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| The 1986-1992 Volvo 240 GL. |
Still, I (almost) kick myself for not having bought one new and I'd love to find a solid one for the right price today...but the Volvo 240 is finally approaching an age where the true survivors are becoming few in number.
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Volvos sold (at premium prices) largely on their safety reputation. They were not just brick-shaped, they had the structural integrity of solid gold bars. That offset a large-ish, heavy-ish sedan being powered by a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine.
Those "premium prices" mentioned in the last paragraph? Base price for an '86 240 GL was $16,425. That's within walking distance of an '86 Buick Electra Park Avenue. A bit more of a walk (less than 2 grand) and you could have had an Audi 5000.
Now, about that (almost) kicking myself for not buying one new: As much as I loved the one and only 240 I ever drove (a 1992 rental from Hertz), I'm glad I didn't rush home to my local Volvo dealer and plop down what was then an MSRP of $22,170. For while Volvo 240s held up well over the years, their resale value never did...falling off a cliff into the bargain basement at an alarming rate. Today, it's a $2,500 car, with the best one in the world worth maybe $3,675, according to the NADA guidebook (the Buick and Audi would fetch closer to $5,000 in top condition).
Still, there's something so straightforward, authentic and honest about the 240. If you've owned one, or have a 240 story, click the comment button.
