by Connor Parks
1993 Volvo 240 DL, owned by Leigh Wingfeld
Want to see your ride featured? Feel free to submit it by contacting connor.parks@centre.edu.
Daily driving an older project car isn’t always as glamorous as everyone makes it out to be. In my case, my 1982 Datsun Maxima wagon isn’t even running, but I know I’ll probably be facing a mix of regular problems and enjoyable drives when I get it started. The late 80s to early 90s Volvo 240 series, however, fits an interesting niche. It’s an archaic-looking 30-plus-year old tank with a reputation for surviving anything the world throws at it, but people still drive these things. As a kid, I remember often seeing a grey, late 80s 240 wagon in a neighbourhood near me and thinking just how rickety and uncomfortable it looked. Oh, how terribly wrong I was. From being built to survive harsh Swedish winters, to its driftability on wet surfaces, this Volvo 240 threw me for more loops than one.
Leigh’s journey with her 1993 Volvo 240 DL, the last year Volvo made the 240, is what I would call a typical, even ideal tale of a first project car ownership experience. After getting her license in 2022, she got the car from a Louisville Volvo collector who was hesitant to sell his car to a 16 year old. Originally sold in 1993 from a Volvo dealer in Birmingham, this 240 made its way to Kentucky through a collector from Tennessee who was parting with most of her collection due to old age. Despite the cheap initial price, Leigh has put around $5,000 into repairs and maintenance for the car, particularly a replacement fuel pump and factory fuel tank. She attributes her willingness to stick with the car through its occasional problems to growing up around her dad’s 1989 240 wagon (still driving around Lexington!), which she fell in love with early in life and inspired her to get her own 240 upon turning 16. With around 125,000 miles on the car when she first bought it, Leigh has brought this number up to around 150,000 and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
On the outside, the 240 immediately impresses with its unmistakable sturdy, boxy design. The deep black on this model is complimented by a set of factory yellow pinstripes and a thick chrome lining on the top half of the doors. The exterior plastic and vinyl parts have a tendency to dry-rot, and given the lack of factory parts left, Leigh regularly has to order through aftermarket suppliers for a slight upcharge. The upside is that Volvo truly built these cars to last, and given just how tank-like this thing is, replacements are few and far between. Rust might be a concern in colder climates, but given that this car’s been southern-owned its whole life, it barely has any. The trunk opens with a cool little push-button lock, and while it’s fairly shallow, it’s wide enough to fit a spare tire, lots of factory tools, and whatever else your daily needs may require.
While the 240’s exterior impressed with its durability and rigid lines, its interior left some lingering concerns in a few areas. My main takeaway was the distinct lack of storage space, aside from a flat panel protruding from the dashboard and a tiny cubby in the center. The car had only one cupholder and no seatback pockets or door storage to be seen. The glovebox, which opens with a key, is much smaller than I would’ve expected.
Aside from this, the climate options were extensive, with mirror defrosters and a heating system that worked much better than the A/C (in traditional Swedish fashion). The huge, mustard yellow plush seats up front (with lumbar support!) even had factory heated seats, although the ones in Leigh’s car no longer worked. Despite the door speakers being hollowed out due to a snapped wire, I’m told the original stereo works well, and it had a surprising amount of settings for a 32 year old car. Inside the gauge cluster sits one of the interior’s biggest surprises: an analogue clock, equal in size to the gas gauge. The headliner is made of thin plastic: a major difference from the cloth ones I’m used to, but there’s plenty of headroom for someone my height. The 5-speed automatic transmission could be locked into place, but a shiftlock override button was easily accessible if necessary.
The backseat, meanwhile, included a few standout features. Most notable was the tiny, thin armrest between the two seats which opened directly into the trunk through a vinyl flap for easy access. The doors, though heavy, included a small armrest on the rear half of the inside panel, unlike most cars which include this towards the front. Built into the center console are two separate ashtrays and one cigarette lighter, a smoking section perfectly complimented by the cushy seats and thick headrests that rival any modern luxury car for comfort. Leigh tends to drift the car for fun–in a controlled environment, of course–during heavy rain or snow, and with the lack of blindspots and padded ride, it has to be one of the most comfortable ways to burn rubber.
Of all the cars I’ve reviewed this year, the 240’s initial drive proved the most predictable, yet it was remarkably pleasant for a vintage daily driver. The 240’s 2.3 litre inline four can churn out up to 114 horsepower: a number which seemed staggeringly low when I first read it, yet proved more than sufficient on the drive itself. You definitely couldn’t call it fast, and it has a distinct rattle and shake from 55 to 60 mph, but it’s not too difficult to get up to speed and sits well on long highway cruises. The gas and brake pedals were very close to each other, but both worked without hesitation or delay. With the body-on-frame design, it was constantly louder at all speeds than most cars I’ve driven, yet this only added to the joy of the experience. Steering was tight, but not oppressively so, and I wouldn’t worry about any issues maneuvering it. All in all, for a more than 30 year old project car drive, it compared to lots of sedans I’ve driven from even the early 2010s in comfort, gas mileage, and responsiveness.
Daily driving a vintage sedan isn’t for the faint of heart, and it’s certainly something you have to really love to do for a long time. Leigh’s fantastic 240 might just be the most prime example of this at Centre: a well-invested-in, stylish, and invincible old sedan that carries its weight over three decades later. These are by far some of the most popular 30+ year old cars still on the road, and for good reason: from comfort, to reliability, to bulletproof build quality, the 240 was designed to please and to last. If you’re looking to spice up your garage with a vintage project car that’s easy to find, economical to maintain, and ridiculously reliable, a Volvo 240 from the last few years of production is a wonderful place to start.