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Junkyard Gem: 1982 Volvo 244 DL

Because it was sold in the United States for so many years — 19 model years, to be exact — and won the hearts of so many American drivers with its reliability and safety, sufficient examples of the Volvo 200 Series remain in service that they continue to show up in self-service car graveyards nearly 30 years after the last ones left the showroom. We saw a low-mile Richelieu Red 1983 Volvo 244 DL in a Denver-area yard last year, and now I've found a near-identical 1982 244 DL in another yard located between Denver and Cheyenne. Volvo went through several variations in the naming scheme for these cars between 1975 and 1993; during the first half of the 1980s, the 240 was badged using just the trim level. That makes this car a 1982 Volvo DL, the cheapest trim level available at the time. By now, though, everyone who knows old Volvos uses the three-number system of the 1970s, with the second digit indicating the number of engine cylinders and the third digit representing the number of doors. I'll be using the 244 designation here. This car came from the factory with a fuel-injected 2.1-liter SOHC straight-four rated at 112 horsepower. This car has the base four-on-the-floor manual transmission with an overdrive selected via the switch on the shift knob. If you wanted an automatic transmission, you had to pay an extra $325 (just over a thousand bucks in 2022 money). Later in the decade, a five-speed manual became available on the 240. Most 240s rack up better than 200,000 miles during their careers (and I've seen quite a few that made it past 300,000), but this car didn't reach that figure. This car still has its original AM/FM/cassette radio, which would have cost serious money in 1982. The MSRP on this car was $10,260, or about $31,800 in 2022 dollars. The two-door version went for $9,785 ($30,330 now). You could get a new 1982 Buick LeSabre Limited sedan for $9,331, and it was much roomier and more powerful than the VolvoÂ… but not as good in a crash. There's very little rust on this car, and the only serious body damage is this dented passenger-side door. The rodent nesting detritus under the hood and the lack of wear on the seat fabric suggests that it got parked for good a decade or three back. Perhaps it would have been rescued and revived in the rustier parts of the continent, but there's a glut of restorable 244s and a shortage of Volvo enthusiasts in the Denver area. This content is hosted by a third party.

Volvo V90 wagon is beautiful, but it's dead in America [UPDATE]

Update: Roadshow reported that the V60 T5 variant is joining the V90 on its way out the door for the 2022 model year. However, the V60 T8 Polestar Engineered and V60 Cross Country will continue on, ensuring that the V60 nameplate does not disappear entirely from the U.S. We contacted Volvo about the news, and a spokesperson confirmed Roadshow's report. We're glad to hear that the performance variant of Volvo's V60 is sticking around, and if you want something more affordable, the lovely and lifted V60 Cross Country can check that box. The original story continues below.   Volvo, a brand practically synonymous with wagons in the U.S., is pulling the plug on one of the last great examples of the form. For Americans, at least. The beautiful and excellent Volvo V90 wagon will no longer be sold in America after the 2021 model year. Its demise was reported by Motor Trend, which didn't quote a source, so we reached out to Volvo for the official word: "Volvo will offer V90 Cross Country in MY22, but simplify the range and no longer offer the standard V90." The move has been foreshadowed for a long time, as Volvo has moved only 1,453 V90s from the car's debut in 2017 through the end of the 2020 model year. The figures don't break out the standard V90 versus the lifted V90 Cross Country, but we would bet that the V90 portion of that figure is infinitesimal.  As we've said in the past, it's a chicken-and-egg problem: The V90 wagon is available only via special order and is not marketed; you can't just walk onto a Volvo lot and choose from stock, as you can Volvo's hot-selling SUVs. Sales of the wagon have been slow for a long time, and earlier this year Volvo head honcho Hakan Samuelsson said the company would move away from wagons and into the arms of the in-demand crossovers. To be clear, the V90 Cross Country will still be available, as will the smaller V60 T8 Polestar Engineered wagon and V60 Cross Country. The loss is a gut-punch to wagon-loving enthusiasts. The V90 was universally well-reviewed, a competent and competitive car — and stunning to behold. It was a pure wagon form, unfettered by unnecessarily lifted suspensions or extra body cladding to make it appear more rugged. It handled better than its crossover cousins thanks to a lower center of gravity, and carried the torch for a long line of great wagons. We are in an arms race for taller, bulkier cars that handle worse and are indistinguishable from one another.

2021 Volvo V90 T6 Road Test | The best-kept secret

Against all odds and sales sense, the 2021 Volvo V90 is still kicking and available to order in the United States. Not only that, but Volvo gave it a mini mid-cycle update this year, altering the styling and adding more tech. It’s still disappointing that Volvo doesnÂ’t keep any V90s in stock at dealers, but it looks like the best way to sell a wagon in this country is to make it order-only like the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S or Audi RS6 Avant. Well, that, or lift it and apply body cladding as in the case of the V90's Cross Country sibling. Dealers do carry those. However, youÂ’ll be glad that you took the time to special order the non-lifted, uncladded V90. It's a design masterpiece; a full-size family vehicle that forces you to look back at it every time you walk away. Volvo hasnÂ’t struck out with a single design over the past few years, and this V90 is surely the brandÂ’s crowning achievement. Proportions, stance, lighting and wheels; all of it is pleasing to the eye. The hugely useful cargo area and big back seat just raise the bar even higher. That a vehicle can be as practical as this one is, handle like a car and still look this good just makes it even more appealing. This Volvo goes from point A to point B like a member of the Swedish royal family sweeping across a crowded ballroom centuries ago. Poised and elegant, the V90 silently wafts down the road riding on a pillowy air suspension. ThereÂ’s no rush. Curious eyes turn to catch a glimpse of something they rarely see. Yet the V90 never demands anybody take notice with extravagant creases or a gaudy grille. It just exists in this glamorous state of purist wagon nirvana. Simplicity tends to breed the most appealing car designs, but labeling the V90 as simplistic would be a misnomer. This Inscription trim V90 is adorned with just the right amount of shiny chrome, highlighting the sharp styling and drawing the eye downward. VolvoÂ’s updates serve to smooth out the front and rear fascias even further, going so far as to delete the rear exhaust outlet in the bumper in favor of an invisible under-car exit. It suits the wagonÂ’s attitude and also serves to prepare our eyes for an electric future. A new and much more intricate rear LED taillight design animates a friendly “hello” from bottom-to-top at the press of the unlock button, or top-to-bottom for “goodbye.” The new 20-inch wheel design completes the picture with a striking bright and dark two-tone finish.