I did most of my learner driving in a 740 estate, but it was a not uncommon car those days in both estate and saloon guise from memory.

Seeing as they were pretty solidly built, I always wonder what happened to these. I guess unless a classic, anything that gets to 15 years old no one wants sadly.

I do recall the 960 24v engine getting rave reviews (well rave for a Volvo) at the time.

My folks had the 6cyl turbo diesel which I think was a VAG unit (never worked out what particular VAG it came from) which both my parents and I liked a lot.

 

you will get a mint 940 / 960 for that money

or a bloody good 850 T5

 

From the V/S 70 onwards, didn't they use the straight 5 cylinder engine ....

 

Had a 740 for a few years when first had too many children then swopped for a V70R - the R was a great car but very expensive to run (fuel) - still loved out pacing boy racers in a family estate! worthless now I expect so recommend 740 / 940 - for cheap bulletproof motoring....

 

800 series onwards was tranverse straight 5.

Quite unusual at the time IIRC, as it was tricky to squeeze in.

 

I said only the other day!

The "Audi" was originally a DKW that that a 3-cyl two-stroke hung out ahead of the front axle.

The 70 & 100, developed from it under M-B ownership originally (it was banned by VW, but Audi developed it in secret) had a four-cylinder four stroke in its place.

When the car became a success, a straight-six was developed for it out of the Golf's EA827 unit. Guess what? it had a stupidly long nose and handled like a greased pig. The Germans can be very dumb at times.

Anyway, the C2 Audi 100 got a pot sawn off that to become a five and was later turbo'd to become the 200.

The 6-banger lived on in the VW LT van & the Volvo 740D, where it regularly blew head gaskets.

Many diesels are straight-fives, because the lower RPM doesn't introduce high-rpm couples that would destroy the crank. Ostensibly MAN & M-B are proponents, but even Lancia's first truck Diesel was a (very elegant) straight-five.

 

That's a 20 year old mystery solved for me then!

A van was the only possible VAG I could think might have a 6 cyl diesel at the time.
It worked surprisingly well in the Volvo I thought.

 

I always thought older Volvos were for those who carried too much pride to drive a Transit, which was as heavy to drive yet more fun to hustle!

 

Learning to drive in a big Volvo, I like the idea of that.

Should be made compulsory.