Volvo’s Past Coupés Will Make You Want Its Next One

We’ve already established that Volvos are cool. But think of Volvo, and we’ll bet good money that the first image that forms in your mind is one of an estate. These days, however, that imaginary estate’s making daft turbo noises and going sideways, rather than sitting in the corner of a car boot sale swallowing a Chesterfield.

What you probably won’t be thinking of, is a Volvo coupé. If you are, though, kudos to you – you’re evidently well-acquainted with a rich seam of Volvo’s heritage that shouldn’t be forgotten. And one that Volvo’s bringing to the fore at this year’s Frankfurt show with its Concept Coupé, a car that’s said to preview not just an upcoming A5-rivalling two-door, but also a whole new approach to design for the Swedish company.

But just where do its roots trace back to? Well, if you weren’t entirely, sure you’re in luck. Here’s our guide to the great Volvo coupés of days gone by. And no, we've no idea why the 262C in the press shot above has a massive dog in the back seat.

First, there was the classic one...

Here we go, then – the granddaddy of all Volvo coupés. Probably the most desirable car here for many, it was released in the swinging ’60s, a time of such design icons as the Jaguar E-Type, the Mini and the Aston Martin DB5. That the P1800 held its own in the looks department against these beauties should tell you all you need to know about just how stylish it really was. It wasn’t exactly the quickest car on the road, mind – beneath that stunning body sat a 1.8-litre naturally-aspirated carburettor petrol engine that produced just 100bhp. That gave it a top speed of around 115mph. But its glamorous looks mean the P1800 was still a desirable bit of kit, and it only became more so when it was driven by Roger Moore in the hit TV series ‘The Saint’.

Launched in 1961, it was first produced under license by Jensen in the UK, before issues with build quality saw Volvo move production in-house in 1963. When this happened, the car was rebadged ‘P1800S’, the ‘S’ standing for ‘Sverige’, or Sweden. A power hike to 115bhp came in 1966, before in 1970 the P1800E was introduced, now featuring Bosch fuel injection and 130bhp. Finally, in 1972, the P1800ES came out, a Reliant Scimitar GTE-rivalling three-door shooting brake that would have even more impact on the styling of later Volvos than the two-door car on which it was based.

Then, there was the pimpin’ one...

Yup, we did it. We just used the word ‘pimpin’’ to describe an old Volvo. But look at the 262C and it’s impossible not to think of it slammed over some deep-dish split-rims and looking truly gangsta’. Sorry. We did it again, didn’t we? Anyway, the 262C was one of Volvo’s greats – styled by none other than Bertone, who did well considering the fact he had to keep the rather frumpy nose and tail of the 200-Series saloon on which the 262C was based.

Under the bonnet sat the 2.7-litre PRV (that’s Peugeot, Renault, Volvo) V6 engine, known in Volvo parlance as the B27E, and although this had 140bhp to its name, it was mated to a three-speed auto, so the weighty 262C was hardly a speed machine. Later in life the upgraded 2.8-litre B28E version was offered with 148bhp instead, but the 262C was still no sports car. Nevertheless, it was deeply comfortable and endlessly cool, so the best way to enjoy it was simply to crank the seat back, cruise, and take in the admiring glances.

Next came the boxy one...

If you’re in the UK, you probably won’t have heard of the 780. That’s because Volvo didn’t think it’d sell over here. They were probably right. It was styled by a team that had clearly been given the brief: ‘Make it like a coupé. But… well, y’know… square.’ And that’s just what they did. To today’s eyes, those arrow-straight lines might look really quite cool – but in its time, when the Ford Sierra was showing the world the way cars would look in ten years time, the 780 looked a little dated.

It was hardly the quickest car in the world, either. At launch, it was powered by an entirely new 2.8-litre engine – contrary to popular belief, not the B28E that had gone into the 262C before it – though this only had 150bhp. However, Volvo eventually introduced a 2.3-litre turbo, first with 175bhp, and then with 188bhp, which gave the 780 a much-needed helping of boost.

Then there was the first little one...

The year after it introduced the 780, Volvo introduced its first small coupé – the 480. With funky design touches like pop-up headlights – to date the only Volvo to feature them – and a one-piece tailgate (a throwback to the P1800ES) it was a handsome little thing, and managed to combine Volvo’s traditional hallmarks of safety and comfort with a diddy coupé body.

You’ll note we haven’t mentioned much about the way it went yet. Well, that’s because the choice of engines was a bit dull. The Turbo version did bring a spot of extra verve to the range, but even then the boost was set low, and it only kicked out 118bhp. It was replaced with a naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre which was hardly much sportier, but was at least less laggy. Still, the up-side was that the 480 was surprisingly light, weighing just a smidge over a tonne, and that meant it was surprisingly good fun to chuck at some bends. And if all you wanted was something that did that, while being compact and comfortable and looking good, it was ideal.

Then there was the suave one...

Those who are au fait with Volvo coupés will most likely have this one in mind already. When it was introduced in 1997, the C70 caused a sensation. The first truly desirable car Volvo had made for years, it managed to be both achingly handsome and beautifully restrained. Not to mention seriously fast, too, with the fabulous 240bhp T5 topping the range – an engine that’s proven delightfully easy to get more power from. An awful lot more power, in fact.

Here's Quentin Willson to explain what was so good about the C70 in this old Top Gear road test from the car’s launch. Watch out for the bit when he describes it as “a very, very horny design”. It’s more than a little bit disturbing. Keep an eye out for the insanely ’90s montage at the end, too.

And finally, another small one.

In 2001, a Volvo concept car called the SCC was revealed at the Detroit Motor Show. It was a cute three-door hatch that incorporated the now-traditional single-piece rear tailgate, as well as a host of new safety features. What caught Volvo by surprise, though, was the positive reaction to the car’s neat design. It was so good, in fact, that the company decided to bring a production version to market.

By 2006, the car was ready. Based on the same floorpan as the Ford Focus, it boasted a superb chassis, and a cracking evolution of the Modular five-pot engine on which the original 850 T5 had been based. Power was up to a distinctly rorty 216bhp in this form; 0-60 took just 6.5 seconds, and the C30 hadn’t lost any of its good looks in the translation from concept to production car. There was even a distinctly awesome Polestar version toward the end of its life.

The C30 was, in short, a little cracker – and here’s our tip for the future. Prices will bottom out in a few years at startlingly cheap levels, so keep your eye on this one and you’ll soon be able to bag yourself a truly cool Volvo-badged performance bargain.

Or if you’ve got rather more cash to splash, mark our words – it won’t be long before the Concept Coupé follows suit and spawns a production version. Given Volvo’s past coupé triumphs, we reckon that’ll be worth waiting for.