Volvo 240
The angular, safety-led Volvo that served for nearly two decades as saloon, estate and performance car.
Overview
Volvo introduced the 240 series in August 1974 as a substantial development of the 140. Its projecting front and large energy-absorbing bumpers reflected ideas explored in the Volvo Experimental Safety Car, while the chassis gained MacPherson-strut front suspension and the range introduced a new overhead-camshaft four-cylinder engine family.
Safety shaped the model’s engineering and reputation. In 1976 the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration selected the 240 as a benchmark for future safety work. Four-wheel disc brakes were standard, and Volvo’s Lambda-sensor emission-control system later combined precise fuel metering with a three-way catalytic converter.
Alongside dependable family versions, Volvo developed the 242 GT and turbocharged 240 into discreet performance cars. The 240 Turbo also competed successfully in touring-car racing, demonstrating the range hidden beneath the model’s upright bodywork.
Body styles
242 two-door saloon (1974–1984)
The two-door 242 shared the 240’s passenger compartment and mechanical layout but used longer front doors. It provided the basis for the 242 GT and prominent competition versions.
244 four-door saloon and 245 estate (1974–1993)
The four-door 244 was the range’s highest-volume body, while the five-door 245 paired a long, near-vertical cargo area with the same rear-wheel-drive platform. From the 1983 model year Volvo simplified the external badges of these versions to 240.
Production outlived the newer 700-series models and ended at Torslanda on 5 May 1993. Volvo built 2,685,171 examples of the 240, plus 177,402 closely related six-cylinder 260 models.