Volvo 140 & 160 Series Gold Portfolio 1966-1975

When they were new in the 1960s and 1970s, these Volvos were associated with a clearly defined sector of the motoring public. Their buyers were attracted by the cars reputation for durability, by their in-built safety features, and by their sheer spaciousness - particularly in the case of the estate variants. Those less well-disposed towards the cars suggested that these same buyers were not concerned about issues such as handling, acceleration, and good looks. Volvo remained unruffled by such sniping, however. They had every reason to have faith in their cars - four-door 144 range sold 523,808 worldwide between 1966 and 1975, the two-door 142 models sold a further 412,986 there were 268,317 145-series estates and a further 165,068 six-cylinder 164 saloons. These figures were convincing evidence that the cars embodied all the right ingredients, and indeed the 244/245/262/264/265 series which replaced them in the mid-1970s took the concept a logical step further. In addition, these replacements used what was essentially the same bodyshell. Durability may have been one of the reasons why the cars appealed to stolid middle-class buyers, but it also helps to explain why they now appeal to motoring enthusiasts. So many cars are still around, 20 years after the range ceased production, that it is hard not to have some respect for these first-generation square-rigged Volvos. The articles in this book are a valuable reminder of the cars many other qualities - and of the way they were viewed when new. Models covered: 142, S, E, 144, S, GL, 145, S, 164E & Ruddspeed. 172 pages, over 300 illus. SB.