Volvo 260-Series (1974 - 1980)

Last updated 11 December 2018

Buying Guide

Good

• Built like a tank. Pioneered a lot of secondary safety features.
• 15' 7" estate cars have long load decks and will take fairly large items of furniture if you don't mind blotting out your rear view.
• Capable of Starship Enterprise mileages.
• 2,127cc carb engine had 107bhp; 2,127cc injected engine put out 123bhp, both with 4-speed manual or 3-speed auto; 2,316cc carb engine had 110bhp; with 4 or 5-speed manual or 3-speed auto; 2,316 with injection put out 116bhp. 2,316 GLT injected engine had 136bhp.
• Later 1,986cc injected engine had 118bhp or 111bhp with cat. 2,809cc injected V6 had 155bhp.
• Didn't weigh as much as a tank, though: from 1,270kg to 1,470kg.
• Seem to resist rust very well.
• Many still lumbering around.
• Can be bought very cheaply and give years of work.
• No cat converters to worry about except on the very last cars.

Bad

• A dinosaur to drive.
• Some drivers think that the safety features make them 'safe', but heaven help the rest of us.
• Hideous looks.
• Appalling steering.
• Horrible handling.
• Wallows like a hippo in a mudbath.
• Load platform is high and rear overhang too long which make an overloaded 240 estate doubly dangerous.

Watch

• Kerbed front suspension (all too easy with no steering 'feel' at all).
• Saggy springs.
• Soggy shock absorbers.
• Rust does eventually attack these cars.