Highlights

• 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

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