The Stylish Story of the Volvo 480

Goedemorgen! :D
In this week's video, we discuss the history of a car that has often held my interest, the Volvo 480. In a rare break from their usual slew of practical but humdrum family saloons, similar to the 262C and the P1800, Volvo attempted to enter the hot hatchback market with the sleek and streamlined 480, but were sadly unable to shake their sensible image enough to see the car sell in significant numbers.
Special thanks to Robert Brink for allowing me permission to use some of his videos showing introductions and promotions for the Volvo 480 back in the 1980s and 1990s, and I thoroughly recommend you check them out in full at the following links:
Volvo 480 ES Driving Properties:
• Volvo 480 ES Driving P...
Volvo 480 introduction with Derek Bell:
• Volvo 480 introduction...
All video content and images in this production have been provided with permission wherever possible. While I endeavour to ensure that all accreditations properly name the original creator, some of my sources do not list them as they are usually provided by other, unrelated KZbinrs. Therefore, if I have mistakenly put the accreditation of 'Unknown', and you are aware of the original creator, please send me a personal message at my Gmail (this is more effective than comments as I am often unable to read all of them): [e-mail]
The views and opinions expressed in this video are my personal appraisal and are not the views and opinions of any of these individuals or bodies who have kindly supplied me with footage and images.
If you enjoyed this video, why not leave a like, and consider subscribing for more great content coming soon.
Paypal: paypal.me/rorymacve?country.x...
Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/rorymacve
Thanks again, everyone, and enjoy! :D
References:
- Volvo Cars
- Volvo 480 Club (and their respective sources)
- Volvo Club (and their respective sources)
- Auto Trader (and their respective sources)
- Wikipedia (and its respective references)

[@volvo480]

Some corrections to an otherwise well researched video: DAF is pronouced as a single word, not an abbreviation. Renault and Volvo were in talks of a merger at the time and Volvo desperately needed front wheel drive technology, which is why the 400-series is basically a Renault 9 underneath. Volvo wasn't happy with the Renault's road holding so they had the rear axle redesigned by Lotus engineering. Underpowered engines were due to Volvo Sweden's refusal to market fast cars at the time which would hamper their safety image. Volvo Netherlands sent the F3N engine to Porsche for developing a new cilinder head and turbocharged version. Porsche's engineers managed to churn out 170 bhp reliably with turbocharging, but Volvo Sweden wanted to protect their image and required the engine to be detuned to 120 bhp (we want a sporty car, not a sportscar). There are people who have reverse-engineered the ECU and tuned the engine back to 160-170 bhp. Market introduction in the USA never materialised because American Volvodealers didn't want an expensive stylish small car that goes around corners, they wanted bricks or something that could compete with the Japanese in a straight line (the 480 was more expensive than a Datsun 280ZX). Volvo Sweden didn't want it because the 480's initial build quality was abysmal and they feared for their quality image. Fortunately for Volvo's marketing department, a currency crisis made the US Dollar very unfavourable in exchange rate, so the plan was quietly axed in 1988.

[@rorymacve]

Hi Robert, Thanks again for allowing me permission to use your videos, and thank you also for providing the above corrections and extra information. :)

[@EdgyNumber1]

Nice documentary. How about one on the 850.. that's a curious story. Volvo at the races... With an estate. TWR finding loopholes in regulations. Volvo in financial trouble, the end of era in Volvo design language etc. 850 represented a seismic shift in the company.

[@volvo480]

@@EdgyNumber1 concerning the 850, the only thing radical for Volvo was the switch to front wheel drive and the availability of powerful 5 cilinder turbocharged engines, but that was all under the skin. From the outside it still was a conservative Jan Wilsgaard design, it was the last car he's designed. The 480 was much more radical design, but never got powerful engines. TWR started racing the 850 and the rest is history. Key people of the Volvo 400-series design team (Steve Harper and Peter Horbury) went on to design more Volvo's after Wilsgaard retired. The C70 was a Horbury design and he is still head of design within the Geely group. I think it was more a palace revolution than a seismic shock...

[@EdgyNumber1]

@@volvo480 still something that could be explored though. Volvo had always really stayed glacial until that point, despite 480 but from 850 onwards, I started to notice all sorts of (maybe) subtle changes going on over at Volvo on all dimensions; engineering, design and corporate.

