Just like sweet and salty, wagon and five-cylinder turbo weirdly go hand-in-hand
And in the case of this wagon too, this flavour also went racing
We’ve all seen that photo of a Volvo 850 R racing car mid-flight on two-wheels.
If you haven’t, scroll down to the bottom of this page. The Volvo 850 R is an icon, and one that impacted society, culture and motorsport.
The mere fact Volvo went racing with its wagon – against a sea of boring sedans – instantly created a hero. It was a bully on the track too, placing as high as third with racers Rickard Rydell and Jan Lammers behind the wheel.
Alongside terrorising English race tracks, the Volvo 850R also got a run as an English Highway patrol vehicle too. If you spent any time in Jolly Old during the 1990s, you’d have seen a marked 850 R police car doing its thing at 120mph on the motorway.
Crims hated them; the fans love them, and it’s boxy-yet-safe proportions juxtaposed nicely against its fiery five-cylinder heart.
It honestly sounds just like an Audi Quattro.
The car pictured – 1996 Volvo 850 R
This Volvo is a ‘YV1L’ 850 R that was made in June 1996. It is a second-generation Hi-Po Volvo wagon, with the first being the 850 T5-R, and the latter merely 850 R.
It is powered by a 2.3-litre five-cylinder turbocharged engine with 176kW / 300Nm. Power to sent through a four-speed automatic and to the front wheels exclusively.
It was delivered new in Japan to one single owner. It was factory ordered in Dark Grey Metallic with a black leather/Suede interior, a sunroof and a woodgrain steering wheel.
It comes with Volvo service records and has been maintained by Volvo for nearly-all of its life. A timing belt change was carried at 100,000km by a Volvo dealer in Japan.
Locally, the car has been treated to new shock absorbers and top mounts. It has also been serviced and had its spark plugs replaced, too. All electronics work, including the air conditioning and power sunroof.
In terms of imperfections on the inside, the dashboard is showing shrinkage around the passenger air bag (refer to photos). On the outside, the roof has thin sections of paint, however the rest of the body presents above average.
What you missed out on:
- 1996 Volvo 850 R
- Five-cylinder turbo
- Four-speed auto
- 4×4
- Rare Japan-new example in Dark Grey metallic
- Black Alcantara / leather interior
- Factory sunroof
- Power options, climate control
- Factory dog guard (pulls out of rear seat!)
- Two keys
- One owner
- Volvo service history from new
- Price includes three months NSW registration
- Price includes a NSW roadworthy
- Price includes vehicle compliance certificate
It attracted a great deal of attention and challenged Volvo's image in a positive way, particularly in the UK. Volvo wanted to demonstrate that it was possible to combine practicality with pleasure!Twenty years since Volvo made its debut in the BTCC with the 850 Estate, Apr 25, 2014. Volvo Global media
