玩物不喪志

WHAT WAS IT? The 1978-81 262C, which came to be known simply as the Volvo Coupe, was Volvo’s bid to compete in the growing class of personal coupes.

AND THE POINT WAS? In the late 1970s, Volvo was without a flagship coupe to compete with BMW’s 6 Series or the Mercedes-Benz 280CE. But in trying to make do with a rehashed body from its existing models, rather than a bespoke design, it ended up with a two-door closer in spirit to a Ford Thunderbird than to a Bimmer or a Benz.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ROOF? When the Coupe development program began, Volvo management insisted that most of the body panels from the nerdy 260 sedan be retained. The final design ended up with a comically low vinyl-clad roof that would have looked just right on a customized ’50 Ford. There’s more: the wide C-pillars, adorned with crowns, created a blind spot large enough to hide a herd of reindeer. The finished car looked like a Volvo family sedan that Godzilla had stepped on.

IS THAT ALL? Hardly. Assembly of the Coupes was subcontracted to Bertone in Italy; rust problems surfaced. The engine, a Peugeot-Renault-Volvo joint venture, was a limp 127-horsepower V-6. Wiring harnesses failed with alarming regularity. And by 1980 the price (around $15,000 originally) had ballooned to nearly $20,000 — more than a Cadillac Eldorado.

THE ADS SAID “In time its price will seem insignificant” — an accurate prediction of the 262C’s future value.

THE CRITICS SAID Car and Driver likened the body to a George Barris chop job. Reviews pointed out that the low roof made a once-roomy Volvo impractical for anyone taller than 6 feet.

WHAT’S IT WORTH? The ungainly Coupes rarely appear at collector car auctions; when they do, they generate little excitement. At an auction in August 2004, a better-than-average Coupe sold for $2,312. ROB SASS