[@benhooper1956]

@Robert Brink Thought I'd find you here... :)

[@JBFlytography]

I had one of these as my second car, 480T, handed down from Grandad was 21 year old when I owned it. Cracking wee car👌🏻

[@TheAegisClaw]

These looked like spaceships back in the day. Fantastic looking car from a company known for making boxes. I had an 850 T5 but always fancied one of these.

[@xxxthestuffxxx]

I had one of these about 15 years ago and it's still my favourite car I ever owned. If I won the lottery I'd buy the best condition one I could find and spend a fortune having it done up and maintained. Love it.

[@MPPelli]

The 480 is more of a spiritual successor to the P1800ES Sportswagon than the regular P1800. The rear styling cues of the 480 are straight from the estate version.

[@basvanbeers3515]

My thoughts exactly! Especially the tailgate.

[@dougf94912]

And, later the Volvo C30! 8-)

[@MPPelli]

@@dougf94912 Yes! The C30 isn't a bad looking automobile either.

[@judethaddaeus9742]

The “P” in P1800 was dropped from the car’s name after its first 2 years on the market. All cars made from 1963-on were called 1800S, 1800E, and 1800ES, the last of which was the 2-door sports wagon, which didn’t come out until 1972.

[@kuchenblechmafiagmbh1381]

And the glass tailgate of the P1800ES also got it's own nickname in Germany, it's called "Schneewittchensarg" - snow white's coffin/casket. I remember that a car magazine also called the Audi R8 so as an example of supercars that show their engine.

[@andrewfoster7204]

My mum had one of these (a 1993 2.0 ES model in white with white bumpers) and I loved it! It had all these strange things like illuminated door locks, a strange digital/light based "Information Centre" and a fibreglass bonnet! It carved out my irrational tolerance for Volvos, now having owned four in a row!

[@normanheath956]

Thanks for the Vid. I have owned four of these cars over the last 25 years and they are strangely addictive despite their faults.

[@BeasBotBonanza]

Honestly such underappreciated cars! I would love one of these, a Vw Corrado Honda CRZ as the best underappreciated coupes of the last few decades :P

[@Phunker1]

We had a black 480 Turbo with red stripes. What a cool car that was!

[@luislealsantos]

The publicity at that time said the car was designed as a fighter, and usually had a picture of an f16. It's a very interesting car. Another great short documentary. Thanks

[@andrewfoster7204]

...I forgot to mention: a couple of years ago I visited the Volvo museum in Gothenburg and I saw the 480 Cabrio in the flesh!

[@nikolatesla4608]

I wish I could go back to the good old days and drive a 480 once again...

[@diabolicalartificer]

I had one, great little car, nippy, handled well and I could stash loads of long stuff in the boot/back as the seats folded down . I used it when I lived on site (in a trailer/caravan) for carting about barrels of diesel, wood for the wood burner, that sort of thing. It never gave me a moment of trouble for two years, unlike the Ford & Vauxhall's I'd had. The head gasket went, so I weighed it in, wish I'd have kept it now, but in those days you could get a motor with 6 months tax & ticket on for about £100. Great video Ruairidh as usual, keep em coming mate, thanks......DA.

[@torresalex]

Perfection! I really enjoy this channel and to have one of my favourite cars be the subject was a treat! Thumbs up, Mr. MacVeigh!

[@Tiger351]

I find it kinda ironic that hot weather testing was done here in Australia, the 480 was never offered here by Volvo despite the fact that the 340/360 and 440 were plus the 480's competitors from VW and Peugot.

[@volvo480]

They were in NZ though. There was even a version for Saudi Arabia, with injector cooling.

