Swedish Design, Italian Craftsmanship”
A combination that, at first glance, sounds like the beginning of a rather questionable joke. And, if we are being entirely honest, one might have preferred it the other way around. But that would be doing this remarkable Volvo a considerable injustice.
In the world of Volvo, few cars are quite as distinctive, intriguing or indeed as the Volvo 262C Bertone.
Produced between 1977 and 1981, just over 6,500 examples were built, making it one of the more exclusive models ever to wear the Volvo badge.
Rather amusingly, for the first two years of production, customers were offered precisely one colour combination: silver-grey metallic with a black vinyl roof. It was not until 1979 and 1980 that a little more individuality became available, with colours such as bronze, light blue and black joining the palette. In 1981, a particularly striking two-tone version was introduced, of which just 18 examples were produced.
Originally delivered new to Canada, a market that accounted for approximately 75% of total production, this particular car subsequently made its way to France in 2006 before arriving in the Netherlands in 2019, where it has remained in the hands of a single owner ever since.
Powered by the strong PRV V6 engine, paired with an automatic transmission, and finished in a wonderfully period-correct metallic, this is a car that perfectly captures the understated extravagance of the late 1970s
After all, who would have thought that Swedish restraint and Italian flair could make such an entertaining combination?
