Volvo 240

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Volvo
Volvo 244 DL (1974-1977)
Volvo 244 DL (1974-1977)
240/242/244/245
Production period: 08 / 1974-05 / 1993
Class : Middle class
Body versions : Limousine , station wagon
Engines:
Otto engine : 1.9–2.3 liters
(60–121 kW)
Diesel engine :
2.0–2.4 liters
(60 kW)
Length: 4790-4898 mm
Width: 1707 mm
Height: 1435-1460 mm
Wheelbase : 2640 mm
Empty weight : 1335-1470 kg
Previous model Volvo 140
successor Volvo 740 , Volvo 850

The Volvo 240 series includes the passenger car models 242, 244 and 245 from the Swedish car manufacturer Volvo . From the beginning of 1982 it was uniformly referred to as 240 . It is closely related to the Volvo 260 series .

General

The Volvo 240 followed in the summer of 1974 on the Volvo 140, which had been built since the summer of 1966, and was built until the spring of 1993, for almost 19 years. Jan Wilsgaard designed these two models as well . The two types differ essentially in the 240 lengthened front with a new front axle ( MacPherson struts instead of double wishbones and racks - instead of Gemmer steering ), modified grilles and larger rear lights. During the construction period, the model series was continuously developed and refined. The 240 outlived the originally planned successor Volvo 740 and its successor the Volvo 940 by around a year.

The 240 was Volvo's volume model in the 1970s and 1980s. The sedan found many buyers, especially in the US market, while the station wagon was particularly popular on the European continent.

In 1976, the American road safety authority NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) selected the Volvo 240 as the reference vehicle for setting future safety standards for imported cars. Even 17 years after its market launch, the 240 was named the safest vehicle on the American market by the American insurance institute IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) in 1991.

Body styles

The Volvo 240 was available as a two-door sedan 242 , a four-door sedan 244 and a five-door station wagon 245 .

The type designation is as follows: Series 200 + 4 cylinders + 2, 4 or 5 doors.

The 240 series was revised for the first time in August 1977. You can recognize it by the modified radiator grille, which also includes the headlights with a chrome frame.

In the fall of 1980, another modified 240 series was shown at the Paris Salon, in which the taillights were also revised. The series now almost completely dispensed with chrome , only a thin trim strip is above the bumpers .

From the beginning of 1982 the model designations were simplified and the reference to the number of doors was omitted. From then on, the cars only bore the sales designation Volvo 240 . "P242", "P244" or "P245" were still entered as the type designation in the vehicle documents.

Production of the two-door sedans ended at the beginning of 1984, although sales of the Volvo 242 in Germany had already ceased at the end of 1977. At the same time, other minor changes were made: The 240 got the grille of the larger 260 and side indicators on the front fenders.

Although the four-door sedan was only officially offered on the German market until the end of 1991, it was still available as a gray import until production ended in May 1993 .

  • Volvo 244 DL rear view (1974-1977)

  • Volvo 244 (1977-1980)

  • Volvo 244 GL

  • Volvo 244 GL rear view (1980)

  • Volvo 242 DL (1980-1984)

  • Volvo 240 (1984-1991)

  • Volvo 245 DL rear view (1974-1977)

  • Volvo 240 1992

  • Volvo 240 Estate (1984-1993)

  • Volvo 245 hearse (1980)

Based on the body of the Volvo 244, the higher-positioned Volvo 264 sedan was also created in August 1974, followed by the Kombi 265 in mid-1975.

The rear doors of the station wagon are a striking detail: this has a smooth roof, but the upper edges of the rear doors follow the rounded roof shape of the sedan. Doors and side windows can be swapped between vehicles.