[@obelic71]

The good old days. Lots of family members worked at the DAF/VOLVO/NEDCAR carplant. In school vacations and in the weekend as an enginering student i worked at the assembly plant. Cars who needed to reworked after failed quality/safety checks and-or in factory fender bending had to be transported between departments for repair. The biggest rework program what i am aware of in my time was the change of the waterpumps. There was a faulty batch of waterpumps installed Every car had to be inspected if that pump was from that batch and if so moved to the garage for rework. I learned to drive in very close suroundings and use a spanner there. A friend of my bought a 480 and joined the 480 club. The volvo480 club was always happy with me about the practicle spanneruse knowledge of that car. After my uncle died he left me the 460 1.9TD that i had worked on at the factory. Personaly i liked the 440-460 driving/handeling more then the 480. The suspension was updated and the 480 did not. the 1.9TD was anything but slow and the 460 2.0 Turbo was a beast. the 2.0 turbo was developed for the 480 but when they axed the 480 they put those engines in the 460. Sadly i lost my 460 in a car accident with a drunk driver. The safety systems did their work and i just had some scratches and fireburns form the airbag. You can't replace such a car 😢

[@oliverbrigstocke1306]

This was the first car I ever travelled in (as a tiny baby) and I’m planning on buying one when I can afford it

[@russrh]

I didn't realise I needed to know more about the 480

[@Alex-se4tk]

honestly the 480 looks really good

[@Elvis_TheKing]

Iconic cars, shame the model was not quite the success story Volvo had anticipated. In terms of the video: well informed, articulate, entertaining and well presented. Your channel was recommended to me by ‘Big Car’, and certainly has not disappointed. Subscribed.

[@Bazzaland]

Thanks for the informative video! One of these just showed up on B.A.T. It's a '94 480 GT 5 speed! Located in New York, no less! I picked up a '97 850 5 speed wagon a couple years ago and thought that was the first FWD Volvo, but guess not. It's my first modern wagon after being owned by two wonderful 145s's. Such a well-engineered car.....just a joy to drive!

[@valprocks]

When the 480 was presented I was in love with the looks, bought it later as a used car, kept a black 86 about 3 years and a 89 red with US specs about 4 years. Both were unreliable and not well finished. The red one made me so angry, tried to kill it by overreving and hammered it for hours. The poor thing didn‘t give up except the exhaust rubbers were melting at oil temperatures about 150 degrees (!) No blowing head gasket, no water or oil issues. Then I respected it a little more and kept it for another year, before replacing it with a swedish brick.

[@LudasMatyi-fv6mb]

you f.ckin a.shole, shame on you, I have 89 red Volvo 480 Turbo and it is TOTALLY reliable!!! you just had a bad mechanic.

[@fhwolthuis]

Nice video! I love some Dutch design 🙂 The 480 was however not really conceived or marketed as a "hot hatchback" but more as a practical "GT" or "personal coupe".

[@RobJaskula]

What!? Have never heard of this! Good looking car

[@martijnkosters9024]

My dad had a 480 ES (badged as a Turbo). Lots of electrical gremlins, only four seats and two siblings meant it was replaced by a 440 Turbo (with boot spoiler!)

[@johnboulton1109]

Another good video Ruairidh! I remember seeing these on the road as a kid in the 80s and early 90s. They were certainly a big change from the big slab sided estate vehicles.

[@volvo480]

Thanks for the great video Ruairidh! No need to thank me, I've merely uploaded promotional videos from Volvo to my channel for everyone's enjoyment.

[@benhooper1956]

Very well put together video this, I think it is important to note that the 480 was never really competing in the hot hatch market as it wasn't that sort of car to start with. It is compact coupe similar to the Sirocco, and the Accord Aerodeck. I think the 480 would have advantages over both those cars, though I am yet to drive them. Over the Scirocco I think the handling would be superior, and over the Aerodeck I believe the dynamics would be better across the board, certainly if the period comparison tests are to be believed. I have an early 1988 car and I must say I have never felt it to be lacking in power as such, even when I have had experience with a Twin Cam Rover 220 Gti, the 480 still feels perfectly competent. I would be interested to see just how it compares against a Golf Gti, even though they are in different segments. I have said 'I think' a lot in this comment, and this is of course my opinion, but as someone who was going into 480 ownership expecting a car that was never going to be very fun to drive, I was very much proven wrong. These cars are definitely worth a try!

[@LudasMatyi-fv6mb]

Thanks mate, totally agree...

[@kevinbarry71]

I was a teenager when this car debuted, and very interested in cars, and I never heard of it. And I grew up in New York where Volvos were certainly available

[@RoadCone411]

It never came to the US, thus the reason you wouldn't have seen one unless you have spent time in Europe.,

[@robrowe2298]

Always fancied one of them.

