Modellen/Modeller (In Dutch and Swedish)
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I nummer 78 av Volvo Driver (våren 1990, sida 20), Volvo Owners Clubs tidskrift, skrev jag en artikel om modell 80. Hela texten plus dom två bilderna följer nedan.
In number 78 of Volvo Driver (Spring 1990, page 20), the magazine of the Volvo Owners Club, I wrote an article about model 80. The complete text plus the two pictures are published here.
Going Dutchand Swedish
A comparison of the Swedish and Dutch 1980 240 Series by Wietze Jan de Vries
Instead of writing an adoring article on the best Volvo ever made, which in my case is the 1980 244GL, I've decided to tell you something about the Dutch and Swedish 1980 models of the 240 Series. I think a lot of articles written by people about their own cars have been published in Driver and it is true that they are good fun to read.
In an earlier edition of "V-44 Berichten", which is the magazine of the V-44 Vereniging, the biggest Volvo Club in the Netherlands, I read an article by the lady owner of a P220, written with a sense of humour, about her estate "Lodewijk". That article was, I think, a great success, because she'd been an editor of the magazine in which she made her debut, for many years.
The 1980 models of the 240 Series can be seen as a step in improving the series. The cars had the exterior mirrors and badges of the 240s coming out in 1981, but the dash and front light clusters of the "old" one.
Both in Sweden and the Netherlands, Volvo drew very much attention to what they called "Dynamic Safety" and the GLT Series, but in fact Dynamic Safety started with the 1979 models, and Volvo introduced these models with an improved chassis and optical modifications. Sales slogans such as "Volvo 240, with compliments to the driver", and "Car adjusted to driver, not the other way round" were used.
The GLT Series was a replacement for the striking 242GT, and in Sweden the 240s in GLT equipment were known only as "GLT". You could choose between a GLT saloon with a B23E engine or a B27E engine, and an estate with only a B27E engine. The Dutch Volvo importer took only the GLT saloon with the B23E engine in the 240 range and called the car 244GLT. Instead of the Turbine wheels used in Sweden, the Dutch 244GLT had the wheels of the later 244Turbo, which was introduced in the second half of 1980.
The reason for having only one GLT in the Dutch range was, I think, because of the difference between the two 260 ranges. Sweden could only offer (there are always exceptions of course) the 262C and 264GLE, while in the Netherlands the 262C, 264DL, 264GL, 264GLE and 265GLE were available. All the cars, in both countries, were fitted with B27E engines.
1980 245T at Trelleborg Docks
The B23E GLT was presented as a kind of sportscar capable of carrying a family, the ideal car, according to Volvo, for long journeys. The B27E GLT was less rapid in comparison, but had, instead, more comfort.
1980 was no exception to the tradition of special versions of a particular model. In Sweden you could buy a black 244GL. This car with a production limit of 400, had Turbine wheels, 260 Series door knobs, grey stripes on the body, grey plush trim on the door panels, grey cloth upholstery, head restraint cusions, power steering and overdrive. Maybe a suggestion for a collector.
All the Dutch DLs had black cloth upholstery while the Swedish ones had quite a wide variety of interior colours. The Vs on the wheel trims of the Dutch cars had a white background while those on the Swedish vehicles were black, and while the Swedish models used the B21A engine, the Netherlands version used the B19A. There was no Dutch 242DL.
1980 244GL "Special" in a Swedish dealer showroom
The Dutch 240GLE can be seen as being roughly the same as the Swedish GL, but with the B21E engine, while the Dutch GL lies somewhere between the Swedish DL and GL models which means, for example, no tinted glass, but with a front spoiler. There were no Swedish GLEs or 242GLs. The Dutch 240 GLD6 had wheelcovers while the Swedish version used hubcaps with special nuts and trimrings.
In general, the two countries used different rearlight assemblies; the Dutch market vehicles did not have headlight washers, and many models did not have a second exterior mirror as original equipment. The Swedish B21A engine had a compression ratio of 8.5:1 while that of the Dutch version was 9.3:1. The Dutch range included the 245LVAN delivery van, but I do not think there was one in the Swedish ranges.
I wonder if there is anyone who could tell me about the 245T model as I don't have much information on that particular car. Perhaps there is someone now who would like to discuss the British 1980 240 range in Driver.