A Grand Monday: Volvo 940 Wentworth

Introduced in late 1990, the Volvo 940 was essentially a facelift of the 740 series of Volvos that preceded it. A slightly more angular nose, beefier front wings and a revised cabin, with a significantly modernised dashboard, were the major changes.

The 'Wentworth' (how can you possibly give a car a more middle class name?) joined the range in 1992, essentially as a special edition, but in reality it would remain as part of the line-up until 1996, as the retail-focused model. Middle England lapped it up.

It was based on the 940 SE Turbo estate, but came with air conditioning as standard in lieu of a sunroof. An option pack, offering 20-spoke alloys, leather interior and metallic paint, was also available.

This example has hub caps and cloth trim, making it slightly less desirable, but on the plus side has the much sought after seven seat option, which, even today, is in demand.

The mileage of 173,000 isn't anything to worry about - Volvos of this era are good for 250k easily, if not more - and the MoT history checks out well, with no past advisories for anything other than consumable components and suspension bushes.

It also comes with a tow bar and working electrics, making it the perfect family classic. In addition, the owner has renewed the rear boot struts - one of the few weak points of the 940 estate.

It has a temperamental fuel gauge and occasional issues with the instrument pack, which we know to be a very common problem with this era of Volvo, usually caused by corroded solder joints on the back of the visual display. It all comes apart relatively easily, so repairing it isn't beyond the scope of a skilled DIYer.

At £650, this won't be on sale for long - it's practical, useful, characterful and family friendly, as well as having a reputation for being indestructible. If you like it, don't hang around.

• Read our Volvo 940 review and buyer's guide
• How many Volvo 940s survived? Find out
• Find a Volvo 940 for sale