[@TheElDoctoro24]

Another Knockout video Sir!! My favourite channel on YT everyday

[@elizabethcherry920]

The came the successor in 2006 called the Volvo C30 which had more power , but unfortunately it too did not sell well, but at least it made it to the US

[@RoadCone411]

Indeed the C30 did come to the United States but it was not a big seller. I can't even remember the last time I saw one! To be honest, as stylish as the 480 was, the C30 was just a chopped S40 sedan with a cool glass hatch. It was expensive too - for the kind of money the C30 sold for, you could get a pretty good VW GTI.

[@volvo480]

@@RoadCone411 the C30 was a Ford Focus underneath, but at least it was constructed to accept Volvo's five cilinder engines.

[@RoadCone411]

@@volvo480 Not sure I ever knew that. It was certainly the most stylish Focus to grace our roads!

[@maxant4285]

Pop up up and down head lights!

[@nathanjoseph4284]

Ah a fellow Donut Media fan I see here :)

[@KarlHamilton]

Excellent!! Always wanted one of these.

awesome video once again, thanks!!!

[@mastersofpuppets92]

These videos are excellent. But where's the British Garratt one gone?

[@estebanvasquez2307]

Looks like a Honda Civic or CRX from around the same time. While the Cabriolet version, could almost pass up as an early prototype of the Mazda Miata.

[@gkjsooley]

You can't say it failed in the US (and Canada) because it was never given the chance to fail as it was never sold in either country, even though it was designed to comply with those markets' regulations. Most 480 histories I have read have blamed this on the strength of the Swedish Kroner vs. the North American currencies at the time, which would have made it completely unprofitable to sell the car in the US and Canada.

[@volvo480]

Funny that those histories blame the Swedish kroner, the cars were built in The Netherlands where they used the Dutch guilder at the time so you would expect that currency.

[@gkjsooley]

Volvo is, however, a Swedish company. All of its bookkeeping would have been in SKR.

[@aleronhawk]

I saw one few years ago. It was so rare to see a volvo already so find one made me feel like i just find a treasure box or something.

[@nikolatesla4608]

I find it such a great pity!! Why do the most beautiful and hottest cars always fail..?? I had 2 480ies, one Turbo and one ES, I just loved them. The handling was perfect, performance very good, the car was still practical for daily use.. can not understand why it wasn't sold better..

[@th-l8936]

Amazing video! Love your channel :)

[@owenchuarbx]

The 480 looks like an elongated 3rd Gen Civic

[@bjoernaltmann]

It’s way more substantial and better designed.

[@erikandersen2477]

The front looks like a fiat punto 176/188😁

[@buggs9950]

A few years ago I really wanted a turbo one of these but ended up with a Corrado instead. I probably got the better car but I'd still have a 480 in a heartbeat. I've only seen about two in the last decade mind..

[@buggs9950]

Oh yeah, I've got a big dog now so the 480 would be perfect(ish). Well it sounds like enough of an excuse to me!

[@tokmindegy8976]

Both Corrado and 480 are superior, underrated cars! As good as a rival and much overhyped Porsche 944!

[@kroneditor9266]

Very poorly put together (for a Volvo). Headlining collapses were common and lots of niggles with lights and operations. We actually had to send ours back and have it replaced with a 740 GLE by agreement with Volvo head office.

[@danentwisle8885]

Us too. Our 440 was so bad we got a 740. But only a GL. Clearly my Dad didn't get angry enough!

[@volvo480]

I have worked on quite a few 480's but never had any issues with headlining, save for a scrap car that had been standing in a field for years. But if you fancy a 740, the 480 wasn't a car for you anyway.

[@fletch8d616]

Cor looks great now so different ! Can't say I've seen one since the nineties , are there any left Bet it's a quality ride🙂

[@robsterbob580]

I had one, a 1988 one in black. Always loved the styling. Looked very cool in black with the red bumper strips. But sadly it was the most unreliable car I've ever owned. Mine was getting old when I had it, but came with loads of service history. But electrics were crap. It would start fine but then cut out as you drove away. Then it wouldn't restart. Pop up headlights often got stuck. One would come up and the other wouldn't. Didn't have it for long. Replaced it with a reliable Ford Sierra.

