Volvo 740/760/780

By the 1980s, Volvo's venerable 200-series, though popular, was starting to show the age of its 1960s 140-derived underpinnings. Sales were strong enough to keep the lower-trim models in production, but to be competitive with the likes of the BMW 5-series, the Mercedes W123 E-class, and resurgent Audi's 5000, a modern, clean-sheet luxury design was needed.

The Volvo 700 series was the result of this engineering effort, starting in 1983 with the higher-spec 760 series. It launched as a replacement for the Volvo 260, using the same Peugeot-Renault-Volvo "PRV" V6, but in a new body with 1980s "folded paper" angular styling.

As with the prior 140 and 200-series, the nomenclature indicated engine and body style, though marketing was now starting to creep in to what had been purely form factor and engine designations:

• 7: generation, marking significant advancement over the 200 series and skipping over the Europe-only 300- and 400-series small cars
• 4/6/8: "trim level", with the prior "number of cylinders" distinction blurring with four-cylinder turbo 760 series cars and luxury four- and six-cylinder 780 Bertone
• 0: number of doors:
  • 745/765 for the station wagon
  • 744/764 for the four-door sedan
  • 780 for the Bertone two-door luxury coupe

Computers began to appear both inside cars and out, with innovations like digitial Bosch LH-Jetronic engine management, ABS, climate control, traction control, and 4-link computer-designed independent rear suspension appearing on the 760 as the 1980s progressed. 

Following in the footsteps of the 262C luxury coupe was the 780 Bertone. Like the 262C before it, design and final assembly was carried out by coachbuilder Bertone at their Turin, Italy factory. It shared gasoline engines with the 760, but was a much rarer car, with less than 9000 produced worldwide.

In 1985, the 740 was released, with versions of Volvo's four cylinder "red block" engine: the B230F, or the turbocharged B230T. The 760 began to offer the B230FT at the same time, further muddying the distinction between the two trims and mostly making the 760 a more luxurious car with greater levels of standard and optional equipment.

Unique to the 760 in the USA (aside from one year for the 740 in 1986) was the 760 Turbodiesel, using a D24T 2.4L inline six shared with Volkswagen/Audi. Though only available for a couple years, these diesels are sought after, particularly for biodiesel conversions.

As with the 140 and 200-series, Volvo elected to extensively re-engineer the 700 series for one more generation, with the resulting 900-series 940 and 960 appearing in 1991.

• Sold in the USA from 1983 through 1992 model year
• Available in 4 door sedan and 5 door station wagon variants
• Available in a 2 door sedan version only in the 780

Volvo 740 - 744, 745

• Sold in the USA from 1985 through 1992

Volvo 740 engine options:

• B230F
  • Available from 1985 through 1990
  • 2.3L normally aspirated gasoline 8V inline 4 cylinder OHC
  • Most were equipped with Bosch LH-Jetronic electronic fuel injection but a Regina/Bendix electronic injection was available on base models from 1989 through 1992
• B230FT
  • Available from 1985 through 1992
  • 2.3L turbocharged gasoline 8V inline 4 cylinder OHC
  • Bosch LH-Jetronic electronic fuel injection
• B234F
  • Available from 1989 through 1990
  • 2.3L normally aspirated gasoline 16V inline 4 cylinder OHC
  • Bosch LH-Jetronic electronic fuel injection
• D24T
  • Volvo's documentation says there were some 740 models with 6 cylinder turbo diesels but they are far less common (See Volvo 760 below) 
  • Supposedly available from 1985 through 1986

Also see: How can I tell which version of Bosch LH Fuel Injection is on my Volvo 240?

Volvo 760 - 764, 765, GLE, Diesel

• Sold in the USA from 1983 through 1990 model year

Volvo 760 engine options:

• B23FT
  • 2.3L turbocharged gasoline inline 4 cylinder OHC w/ Bosch LH-Jetronic electronic fuel injection
  • Available only in 1984
• B230FT
  • 2.3L turbocharged gasoline inline 4 cylinder OHC w/ Bosch LH-Jetronic electronic fuel injection
  • Available from 1985 through 1990
• B28F
  • Available from 1983 through 1987
  • 2.8L naturally aspirated gasoline PRV V6 w/ Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection
  • Commonly suffered from oiling issues resulting in extreme camshaft wear
• B280F
  • Available from 1987 through 1990
  • 2.8L naturally aspirated gasoline PRV V6 w/ Bosch LH-Jetronic electronic fuel injection
  • This was a much improved version of the PRV engine that solved the oiling issues of the earlier version. Volvo's documentation states that this engine was available up until 1990 but we haven't seen any past early 1988
• D24T
  • Available from 1983 through 1985
  • Volkswagen 2.4L turbocharged diesel inline 6 cylinder OHC
  • This engine is popular with the bio-diesel crowd
  • These engines tended to be very reliable to the point that they generally got ignored and didn't get maintained properly. Lack of maintenance (oil changes, injection pump timing adjustments and cooling system flushes) resulted in many of these engines eventually having the piston rings seize up resulting in a serious loss of compression and thus a no-start condition. Reports of overheating and cylinder head damage are also common

Volvo 780 Bertone

• Sold in the USA from 1987 through 1991 model year
• 2 door version of the 700 series, with unique interior and exterior styling and a lower roofline
• Only about 8,500 of these models were sold worldwide

Volvo 780 engine options:

• B280F 
  • Available from 1987 through 1990
  • 2.8L normally aspirated gasoline PVR V6 w/ Bosch LH-Jetronic electronic fuel injection
• B230FT
  • Available from 1989 through 1991
  • 2.3L turbocharged gasoline inline 4 cylinder OHC w/ Bosch LH-Jetronic electronic fuel injection

Model information is based on the USA vehicle market. Other model variations may exist outside the USA.