A low mileage, low owner example of this ultimate load lugging estate car hero
Nicely preserved and in seemingly great condition throughout
Complete with a great archive of provenance providing paperwork
The Appeal
The more luxurious and prestigious Volvo 760 had been released and doing good business well before its 740 younger sibling arrived in 1984. It was another year before the huge estate version hit the road quickening the pulse of antique dealers the world over. The 740 was a slightly de-specified version of the 760 and more likely to be propelled by a four-cylinder power unit than a six. Its sheer load swallowing capabilities mated to peerless reliability and safety attributes soon won the car legions of fans and admirers worldwide.
These attributes often conspire to mean that many examples of the 740 estate have covered stratospheric mileages and have been less than diligently cared for. Not so in this case, however! A mere three owners have accompanied this fine example to a total of less than 68,000 miles. Those statistics alone are more than enough to stand this car apart from the 740 crowd.
The History and Paperwork
This Volvo 740 GLE is a UK supplied and specified model
It was first registered in June 1989
This suggests it may have been a company car initially
The second owner kept the car for an impressive 30 years
The current owner acquired the car in January 2022 to become the third keeper
At this stage the car had covered 67,046 miles
During his tenure the current owner has only added another 300 miles or so
The paperwork includes the V5 registration document
The current MOT is valid until July 2024
This is an advisory free test
A folder full of paperwork is included according to the owner
This is thought to contain numerous invoices
Original books and brochures are also thought to be included
Two original Volvo keys are present
The Interior
The spacious interior is finished in a combination of tans, blacks and complementary hues
Being a GLE model, the seats are timed in tan leather
The famously comfortable front seats are finished in horizontal stitched panels
The innovative Volvo safety headrests are fitted
The front seats are also electrically heated, a necessity in Sweden!
The condition of the front seats is good and highly original
Some noticeable patina is noted but no rips or tears were spotted
The rear bench is identically trimmed
The condition here is very good indeed with hardly noticeable patina
A folding central armrest is present, and the outer seats feature headrests
The rear seats fold in a two-thirds, one-third configuration to extend the luggage space
The cabin carpets appear original but exhibit some significant colour fade in places
The dashboard is formed from a mixture of black and tan sections
This is home to the white on black gauges which are housed in a hooded binnacle
These sit behind the original four-spoke Volvo steering wheel
The centre console is home to the heating and ventilation controls
A new Blaupunkt Dublin Bluetooth head unit is fitted here also
A sunroof is fitted and operational but requires new seals
The current owner advises that he has temporarily sealed it externally
The huge luggage compartment is finished with a hard-wearing dark carpet
A fire extinguisher is mounted to the side wall of this area
Everything in the cabin is understood to work as it should
The only reported exception is the offside rear window
The owner will include a new mechanism that just needs fitting
The owner reports some cracked cabin plastics
The Exterior
This GLE estate is finished in a dark blue metallic livery
The condition appears to original and in excellent condition
A deep shine is exuded, and a good level of metallic flake appears present
The owner attests to the excellent condition of paint and bodywork
No areas of corrosion or significant deterioration were reported
The boxy design of the 740 is highly recognisable
The amount of cabin glass featured is impressive and it appears well presented
The big, oblong headlights are fitted with their original wash / wipe system
All marque and model badges and designations appear present and original
The GLE rolls on a set of original 15-inch alloy wheels
These are centred with large alloy flush fitting Volvo centre caps
Both wheels and caps appear in a good condition for their age
A matching set of Hankook Kinergy tyres are fitted
These are in the correct 195/65 configuration
A removable tow bar mount with twin electrics is also fitted
The car has a fifth gear (overdrive) which is activated electronically with the button on top if the lever. This was a very unique Volvo feature at the time
The Mechanics
This 740 is fitted with the 2.3L, four-cylinder, eight valve petrol engine
In this guise this originally produced 113bhp and 142Ib-ft of torque
A four-speed manual gearbox feeds this power to the rear wheels
The under-bonnet presentation appears highly original
The inner panels appear solid and free from corrosion
The underside of the car presents well for its age, too
A number of new parts are noticeable including the exhaust system
The owner reports that he has recently replaced the fuel system of the car
The owner reports that the car runs as it should with no known faults reported
This combined with the low mileage and advisory free MOT should provide reassurance
Summary
The Volvo 740 helped Volvo cement its worldwide reputation as purveyors of large, safe and reliable estate cars which remains to this day. The 740 was a more attainable model for many ensuring sales numbers remained strong throughout the car’s production life. Nowadays these cars are considered fine, useable and practical modern classic cars with low mileage, well preserved cars becoming very hard to find.
This 740 GLE is exactly that. Low mileage, low owner and in a great, highly original condition. The exterior looks especially fresh for its age, suggesting it has been cherished and garaged throughout most of its life. This combination helps make this 740 GLE Estate an especially desirable ownership proposition. Bid today to avoid missing out.
Notice to bidders
This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only*.** Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.*
A non-refundable buyer’s deposit is payable on this item, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for the applicable percentage.
UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Car & Classic are run through an online HPI check. On the HPI report, this vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft. It is currently not covered by a finance agreement.
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Auction Details
Year1989
Make
Volvo
Model
740 GLE
Colour
Blue
Mileage
67,385 Miles
Engine size2316
Seller TypePrivate
Town
Leatherhead
CountySurrey
Country
United Kingdom
Auction ends
Bidding history
28 Bids
shaski9••••£4,65028/08/23
frank-f••••£4,55028/08/23
shaski9••••£4,45028/08/23
Everiss••••£4,35028/08/23
frank-f••••£4,25028/08/23
Everiss••••£4,15028/08/23
frank-f••••£4,05028/08/23
Everiss••••£3,95028/08/23
frank-f••••£3,85028/08/23
shaski9••••£3,75028/08/23
frank-f••••£3,65028/08/23
shaski9••••£3,55028/08/23
arnold-••••£3,45026/08/23
gwiddic••••£3,35026/08/23
Perry C••••£3,25025/08/23
gwiddic••••£3,20025/08/23
Perry C••••£3,10023/08/23
oliver-••••£3,00023/08/23
Perry C••••£2,95023/08/23
oliver-••••£2,90023/08/23
Perry C••••£2,80023/08/23
oliver-••••£2,70023/08/23
gwiddic••••£2,60023/08/23
oliver-••••£2,50023/08/23
gwiddic••••£2,40023/08/23
oliver-••••£2,30023/08/23
gwiddic••••£2,20023/08/23
oliver-••••£2,10023/08/23
1989 Volvo 740 GLE
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