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

You mentioned a lot of countries but failed to mention Portugal. These sold very well in Portugal. I believe that the F3N engine would be underpowered for this car, if I got a 480, I would try to get a turbo... But let me tell you, I have driven the lighter Renault 19 with the F3N extensively and it is a great engine! In the lighter Renault it is more than fast enough with VERY strong acceleration. The Renault 1.8 16v goes faster but it seems to have less torque at low revs. Like it is more powerful and revs faster but it feels like it has less torque

[@alanhunter2051]

You are bang on with the 19. It was a flying machine. A 19 fully laden was lighter than the 480 empty. it stood no chance of being a hot hatch.

[@volvo480]

@@alanhunter2051 I've heard of crash testing the 480 when it was in its very start of the design stage, more or less a Renault 9 with a different body. To say Volvo was disappointed about the result, was a very nice description of the outcome... Thiis is why the 400 series became much heavier than the Renault 9 they were based upon.

[@Matt_from_Florida]

We had a 1987 Renault GTA Convertible with a 2.0L version of the 'F' engine.

[@backwoodsbungalow9674]

Sad that Volvo and Mitsubishi did not survive as an alliance rather like Renault & Nissan. The Mitsubishi SUVs and trucks complement the Volvo sedans & wagons while the small Mitsubishi cars were a big upgrade for the small DAF cars.

[@stevie-ray2020]

Found this quite interesting as I'm looking at purchasing a used Volvo C30 because I really don't want or need a four-door vehicle (divorced & no children) & nor am I a fan of sedans, but with the back problems I've had surgery for, I'd like to know I'm driving a safer vehicle!

[@MonopodMan]

You should cover Fisker Automotive for a future video

[@danentwisle8885]

Build quality similar to an Airfix model made by a 9 year old didn't help. My Dad got an early D Registered ES on test. The driver's seat came off its runners on the forecourt. The 1989 440 we eventually bought was plagued with issues. Had the 480 - and contemporary NEDCAR products - benefitted from the 16v engine used in the Renault 19 rather than the ancient 8v Renault lump it got, then it would maybe have had more success. Maybe.

[@volvo480]

Yes, the D-reg launch cars were bad. I've never understood why Volvo Sweden didn't send their quality control down to Volvo Car Netherlands. Funny that you call the 8v Renault F-engine an ancient lump, it's first apperance was in 1983 in the Renault 9 so 2 years prior to 480 press reveal in 1985. Lower spec R19 got ancient Cleon engines, only the higher spec R19 got the same engine as the 480 (F3N), the 16v in the R19 16S (F7R) is the same engine but with a 16V head and that version of the engine came in 1990 so wasn't available at launch of the 480. By that time, the 48i0 Turbo was available, with much more low-end torque than the 16v engine.

[@juststuff8742]

Looks fantastic - shame about the convertible

[@Regnmakare]

"Goedemorgen! :D" - Interesting accent i thougth at first, then i realized why :-) English: Good Morning! Swedish: God morgon! Norwegian: God morgen! Danish: God morgen! German: Guten Morgen! Dutch: Goedemorgen! Car nostalgia: DAF 66, Volvo 340, Volvo 400 series... From rear wheel drive with cvt to Volvos first with front wheel drive. The saying in Sweden at the time about the Dutch made 400 series was that a real Volvo has rear wheel drive... The world is changing, today all Volvos are Chinese and has front wheel drive (or 4WD), tomorrow they will be electric and owned by who?

[@knutarneaakra6013]

Oslo: halla. Vestlandet : gomåren . Bergen: gosja mei .finnmark : hæstkuk.

[@volvo480]

Volvosaurs will always stick to RWD bricks until they die ;-) (Granted, they will die before their cars do!) In reality, Volvo needed front wheel drive to survive. They've bought DAF because manufacturing smaller cars secured a grant from the Swedish government, but they really had to build a front wheel drive (cheaper to build, better fuel economy) successor to the 700-series to secure the future. DAF used Renault engines for their 55, 66 and 77 (which became the Volvo 300 series) cars so Volvo turned to Renault for front wheel drive technology, the two companies almost merged in the 1990s. Volvo 400-series were a heavily reworked Renault 9, Volvo 850 was a completely new development with front wheel drive and a new range of five cilinder engines. In return, Renault Safrane were sold with four and five cilinder Volvo engines.

