1982 VOLVO 760 2.8L 5MT RWD (156 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Volvo 760 was the car that saved the Swedish carmaker from bankruptcy, but before its launch, the carmaker almost closed its business due to its financial debts.

After the first oil crisis, the customers’ behavior changed and turned their eyes towards fuel-efficient vehicles, and the Volvo 240/260 didn’t meet that demand. Moreover, the 200 series had severe reliability issues that forced Volvo to dig deep into its pockets and find some change to cover the repair costs. Its management knew that it would need a new car to sell in the ’80s, and the result was the 760. But it adopted an unusual strategy: it started with the more expensive, six-cylinder engine, and later on, it brought the more affordable 740.

While the marketing department requested a fuel-efficient vehicle and the finance department asked for lower production costs, the design department created a wedged-shape vehicle with a narrower front end than on the 200 series. With a greenhouse shaped for the U.S. customers’ taste, the vehicle was criticized in Europe, but still, the 760 was the success Volvo needed to survive. At the back, the carmaker installed the squared taillights on the flat rear panel.

The design team created a minimalist design language for the 760’s dashboard, with flat surfaces and angular shapes for the instrument panel. For the first years, the center stack was flat and sloped, and only after 1988 was it tilted towards the driver. Due to the longitudinally mounted engines, the front seats had to be pushed rearward. Still, thanks to the long wheelbase, the car provided enough legroom for the rear passengers.

Under the hood, Volvo installed the V-6 gasoline unit developed together with Peugeot and paired it with a four-speed manual gearbox. The Swedish carmaker added an inline-six turbo-diesel powerplant.