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Having suffered something of a staid brand image during extended periods of its life, with no help from Hollywood, Volvo ownership tends to be associated with boring individuals obsessed with vehicle safety and flannel clothing. This though couldn't be further from the truth, as Volvo has released several cool sports cars over the years, proving that it can do something fun when it chooses.
Whether it be the iconic and classic Volvo P1800, the ballistic 850 T-5R sleeper-wagon or the more recent S60 Polestar sedan with 400 hp, the Swedish carmaker can offer an exciting alternative to the popular Germanic offerings that flood the marketplace.
Often overlooked within the Volvo back catalog is a vehicle that many may simply liken to a wedge of cheese with wheels, the bizarre-looking 480. With a quirky throwback 80s exterior style that has become legendary, four individual seats, pop-up headlights, and left-field appeal, here are 10 reasons why we love the Volvo 480.
10 Really, A Sporty Volvo?
Not really considered to be a design risk-taker due to its well-recognized boxy sedans and stocky station wagons, Volvo turned this conception on its head by releasing a sports coupe hatchback with four individual seats and pop-up headlights.
The company hadn't offered up anything that would excite the eyeballs since the P1800ES, and the sudden appearance of the sleek-looking sports car with a trademark frameless glass hatch in 1985 took the motoring press completely by surprise.
9 Internationally Designed
Taking over 6 years to refine, the bold 480 coupe was the first front-wheel-drive car Volvo had ever created. It's also the only Volvo to feature trendy pop-up lights, and eventually became one of the first cars to be sold in Europe that had strict American-rated safety equipment.
The innovative exterior was designed by Volvo's Dutch arm, with the suspension being penned and prepared by Lotus, whilst the final car was assembled at an established DAF plant in the Netherlands.
8 Reliable French Engines
Adding to that international flavor were the engines, naturally aspirated units supplied by French manufacturer Renault. In a 1.7-liter guise, the in-line four-cylinder 109 hp engine would eagerly push the coupe to hit 60 mph in 9.9 seconds.
The later 2.0-liter unit saw a power increase to 120 hp and the 0-60 mph sprint time drop slightly to 9.1 seconds. Despite lacking firepower, both engines are keen to rev and have proved to be reliable and capable of racking up big mileages.
7 Lotus Tuned Suspension And Rare Specials
Wanting to ensure that their first front-wheel-drive offering handled as well as it looked, Volvo decided to outsource the design of the suspension to the experts at Lotus, the result was a fun and competent package with manageable limits.
During its run manufacturing run, Volvo also looked at wilder versions of the 480 with prototypes of both a supercharged sixteen valve engine and turbocharged 2.0-liter engine having been considered and abandoned.
6 A Fiery Turbo
Despite Volvo not pursuing some of its engine choices, the 480 did get a turbocharged version of the 1.7-liter lump. The Garrett unit only offered a moderate increase in power, lifting the output to 118 hp and 129 lb-ft of torque.
The addition of the turbocharger may not have lifted power to otherworldly performance car levels with the 0-60 mph time now being 8.6 seconds, but in-gear flexibility and overtaking prowess were significantly improved.
5 The EV & Convertible One
Along with the supercharged prototype, Volvo also experimented with dropping an all-electric drivetrain, some forty years before there was an actual need to dump fossil fuels. As the technology was so cutting edge and in its infancy, the project was shelved.
Way back in 1987, the public was teased with a convertible version of the 480, a sexy and sleek-looking drop-top that fit the bold and extravagant lifestyle that the 80s brought with it perfectly. The project failed though due to supply and safety issues.
4 Classic Eighties Appeal
Fitting in perfectly within a world that had accepted shoulder pads and wicker shoes, the Volvo 480 was a wonderful statement of style and design, from its oh-so-cool pop-up headlights to the four individual seats.
Sporting a dual-spoke steering wheel, a high-fidelity cassette player, a row of performance gauges in the turbo version, and all of that frameless glass, the Volvo 480 was ultra-modern and very unique for the time.
3 A Break From The Norm
Usually, when asked to describe a typical Volvo, most will outline a boxy, sedate sedan or estate made up of straight lines and rather large proportions. Famed for such vehicles, the Volvo 480 was, therefore, a shock to many upon its release.
With a far more aerodynamic shape than the rest of the Volvo lineup, the 480 had features that were way ahead of its time such as a bonded windscreen, recessed wipers, illuminated door locks, and follow-me-home headlights.
2 Budget Racer Build
Moderately warm rather than a full-on hot hatch from the factory, the Volvo 480 offered up a decent level of performance for the time and thanks to excellent road-holding limits could form the basis for a very competent race car.
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Those who turned to the turbo version and modified the simple engine setup would often benefit from healthy power gains, with a reliable 200 hp being achievable. Stripped out, the 480 would then take on a wholly new sporting persona.
1 Full Classic Status
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With the Volvo 480 being the first foray for the company into producing a front-wheel-drive vehicle and a hatchback, there is no doubt a special place in motoring history for the funky and stylish little coupe.
With numbers of decent, rust-free examples being thin on the ground finding a good low-mileage example outside of mainland Europe could prove to be tricky but with used values still relatively low it is definitely one to seek out.