This Volvo Wagon Is One Wild Ride Thanks To Its Celebrity Owner

It`s probable now no longer what you'll assume to hear, however mythical actor, racing motive force, and purveyor of pasta sauce Paul Newman advanced a piece of a fetish for Volvo station wagons later in life. Not simply any football mother Volvo wagons, though. The supermegacelebrity of traditional movies such as "The Hustler" and "Cool Hand Luke" needed to have American iron transplanted below the hood. But earlier than he graduated to shoehorning in Ford and Chevy V8s, there has been this vehicle that began out the mania.

Currently being auctioned at Bring A Trailer, this 1988 Volvo 740 Turbo wagon changed into bought contemporary through the actor and changed with a truckload of overall performance and look modifications, now no longer the least of which changed into a highly spiced new powerplant. According to Bring a Trailer, this Volvo nonetheless had its new vehicle odor whilst it changed into delivered over to HESCO Engineering in Alabama in 1988 to be converted into the closing sleeper. The Volvo's inventory 4-banger changed into changed with a particularly specific preference of propulsion — a turbocharged 3.eight liter V6 from a Buick Grand National.

Horsepower changed into right away doubled from about a hundred and fifty for the inventory Volvo faster 4-cylinder to a claimed 320 horsepower from the Grand National mill. In manufacturing facility form, the Grand National most effective made approximately 235 horsepower, however the powerplant in Newman's ex-vehicle blessings from an o.e.m exhaust system, high-go with the drift air intake, and overall performance chip for the ECU. In retaining with the carrying nature of this wagon, the Grand National's obligatory 4-velocity computerized gearbox changed into eschewed in desire of a Borg-Warner 5-velocity guide from a fourth-technology Pontiac Firebird.

Fast thru the corners, too

But as anyone knows, Paul Newman changed into greater of a avenue race kind than a drag racer, so his Volvo wagon needed to pass round corners and brake simply as impressively because it accelerated. To that end, inventory suspension additives have been changed with Bilstein shocks and struts, plus beefier sway bars and decreasing springs that dropped the wagon 2 inches. The inventory wheels have been additionally upgraded to 16-inch five-spoke aluminum wheels from Gemini. Nowadays, you would possibly assume to discover 16-inch wheels on a good deal basement econobox however in 1988, they have been reducing edge.

On the exterior, we discover simply the proper quantity of tasteful flair. Specifically, a the front lip spoiler, aspect skirts, and a rear defuser, all shadeation matched to the auto's steel grey paint. Besides the later pass-speedy additions, this wagon left the manufacturing facility already well-equipped, such as heated leather-based seats, a energy sunroof, and fog lights. 

Newman's wagon indicates 76,000 miles at the odometer and the contemporary proprietor claims that most effective 3,000 of these miles have been brought in the course of his tenure. So presumably, Paul used the auto as a each day motive force for as a minimum a while. At press time, bidding for the 740 Turbo changed into nonetheless a particularly reasonable $26,000 which isn't always a terrible charge for a elegant grocery-getter with critical celeb provenance and an similarly critical mystery lurking below its nondescript hood.