1981 Volvo 262C

Article

Volvo ventured into the upscale luxury automobile segment in 1977 with the introduction of its new 262C. Based on the 264 platform, the 262C was powered by a new V-6 engine jointly developed with Renault and Peugeot. The special coachwork was designed in-house by Jan Wilsgaard and built by Italian carrozzeria Bertone.

Produced from 1977 to 1981, the Swedish company built 6,622 examples.

The Volvo 262C rested on a 103.9 inch wheelbase platform and had an overall length of 192.5 inches, a width of 67.3 inches, and stood 56.7 inches tall. Many of the mechanical components were sourced from the Volvo 260 four-door sedan, including the floor pan, suspension, drivetrain, and many of the body panels. Bertone constructed the roof pan, roof pillars, upper parts of the doors, windshield surround, and cowl.

The B27 PRV (Peugeot, Renault, and Volvo) V6 engine had a Lambda-sond oxygen sensor system, four main bearings, an 8.2:1 compression ratio, and a displacement size of 2664 cc. The displacement was enlarged to 2,849cc in 1980 when the bore grew from 88 to 91 mm. Along with the larger bore, the engine was given seven main bearings, an 8.8:1 compression ratio, and produced 130 horsepower and 153 ft-lbs. of torque.

Transmission options included a four-speed manual with electrically operated overdrive and a Borg-Warner three-speed automatic, the latter was a no-cost option. The manual transmission was dropped for the U.S. market by 1981.

The Volvo 262C came standard with cruise control, air conditioning, central locking, power windows and mirrors, an electrically powered radio antenna, alloy wheels, heated front seats, and a leather interior. The list of optional equipment was minimal, consisting of a choice of stereos, the aforementioned automatic transmission, and a limited-slip differential.

Initially, the Volvo 262C was offered solely in one color combination of silver with a black vinyl-covered roof. Other color combinations became available in later years. The vinyl roof cover was deleted for the final 1981 model year of production.

The Volvo 262C Solaire
Newport Conversions of Santa Ana, California, was commissioned by Volvo North America to build a convertible version of the 262C in celebration of Volvo's 25th anniversary in the United States. The 262C Solaire was intended as a gift to the company CEO. Volvo vetoed the project due to safety concerns, and a mere 262 examples were built.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2025

Coupe
Coachwork: Bertone
Chassis #: YV1BX6970BD008984

Sold for $12,100 at 2024 RM Sothebys : Hershey.
This late-production Volvo 262C has had just two owners during its existence. It was sold new in August 1981 by Autosport of Somerville, New Jersey, to the company Union Resources and Technology of Whitehouse, New Jersey. It was acquired on behalf of the company's principal, Dr. Kang-Jen 'Fred' Liu. In September 1995, Dr. Liu replaced the French V-6 engine with a B21F inline four-cylinder Volvo engine.

After Dr. Liu's passing in 2000, his widow stored the Volvo for the next 13 years. Dennis Nash later discovered the Volvo and eventually convinced Mrs. Liu to sell the 262C in 2013. This Volvo has resided with the Nash estate ever since.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2025