Equipment

The equipment lines differed from market to market and varied from model year to model year. The following equipment lines have been offered on the German market over the years:

Volvo 244 DLS (1977)
Volvo 240 US version (1981) with a front typical for North America
  • L = Luxe = Simplest equipment with rubber mats instead of carpet, no clock in the dashboard, fabric seats with synthetic leather edging. In Germany only available as a two-door 242 L until 1977.
  • DL = De Luxe = basic equipment in Germany from the start of production in 1974 up to and including model year 1978. Seat covers made of fabric without artificial leather edging, no colored glazing.
  • DLS = De Luxe Special = model limited to approx. 1000 pieces for the GDR ; based on the 244 DL from model year 1978, but equipped with the front (bonnet, headlights, grill) of the Volvo 264 . The vehicles offered for GDR 42,800 marks were among the few Western-made cars that were available in the GDR for Ostmark and are said to have sold out within a few days.
  • DLC = De Luxe Comfort = A special model from the 1978 model year, a small edition built exclusively for the German market. In other European countries (Belgium, Holland) the same special model was offered as the Blue Star . Except for the modified engine, a B21A carburettor engine, the DLC corresponded to the highest equipment variant GL Grand Luxe . Special features such as overdrive gear, metallic paint, color glazing, rev counter and chrome trim rings on the wheels were taken over from the GL equipment of the same model year. The special model DLC was only delivered in light blue metallic (color code 126). The seats were upholstered with a matching blue velor and had heated seats. Only available as a four-door sedan.
  • GL = Grand Luxe = From the start of production in 1974 up to and including model year 1978, the highest equipment line with leather seats, metallic paintwork and green colored glazing. Injection engines instead of carburettor engines. From 1978 downgrade to the basic equipment with a reduction in the scope of equipment, similar to the previous equipment line DL .
  • GLE = Grand Luxe Executive = Highest equipment line from model year 1979 to model year 1983. Essentially similar to the previous GL equipment line . In Germany only as a four-door sedan in the range, in other countries also as a station wagon.
  • GLT = Grand Luxe Touring = "sporty" sister model to the GLE available from model year 1980 to 1984 with black decorative lines instead of chrome and with light alloy rims. Tighter tuning of the chassis than with GL / GLE. No turbo engine, but gearbox with a shorter gear ratio for better acceleration. Slightly higher top speed. In the first model year only available as a four-door sedan, later also as a station wagon.
  • GT = Grand Tourisme = sports model released in 1977 for Switzerland, the USA, Canada, Australia and Sweden. Not included in the model offer for Germany. Black decorative lines, window frames and bumpers painted black. Paint in silver metallic, for Canada also in black. Seats with black fabric covers. Available as 2.1L or 2.3L (140PS) with mechanical fuel injection. Only two-door 242 GT . The sale ended in 1980.
  • SE = Special Edition = In some markets (Scandinavia, USA), a model offered from 1991 with black trim, black trim and special light alloy rims replaced the previous GLT equipment line . It was not available in Germany.

In addition, there were special models for various markets, e.g. E.g .: Classic (Scandinavia, USA, Switzerland), Family Edition (Germany), Polar (Italy, Netherlands), Super Polar (Italy). Compared to the standard models, these often had a considerably more extensive equipment, but were sometimes also more simply equipped (for example "Family Edition" and "Polar").

engine and gears

Engine B21A in the Volvo 244

The Volvo 240 was offered with various gasoline engines and two diesel engines . In the beginning, the car was sold with the B20 petrol engine with 60 kW (82 hp) and a (side) spur gear - driven camshaft taken from the 144 model . In 1975 the engines of the B21 series were presented. They were modern designed - with cross-flow - the cylinder head and overhead toothed belt driven camshaft which the valves directly without rocker actuated. In some implementations, forged were instead cast piston used in light alloy.

Since the Volvo 240 was also offered in countries in which exceeding certain engine sizes was associated with high taxes, there were many similarly powerful versions of the B19 / 21 engines as required. In the vehicles offered in Germany, the 2.1-liter carburettor engine (B21A engine) developed 71 kW (97 hp) in model year 1975, 74 kW (100 hp) from 1976 and 79 kW (107 hp) from 1979. The 1.9-liter carburettor engine (engine B19A), which replaced the outdated B20 engine in 1977, developed 66 kW (90 hp). For some markets (Greece, Israel) a 1.7 liter engine with carburettor was also supplied (engine B17A).

In addition to the carburetor versions with Stromberg, Zenith and Pierburg carburetors, there were also engines with K-Jetronic gasoline injection from Bosch . These engines (engine B21E) had an output of 90 kW (123 hp) in model year 1975.

