Designed and built by Carrozzaria Bertone and riding on a solid 760 base, today’s Nice Price or No Dice Volvo 780 offers the best of both worlds. Let’s see if it offers some decent value, too.
I just got back from a whirlwind week in Tuscany, and since the last car we looked at together was well over a week ago, I say we move on. Oh, and I missed you guys and gals!
That being said, I do want to honor the good people of Italy whom I met on my trip. They are, without exception, some of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of running into. I don’t, however, want to take the easy way out in doing so, and hence, I have found what I think is a really cool car that shows off both Italian heritage and that country’s influence in the European Union. Also, it’s Volvo, and we all dig Volvos.
The 780 was the second of Volvo’s offerings in the luxury coupe market, following the gangster-roofed 262C of the ’70s and early ’80s. Both cars were styled and constructed by Bertone, although the 780 is a far more wholly realized and unique vehicle. Sadly, though, it never came with a vinyl top.
Only a little over 8,500 780s were built, with most of those (about 5,700) making the transatlantic journey to the lucrative American market. This 1989 Volvo 780 Bertone Turbo comes from mid-way through the model’s 1987 to 1991 model run and benefits from several running changes and updates the car received by that time. Those include the replacement of the original 2.8-liter B280F V6 with the more playful 2.3-liter “Red Block” turbo four and the reworking of the rear suspension from a live axle to the 760’s multilink independent setup featuring Nivomat self-leveling shocks. With these changes in place, the 780 offers 175 horsepower and better handling to use all that extra oomph.
This one has oomphed for a remarkable 230,000 miles. Despite that, it still looks extremely tidy in its dapper Italian suit. The white paint and black trim is distinctly ’80s Volvo, as are the design’s sharp corners and creases, which Bertone used to the car’s advantage.
The interior, which also shows a melange of Swedish and Italian designs, is likewise in serviceable shape, with no rips or excess wear obvious in the photos, and both leather and burl wood presenting suitably. This car also has all the luxury accouterments 1980s Volvo could throw at it.
According to the seller, this 780 has been in daily use for the past 27 years with little to no issue. The owner has made a number of wear and tear updates, including some pricey ones like replacing the Nivomat shocks, catalytic convertors, and major brake components. Now, it’s claimed to be “solid” and to drive smoothly.
It’s not all aebleskiver and espresso, however. The seller does warn that the sunroof mechanism is in need of adjustment and that the heater core (which has already been replaced once) may need another refresh. The HVAC blower is also on the fritz but has been bypassed for the moment.
Aside from those issues and modest signs of almost three decades of use, the car seems to be in solid shape. It also comes with a clean title.
Sadly, I didn’t see any 780s on my trip to Italy. I did see a small handful of Volvos there, mostly XC60s, though. As nice as those are, this Bertone Turbo is vastly cooler, especially to gaze upon parked outside a café while alternating sips of espresso and Acqua Panna. What might such coolness rightfully cost?
The seller has set a $10,000 price tag on this 780, and we’re now going to see if we concur with that pricing acumen. What do you say? Is this Swedish/Italian confab worth that kind of cash? Or is that price out of this classic car’s class?
You decide!
San Francisco Bay Area, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to me for the hookup!
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