[@BitchinSpectre]

my favorite car we never got in the us.

[@volvo480]

You can do a private import now as they are over 25 years old. There's a guy in Baltimore who has one.

[@judethaddaeus9742]

How exactly did the Ford Sierra’s design, revealed September 22, 1982, influence the design of the 480, which was approved 15 months prior? Also, plastic bumpers weren’t necessary to key the bumpers to the body color of the car. Several cars with color-keyed metal bumpers had been produced long before the 480 was made. The truth is, the 480’s bumpers were plastic because it was cheaper, lighter, and more energy-absorbent for crash safety than metal. Besides, everyone had plastic bumpers at the time.

[@nathanjoseph4284]

Sadly we never got those here in the US, despite the car originally being intended for the US market :(

[@FlyingScott]

The Dutch in the description took me off-guard, to be honest.

[@adampowell5376]

I am surprised that they produced the 480 before the 440.

[@joelhenderson4450]

An anti-roll bar? Or a roll-over protection hoop?

[@mustsilm]

Are there any cars made in those DAF factories these days?

[@kozmokohler]

As the owner of a '90 Honda CRX it looks like a Civic Hatch of the same era. Always had a special place in my heart for Volvos; built like a tank and well before their time in safety standards. This is one I would definitely like to get my hands on for a test drive! Those headlights are everything from the era.

[@LudasMatyi-fv6mb]

Nope. The the shape and details of the 480 is much more refined and sophisticated, more elegand than the Honda which is a legend now as well.

[@M.S-Music]

A Dutch design with a Renault engine, marketed as a robust & reliable Swedish Volvo... what could go wrong?

[@robsterbob580]

Plenty! I know because I had one.

[@volvo480]

@@robsterbob580 what could possibly go wrong with all electrics having "made in Germany" on them, is what I keep thinking when I'm repairing a CEM (made by Hella), ventilation module (made by Siemens) or instrument cluster (made by VDO). They were penny-pinching from the start, that's why...

[@AtheistOrphan]

My wife once had a bright red Volvo, but some ointment from the chemist’s soon cleared it up.

[@David_S1985]

🤣

[@stevie-ray2020]

Imagine how miserable those Volvo dealers felt every time they submitted their sales-figures to the US distributor! Probably the two main reason US buyers were put off buying the 480's were it being underpowered, & the fear of being rear-ended by pickups or other locally made 'tanks'!

[@volvo480]

They weren't made available to the US market so we will never know what the sales figures were, the version which was meant for the USA had a 120 bhp turbocharged engine. It was still a Volvo in terms of safety, see the crash test video that I have uploaded to KZbin.

[@stevie-ray2020]

@@volvo480 They would've sold well if they'd sold them here in Australia!

[@volvo480]

@@stevie-ray2020 there's a handful of them in NZ!

[@1258-Eckhart]

It's "Daff", not D.A.F.

[@johnpinckney4979]

Another European car denied to Americans. That could be the subject of a video itself. Also, how about one on American cars that have had a "second life" being produced in other nations?

[@DanKeeley]

What a missed opportunity. The design is so close to being amazing, yet somehow just looks like a right dogs dinner. Hey ho!

[@zopEnglandzip]

Meh, Volvo had previous in sporty non family shapes, I always saw this as a spiritual successor to the p1800. It's price tag definitely wasn't competitive against hit hatches.

[@Diptera_Larvae]

Mitsubishi bought shares in Volvo? Who times have changed!

[@deefox7333]

can I still import one to California?

