25 years ago today Volvo welcomed the new 850 at the Stockholm Globe Arena. At that time, the Volvo 850 brought along several world firsts, including being the first car to have a transverse five cylinder engine, first car to be fitted with a ‘delta link’ rear suspension, side impact protection system and the first ever car to feature a self-tensioning seat belts.
The wagon variant was launched in February 1993, easily recognizable with its iconic vertical tail lights. The Volvo 850 Wagon was well respected, as the 1994 Japanese Good Design Grand Prize plus the Italian award for the most beautiful estate was bestowed upon the 850 Wagon.
In 1994, Volvo launched the 850 T5-R, powered by a 2.3-litre turbocharged straight five engine that outputs 240 horsepower and 340 Nm of torque. Porsche assisted Volvo in the development of the T5-R, including the engine and transmission tuning. This allowed the T5-R to be one of the finest sleepers ever created, hitting 100 km/h from a dead stop between 5.8 to 6.0 seconds.
Apart from the iconic 850 T5-R, that year we also witnessed the debut of the Tom Walkinshaw Racing Volvo 850 Wagon, participating in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). Despite the large nature of the 850 Wagon, Rickard Rydell and Jan Lammers managed to finish in eighth position in the 1994 championships. The wagon made way for a saloon racer that debut in 1995. The saloon fared better, as it managed to finish third in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
Later in its life, Volvo rebranded the 850 into the S70 sedan and V70 wagon, with a total of 1,360,522 built over the course of just five years. Do read Chris’s insights of the Volvo 850, and enjoy the photos.
CW Says…
No other car in Volvo’s history is as iconic as the 850. It was the car that made everyone sit-up and take notice, and nowhere was that more prevalent than at the race track, when they decided to enter a pair of wagons into the BTCC race series. People laughed at the idea, but they weren’t laughing for very long when the Volvo wagons started winning races. Why the T5 is such a significant car is because it (and only it at that point) single-handedly made wagons ‘cool’. They weren’t seen as ‘soccer-mom cars’ after this. Till today, all car makers owe a debt of gratitude to the 850 T5, for shedding the ‘utilitarian’ nature of wagons. Legendary, iconic; choose any moniker you wish, they all apply. – CW.
Volvo 850 Photo Gallery