In the following years the range of available engines was expanded:

D24 engine in the Volvo 240
  • For model year 1979 an additional of was Volkswagen of purchased 2.4-liter diesel six-cylinder (60  kW / 82  hp ) with the sales designation "D6" offered (Volvo Engine designation D24) of the Volkswagen Transporter Type LT developed and in this was installed. Despite the six cylinders, the respective model names remained, e.g. B. 245 GL D6 (instead of 265 GL ). This engine was also built with only five cylinders and was used by Volvo for some export markets (e.g. Italy, Finland). The reason for this was the above-mentioned tax rules based on cubic capacity. The five-cylinder version with the engine designation D20 (sales designation "D5") had a displacement of almost two liters. At the time of the introduction of the D24 engine, Volvo was the first car manufacturer to offer an inline six-cylinder diesel engine, ahead of BMW (1982) and Mercedes-Benz (1985). The number of cylinders and cubic capacity of the D6 matched Volvo's image well. However, the VW design proved to be unsuitable for full throttle and far less durable than the petrol engines designed and produced by Volvo itself. Often the diesel cylinder heads were warped due to the low oil and coolant quantities.
  • For the 1981 model year, the gasoline turbo engine (B21ET engine) with 114 kW (155 PS) was introduced (for the USA B21FT with 127 SAE PS).
  • For the 1982 model year, the displacement was increased to the regular 2.3 liters (engines B23A, B23E). The B23E engine was already available on the German market in the 1979 and 1980 model years in the "244 GLT" model.
  • For the 1983 model year, the gasoline turbo engine for the US market received an intercooler, the B21FT with intercooler developed 121 kW (165 hp).
  • For model year 1985, the engines were revised in autumn 1984. The B2X engines became the B2XX engines.
  • For model year 1986 Bosch-LH-Jetronic and three-way catalytic converter with lambda probe were introduced (Germany). The relevant engine designations were B200F and B230F (1) . In the USA, the 200 series had been delivered with a catalytic converter and lambda probe since 1976 (model year 1977). This made Volvo one of the pioneers in the field of emission control.

From model year 1987 the model series 240 was only available on the German market with either the four-cylinder gasoline engine B230F with 2316 cm³ displacement (output 83 to 85 kW = 113 to 116 hp, depending on the model year) or the six-cylinder diesel engine D24 with 2383 cm³ displacement (Power 60 kW = 82 PS). Other engines were still available for other markets.

With the four-cylinder gasoline engines, mileage of over 300,000 kilometers is the norm, and over 500,000 kilometers are not uncommon.

All engines were initially with a 4-speed gearbox (type M45) or optionally with a 4 + 1 overdrive gearbox (type M46, 4-speed gearbox identical to the M45, downstream overdrive from Laycock-de-Normanville, common oil circuit ) or with a 3- speed automatic transmission (type BW 35 or BW 55) from BorgWarner (D24 engine: only M46 and BW 55). Later, a 5-speed gearbox (type M47) was offered in parallel with the M46 gearbox and the outdated BorgWarner automatic was replaced by a modern and robust 4-speed automatic from Aisin-Warner (type AW 70 and AW 71). All transmissions, including the manual ones, were lubricated with ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) . The clutch of the manually shifted versions was normally operated by means of a cable pull for left-hand drive vehicles and hydraulically for right-hand drive vehicles.

(1)The B230 is one of the so-called freewheels .

Volvo 240 in motorsport

Volvo 240 Turbo at the 1985 Touring Car GP

In 1983 the first Volvo 240 was used by the private Swedish TL Racing AB team according to FIA Group A regulations in the European Touring Car Championship ( ETCC ). Against the strong competition from BMW , Jaguar and Rover , the Volvo achieved 7th place in Donington Park.

