The Volvo 240-series cars were well engineered, extremely durable, incredibly practical cars. Sporty, they were not. The 242GT was Volvo's attempt at changing that.
The 242GT was still well engineered, extremely durable and incredibly practical, but it had a bit of sportiness about it, too.
Volvo basically took the stock 242 (200 series, 4 cylinder, 2 door), dressed it up and called it the GT.
All 242GTs were painted silver and had orange and black stripes. The front end got a little spoiler. The grill had a pair of well integrated driving lights. The wheels were a 14 x 5 1/2-inch alloys.
Inside, All 242GTs came with black corduroy seats with an orange vinyl stripe. It also had an orange stripe running the length of the dashboard. That doesn't sound real good on paper, but it actually looks really cool, in a retro kind of way. The GT also got tach, a smaller diameter steering wheel and a shorter shifter.To give it a little crisper handling, Volvo tweaked the suspension, replacing the standard 17mm front sway bar with a 23mm bar. The springs were stiffened and the shocks were revalved.
The engine, sadly, remained the same. It put out just over 100 HP, which meant that this car was no rocket. Volvo was aiming this car towards a person who liked European cars that were sportier than Volvo's standard offerings. With the relatively weak engine, I can't imagine many people chose the 242GT over an Alfa, BMW, Audi or Saab Turbo. The 242 GT most likely sold to traditional Volvo buyers who were attracted to the body add-ons and the interior. (In 1981 Volvo introduced the GLT Turbo which, with its 127 HP turbocharged engine, was competitive with Alfa, Audi BMW and Saab.)
I remember seeing a few of these cars back in the day, but I haven't seen one for a very long time. I doubt that many still exist.This car has 126,553 miles on it. That's low mileage for an old Volvo. The seller says that most of the car is original.
The Buy It Now price of $9,850.00 is steep, but if you're looking for a unique old Volvo, one that is loaded with all the things that made Volvos great 30 years ago along with a few sporty touches, this car may be for you. Just don't expect to win many races.
Located in Portland, Maine, click here to see the eBay listing.