Volvo 760: The Square Rescuer Has 40 – Magazine – Car – Truth – Truth

Angular design and proven technology – this was Volvo’s recipe for success in difficult times. The 760 finally took care of the brand’s new direction in the 1980s. Photo: Volvo Volvo 760 For many years, the Volvo 760 has influenced the design of this Nordic brand. In the second half of the seventies, the Swedish Volvo was not at its best. It urgently needed a replacement for the aging 200 Series model, whose reputation was tarnished by poor quality. The corresponding sales also corresponded to this. However, there was not too much money for development, so Volvo launched the P31 project, which included proven technology but a completely new design.
The echo of the great oil crisis was reflected in the demand that the new key Volvo model be shorter, have a lower weight and thus lower fuel consumption. Volvo chief designer Jan Wilsgaard at the time preferred the fashionable hatchback body, but Volvo’s finance department, which tried to keep costs to a minimum, promoted the sharpest and simplest shapes possible. Wilsgaard’s latest design, a Cubist station wagon and a sedan with an almost vertical rear window, finally came to the table. Something unprecedented by European standards. In the US, on the other hand, where Volvo examined the reactions of potential customers, the proposal met with enthusiasm. It was decided! After all, most of the novelty production was supposed to end anyway. Photo: Volvo Volvo 760 Some condemned him for only embarrassingly imitating American cars. The first prototypes were driven as early as 1978. The test riders completed a total of 3.2 million kilometers to verify reliability in a variety of conditions. However, it was still a long way from the world premiere. Volvo originally planned its debut in 1980, but could not afford to make a strategic mistake in a difficult economic situation. And so it first introduced the VCC (Volvo Car Concept) study, which was very close to the production model. Meanwhile, Volvo was still fine-tuning the project and canceling its premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1981. It first introduced the new Volvo 760 GLE in the United States in early 1982. The rear wheels were powered by a 2.3-cylinder 2.3 Turbo (127 kW), forked 6-cylinder 2.8 V6 (115 kW) or a really unusual 6-cylinder 2.4 D diesel supplied by Volkswagen. Not everyone was caught by the angular north. The famous Gordon Murray, the designer of F1, told Autocar Magazine at the time that he found it rude for a European carmaker to imitate American production and that he considered it a step backwards. However, customers had a different opinion. Photo: Volvo Volvo 780 The Volvo 780 was a coupe designed by the Bertone studio. It was three times more expensive than a sedan. The motoring press appreciated the elegance and dynamism of the Volvo 760. The diesel version became even the fastest production diesel car at the time. It reached a speed of 170 km / h. Success did not take long. For 99,800 Swedish crowns, customers received a really “full” 4.8-meter-long limousine with an automatic transmission, a 6-cylinder under the hood or air conditioning. Two years after the premiere, not only a practical station wagon was added, but also a cheaper version of the 740 without a 6-cylinder, which quickly overshadowed the original seven hundred and sixty in popularity. Tax-efficient two-liter 4-cylinder with and without supercharging has appeared in some markets. In 1985, Volvo introduced the TCS anti-slip traction system and, for the first time in the 760 series, the anti-lock brake system ABS. The biggest bomb, however, was the beautiful 2-door 780 coupe, on the same platform, but with a brand new body from Bertone. The Italian body shop also took care of its production directly in Turin. From 1986 to 1990, only 8,518 pieces were produced. The price of 290,000 Swedish crowns also corresponded to this. So the coupe was three times more expensive! Four years later, in 1988, the 700 model line underwent a major modernization that included up to 2,000 changes. The design, aerodynamics and rear axle have improved. Automatic air conditioning, an adjustable steering column and a new dashboard have been added. The last facelift took place in 1990. Photo: Volvo Volvo 780 Only less than 9000 units were produced from the 780 coupe. “Non-standard1 Series production of the 700 series did not end until 1992, ie after ten years. Paradoxically, the originally deprecated 200 Series, which the Volvo 760 was to replace, remained in production until 1993, a year longer than the 700 series. In 19 years, it became 2.8 This is mainly due to the immense popularity in Sweden.