The Humble 200 Series
Say Volvo and chances are you’ll have images of a 200 Series/240, more likely in station wagon form. Of course, other contenders include the hugely important 850 or the S60R/V70R, but the 240 was quite literally the face of the brand for decades. Sure, it’s been outsold by the XC60, but when it comes to iconic status, it’s hard to beat the brick from the ’70s.
When the 200 Series first came out in 1974, it could be best described as safe, sensible, and reliable transport. It was a logical car to buy and own, and the kind of car that would faithfully serve its owner without complaint. Indeed, people liked it so much that it was produced for 19 years, earning its well-deserved retirement in 1993. The 200 Series was many things, but it wasn’t performance-oriented. Not even the V6-powered 260s were anything spectacular. That all changed when the Turbo models arrived and did a spot of racing along the way, successfully, if we may say.
Cranked to 11, and More
Today, the 200 Series is a great practical classic, and with over 2.8 million built, there are plenty of cars to turn into projects. You can either restore it to like-new, or take the route YouTuber Peter Bjorck did with his 1975 240 sedan.
The 200 Series is no stranger to crazy builds. We’ve seen dragsters, off-roaders, pickups, and many other iterations of Volvo’s longest-running product. But what Bjorck did merits even more attention and props. That’s because he shoved a Gallardo V10 in a 240, mounted it in the middle, and proceeded to slap two turbos on it. It’s a crazy build, and yes, it runs.
Peter Bjorck/Instagram
Lambo Inside
Admittedly, Bjorck’s build is more of a Volvo 240 skin that’s strapped to a rocket of an engine. It’s on a bespoke chassis, and the rear end was made so wide that it’s not really a sedan anymore. The car still resembles the classic Volvo, but think of it as a street-rod version that’s been slammed to the ground.
The car has been a work in progress for the last couple of years, and it’s done shakedown runs recently. As mentioned by The Drive, it posted a 1/8th mile run in 5.3 seconds at 137 mph, and the car still needed extra fine-tuning to truly extract as much power from those ten cylinders. But considering it’s still not totally dialed in, it’s a strong run.
Not the Only One
Bjorck calls the mid-engined V10 240 sedan the Waffle, but that’s not the only Gallardo-powered Swedish tank that he owns. Before Waffle, there was the Volvoghini, his V10-powered wagon. Take that, BMW and Audi.
The Volvoghini is a tad tamer than Waffle, but it’s still a cool build nonetheless. Its V10 is mounted up front a la C6 Audi S6, and will pull a caravan with zero effort whatsoever. We also like the fact that it wears its patina proudly, and the only giveaways are the wide tires and that V10 wail. We absolutely approve of both builds.
Peter Bjorck/Instagram
Peter Bjorck/Instagram
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