that needed a part the local dealer didn’t have in stock. The dealer called New Jersey and they sent the part next day air direct to us. We didn’t have to pay any shipping. Volvo wanted their cars kept on the road. And then Volvo cars got sold a couple times.
After perusing the many listing photos (bravo!) and examining the fairly complete but rambling and disjointed description (this “dealer” is fond of font size and color changes but can’t seem to find the lower case shift key), I don’t think I’d go so far as to call the condition as ‘excellent.’ It has signs of a very well used vehicle that has seen its share of stop-and-go short city trips and parking lot bumper car encounters. The odometer hasn’t worked for a while, and it appears from the Carfax the AC hasn’t either. There are interior pieces/parts broken and missing. Maybe the owner just drove it and didn’t maintain it well.
That being said, a thorough inspection (rust, mechanical) might reveal a good starting point for a 240 fan.
I love these, my very first car was a 1990 240 DL. would love to have another one
Yes To a Manual. no to a schludge box.
The perfect first car for a kid. Safe, boring, homely.
Shouldn’t this car be properly called a Volvo 244 DL ?
My dad was always concerned about mileage when buying a car; was horrified when I turned up with a Volvo estate which I’d bought with a mere 250,000 miles on it…
There’s video of Swedish “boy racers” on youtube; they seem to favour rear-drive Volvos for having fun in the snow.
probably only got another 250 k out of it before you got tired of the car not the other way round.
Volvos have had a few titles stick to them. Swedish brick and poor mans Mercedes. I wasn’t hooked until I got in an accident in one. Lady ran a stop sign. I tboned her car at about 40mph. Totaled her car mine never stopped running no lights on the dash no airbag deployed no damage to speak of.
2nd accident different Volvo S80 v8 hit a deer, sent it airborne and it landed on my windshield dented the hood no airbag deployed no broken windshield car never stalled. I was still able to drive both home and then some. Yes best car for kids.
My mom had same car in white that the wife and I drove in LA for two years and gave to a friend for his daughter. Excellent car but we moved overseas. Two tidbits – keep a few fuel pump relays in the glovebox, and the gas tank fuel pump hose usually rots off in the tank (both cause an interesting engine stall at high speed). Once it died on the 405 in the fast lane and a cop did a figure 8 maneuver and pushed us at 45mph in neutral to the next offramp. Accidentally hit us really hard to push it – not a scratch on the bumper – amazing car! Nowadays that would be a $5k repair bill lol
Those that read my responses here, know I’m a Volvo tragic, (but now I’m a Ford lover).
My first car was a 145 (shagging wagon, lol), 1.9L 3 speed auto twin SU’s (form an MGB). I’m alive today because of its safety cell. I could see I was about to T-bone a falcon (Aussie falcon), (he did an illegal turn), I hit the brakes and closed my eyes. When the 145 came to a stop, I thought, wow, we didn’t hit. I opened my eyes to see the front of the 145 level with the windshield, and I was in somebody’s front yard. I walked away unharmed, and the carton of beer I just bought for my dad was unbroken, (I was 17 and still in my school uniform, ahh they were the days, lol).
Sevel years later, I’m married, and she’s expecting, I owned and RX2 coupe, and she had a lotus Cortina (yeh we were hoons). Both being 2 doors, neither were acceptable for a baby capsule in the back.
I’d just completed a 3 year ground up restoration on the RX2, and the lotus had bad cancer, so the RX2 had to go.
Traded it in on a 244 DL (nice family car), 2.1L slant 4, mechanical fuel injection, and a 4 speed manual.
Only car I’ve ever owned that would redline in top gear, and also smoke the wheels in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and continue to wheel spin in 4th.
But alas I T-boned another falcon (he ran a red light). And according to my wife, I was banned from ever owning another Volvo.,(now ex wife) so I’m on the hunt for a 262C.
I’ve driven Volvos for 56 years from 544s to my current XC60. I’ve never had a particularly exciting one, even the turbos and 1800s. With the judicious use of aftermarket companies like IPD, and others you can turn these into well caliberated fun cars to drive. And no one expects a Volvo to dust the German sedans that tout their top tier performance. And yes my sons first car was s a Volvo.
Last of the true Volvos. The 240 is all Volvo
I had a 1988 240 that I ran for 700,000 miles and gave it to someone who needed a car. Only problems were some wires began to get brittle.
BTW, keep those mileage club emblems. After I gave the car away I sold the 7 unused emblems for $426.00 on Ebay.
Always remember the ad’s with the cars stacked one on top of the other.