1986 was to be a season of scandals for Volvo. After Eggenberger switched to Ford and the Belgian RAS team took over the works, the successes of the previous season could be built on with five races finished in first place, but irregularities in the tank size and the fuel used led to disqualifications. The two victories in Anderstorp, Sweden, and at the Österreichring were revoked by the FIA, the drivers of the RAS team lost the championship they believed they had won, and Volvo ended its factory involvement at the end of the year. First place in Zolder 1986, where two years earlier a Volvo had won for the first time in what was then the premier class of touring car racing, should remain the last success of the approximately 350 hp 240 turbo. The successes that have been achieved with 240 models in top-class national championships are also impressive. Sun won by Stureson 1985, the German Touring Car Championship DTM and 1986 Robbie was Francevic the Australian Touring Car Championship decide for themselves. In addition, with Gianfranco Brancatelli in 1985 and Johnny Cecotto in 1986 , Volvo presented the winners of the legendary Macau Guia Race. The Volvo 240 Turbo was thus the most successful touring car in the world in the mid-1980s. Former European mountain champion Herbert Hürter successfully fielded his Volvo 240 Turbo in the European mountain championship (Group A) from 1985 to 1988 and competed in the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado, USA in 1988 . Result: FAST QUALIFYER - 2. PLACE GROUP A PROD. DIVISION. Nowadays the Volvo 240 is used in the VOC (Volvo Original Cup) among others.

Market situation

The 240 was very popular due to its enormous space, especially the station wagon. Its functional design clearly set it apart from its competitors at the time and was seen on the European mainland as a car for individualists, while in the Nordic countries it had the image of a vehicle for "everyone". Thanks to the solid workmanship on the one hand and the introduction of innovative safety technology on the other, it made a significant contribution to Volvo's reputation as a manufacturer of safe cars. The last models of the Volvo 240 could be ordered with extensive safety equipment as accessories (with ABS and airbag).

The sedans of the 200 series were almost insignificant after the end of production on the used market due to their recently vanishingly low registration numbers in Germany. The station wagons, on the other hand, continued to find buyers due to their generous loading capacity. Since 2004 there has been a significant increase in used vehicle prices. The supply of spare parts can still be described as good today (2008), as many components of the 200 series, in particular engines and transmissions, were still used almost unchanged in the 700 series.

Vehicles with a B230F engine can be converted to the Euro 2 emission class after conversion. The same applies to vehicles with the B200F engine, which was never officially offered in Germany in the 240 series (unlike in the Volvo 740 and Volvo 940). Vehicles with the D24 diesel engine cannot be converted and are therefore subject to the maximum vehicle tax rate for diesel cars.

Vehicles of most years of construction can now be registered as oldtimers in Germany by means of an approval according to § 23 StVZO. This reduces the vehicle tax rate to € 191 / year.

literature

  • Dieter Günther, Boris Schmidt: Security made from Swedish steel - Volvo 140 to 260. autovision, Hamburg, 2004.
  • Repair instructions No. 288 and 289 VOLVO 240. Verlag Bucheli, ZUG. (1974 to July 1976)
  • Repair instructions No. 489, 490, 491 VOLVO 240. Verlag Bucheli, ZUG. (from September 1976)
  • Björn-Eric Lindh: VOLVO - From the 20s to the 80s. FÖRLAGSHUSET NORDEN AB.
  • Christer Olsson, Henrik Moberger: Volvo - Gothenburg Sweden. NORTH PUBLISHING HOUSE LTD.
  • Christer Olsson: VOLVO passenger cars since 1927. Motorbuchverlag, 2000.
  • Volvo 240 Service Manual: 1983-1993 by Bentley Publishers, USA 1998.

Web links

Commons : Volvo 240  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ auto-motor-und-sport.de/oldtimer from April 24, 2019 , accessed on August 9, 2019.
  2. ↑ welt.de on the Volvo 240 from August 21, 2013 , accessed on August 9, 2019
  3. ↑ Bob Isaac: Profile on the Volvo 240 and 260 . The Volvo Owners Club (VOC). Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ Volvo Classic: Technical Information. (No longer available online.) February 1, 2018, archived from the original on January 5, 2018 ; accessed on February 1, 2018 (German). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.classicvolvo.de
  5. ↑ Volvo Classic: Technical Information. In: Technical information. Retrieved February 1, 2018 .
  6. ↑ auto-motor-und-sport.de from December 9, 2017, report on Volvo's 90th birthday , accessed on August 21, 2019.
  7. ↑ https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/ratgeber/volvo-240-in-der-service-station-schwedenpanzer-gut-preiswert/ , accessed on August 21, 2019.
  8. ^ Private website on Herbert Hürter