[@Populiervogel]

Sure, I don't know import/export procedures but they are still for sale second hand in the Netherlands. www.gaspedaal.nl/volvo/480

[@alanhunter2051]

The biggest problem is they used Renault engines which were poor quality and easily went bang.. with the turbo. Many were fixed by putting a Renault traffic 1700 engine in exchange.. Change the sump and oil pickup pipe and fitted perfectly. Sell on quick to a poor sod not knowing the low compression engine had been fitted. The Traffic engine would last between 1 and 10 thousand miles depending on how hard it was driven. A brilliant design flawed by compromise at every level. Excellent video

[@volvo480]

This is the first time (and I've heard MANY stories) that someone complains about poor engine reliability. I'm very curious how and why someone would go throught the trouble of putting a carburetted Renault Trafic engine in while plenty of scrap cars exist with perfecly running engines. Never crankshaft bearing failures, never head gasket failures. even after 300,000 miles. only if you fail to adjust the valve clearances, you may end up with burnt valves. But engines that go bang, well maybe if you don't put oil in them. Sorry.

[@alanhunter2051]

@@volvo480 I meant when they were very new and the turbo versions were not easily found in scrap yards. The inlet and exhaust manifolds and cam cover were changed to look like the original. When they were being traded in the garages used to check the engine no.

[@cappaculla]

Did all that come from your imagination, or can you cite your sources

[@alanhunter2051]

@@cappaculla It came from a family run four garages buying 440 and 480 cars and selling them on as they bought all the good engines from scrap yards in Scotland and north of England FACT

[@stephenjcuk7562]

Everything about this car was innovative at the time, even the styling but somehow it never quite got it right. Almost too correct or maybe too 'Volvo' for the time.

[@lozyoung4110]

I see where the tail of the C30 came from. I don't remember this car, it's not very good looking even for a 1980s Volvo.

[@martinxxxmartin]

Great infotainment as ever. But like already mentioned by other comments : The 480 , like the 4xx series Volvos was the first Front Wheel Drive and also transverse engine car by Volvo. All the drive train from Renault. The "successor" to it was the Mazda 323F. I found the 480 very uncomfortable on long journey because at least in the right hand drive UK manual gearbox version there is no good space / footrest for the left foot.

[@garethwilliams976]

Owned one in 1990 and liked the steering, ride, comfort and practicality as a load carrier. I hated the weedy engine and the unreliable electronics especially in wet weather when turning on the ignition might pop up the lights or sound the horn. So sad as it could have been a great car and a real trend setter. Would buy one now as a mate is an auto electrician.

[@tokmindegy8976]

Shame on you!

[@redram5150]

Looks like a Saturn before there was a Saturn

[@melisaunoi]

Selling mine if any of you is interested

[@LudasMatyi-fv6mb]

keep it instead!!!

[@michaelbeaver8281]

'Not fast enough'... it's a road car who cares. Only sad little men who don't know a thing about driving say stuff like that. I'm a sad old racing driver btw.

[@richard63]

Not an attractive car. Lots of over-hang in the nose. Having two sets of lights looked ridiculous. Needed the 740 snout ( flat bonnet with small grille and lights in the right area ).

[@ChevyBM]

Volvo has done two big mistakes: 1. Started to build FWD cars. 2. Now only manufactures 4 cylinder motors and skipped the good and reliable 5, 6 and 8 cylinder motors.

[@volvo480]

The biggest mistake a car manufacturer can make is not evolving.

[@ChevyBM]

@@volvo480 How is is to evolve to start making boring cars that are unreliable?

[@KJohansson]

One of these I've had.. A 480 Turbo! A total turd.. Only 120hp and a quality of interiour materials totally forgotten. Had a Audi 80 2.6 before it, and it was much more powerful. Good looking though, and Volvo 850 would not have been as good as it was if Volvo hadn't had the 440/460/480 to practice on.

[@tokmindegy8976]

Shame on you! You did NOT deseve a Volvo 480 at all! Go and buy some Suzuki!

[@mikeuk4130]

I expect all the people who didn't buy these went out and bought Bull Terriers instead. Similarly ugly.

[@cappaculla]

Or in your case married one

[@mikeuk4130]

Netherlands, huh? Is that why it's as tasteless as a Dutch tomato, especially in that garish colour?

[@darrinheaven4643]

Slow, unreliable, fragile trim but interesting as heck. I've owned several and still have one as an occasion driver. Nice to buzz around in something that no-one else has got. Should have tested in a rain forest rather than Australia though, they leak like a Dutch creation shouldn't.

[@LudasMatyi-fv6mb]

HELL NO!

[@juststuff8742]

Looks fantastic - shame about the convertible