Buying Guide

Volvo 900-Series

‘The 940 Turbo and 204bhp six-pots have a surprising turn of speed’

The Volvo 900-series was the end of an era for the Swedish manufacturer. The cars ushered out rear-wheel drive on big Volvos, as well as the established three-digit designation system, with the final 960 models being rebadged S90s and V90s. And, to a certain extent, they also brought down the curtain on Volvo’s no-nonsense approach to engineering; all simple, rugged reliability where style played second fiddle to practicality. That’s especially true of the 940, which used engines first employed in the 1970s’ 200-series. With the 960, you could see curves and flourishes creeping in that were gradually taking Volvo away from its traditional breeze block design stance.

Although a replacement for the 700-series, the 900 was really a facelift of its predecessor. 940s were the four-cylinder mainstream cars, 960s the more luxurious six-cylinder variants. These 204bhp six-pots have a surprising turn of speed about them for such big cars, as do the rare but desirable 940 Turbos. However, these Volvos never earned their enviable reputation for their pace; they were so well-built that a healthy number still survive, having shrugged off the sort of treatment and mileages that killed off many of their contemporaries. And their awesome carrying abilities almost defy belief in estate form.

For now, they’re also cheap enough to buy, although be warned – with prices rising inexorably for the models that came before them, and interest in 900s now extending beyond their familiar cult niche, those values are unlikely to stay low for much longer.