I Love My Volvo?

They were as common as fleas on a dog here in Maine back in the go-go 80’s. Herds of sturdy, businesslike, sensible shoes, 240 series Volvo sedans and their even boxier wagon siblings. At the time it seemed almost plausible to believe that these 240 wagons had actually been shipped direct from the factory in Sweden with a matched pair of slobbering black labs onboard as standard equipment. It was rare indeed to spot one of these rolling boxes without a pair of pooches and of course the obligatory I (heart) My Volvo bumper sticker prominently displayed out back.
I Love My Volvo? Yes sir. This generation of Volvos inspired a level of devotion, dedication and commitment that eclipsed mere owner loyalty. Even today just ask any dyed in the wool Volvophile about these beasts and you’d better be prepared for a long impassioned soliloquy. “Best car I ever owned!” “300,000 miles and still runs like a top!” “Safest car on the planet”…and words to that effect. Well that last bit was probably at least close to true. The 240 series Volvos were notably safe for their era with deep-dish steering wheels, crumple zones; three point belts and even those wacky ladder-style headrests (was the idea not to block the rearward view from the eyes in the back of your head?). So I’ll admit that they were safe. And I’ll also agree that the occasional 300,000 mile 240 is not unheard of. But that’s where the story begins to unravel a bit.
If you accept the proffered 300K-mile number at face value it’s darned impressive. But, being the car curious fellow I am, I’ve pressed a few of these Volvo-heads for more details than they’re comfortable revealing. I tend to ask unwanted follow-up questions like, “How many transmissions have you gone through in those 300,000 miles?” answer: “I’m not sure if it’s five or six…but IT’S A GREAT CAR!” What about the brakes? Turns out they’ve needed to be replaced about every third oil change or so. Oh yeah, and the headliner has been sagging like that since about 75,000 miles and the sunroof leaks when it rains but THIS IS THE BEST CAR I EVER HAD! Electronic gremlins? Plenty! Oil leaks? You bet. Engine rebuilds? That has to be expected on fine cars like these. By now you get the idea. It’s fascinating when you think about it. By any objective measure these Volvos were mediocre at best and a good case can be made for the fact that they tended to break down and fall apart at an alarming rate. So whence this the fierce owner loyalty? Where does the love in “I Love My Volvo” come from?
As “exhibit A” in this mystery I offer the human mind, which where love is concerned, seems to be hardwired with a “don’t confuse me with the facts” software package. These Volvo Lovers are not interested in frequency of repair statistics or any of your other worthless technical details. They’re minds and hearts are set. They’ve simply decided that their car is the best darned four wheeled conveyance ever built and it will take a lot more than an endless stream of blown head gaskets, loose tie rods, squealing brake pads, dead batteries and clouds of black smoke spewing from the tailpipe to change their minds! Love is blind! Pass the Bondo! I love my Volvo! Makes sense to me. Hey I think the original Dick Teague designed AMC Pacer is a great looking car!


Keep the sticky side down,

Tim Sample