When our 760 first came out, the transition from box 240 to box 760 really wasn’t a surprise. What did surprise many was how well it’s interior looked and how well it drove. I think the car was more like 60/40 weight distribution which was “more to American taste,” as a Swede once told me, for rock steady driving experience. While the 240 was a hoot to flail around corners, the 760 was much less that kind of experience, but going from LA to SF was just perfect.

It was fitted with a bullet proof drive system from 240 series and with a V6 there was more power and torque. That was a PRV engine: Peugeot, Renault, Volvo collaboration. It wasn’t the easiest to work on but mated with a manual transmission it had a wonderful, machinery sound.

What was missing in 200 series was a way to get an air conditioner that worked in places other than Sweden in winter. If you’ve never seen HVAC air ducts in a 240, well imagine trying to blow cold air through a 50′ garden hose. Driving out west, one was better off with all the windows open then trying to get the interior cooled to anything below 80 degrees. What the clever Swedes did was to admit defeat and contract with GM’s Harrison to build something that would deliver ice cubes to back seat passengers. It was a godsend to finally be safe and comfortable in one car.

While the styling was revolutionary for Volvo, other brands kind of had the same idea about slab side and angles.

So in a small sense, the car fit well into what customers were seeing. Much later would come designs like S80, XC90 and today with S60, that would give us cars that stood out in traffic, yet were very Scandinavian.

One critical factor was that the 200 series just could not meet our future expectations for safety, creature comforts and driving experience. I don’t think it was time for stepping out into totally new territory but would prove to be an opening to what we could do in the future. Much like the 140 series would pave the way for safer Volvos, the 700 clearly focused us into a way that we could still be Volvo but with an “okay” to be more premium.

What follows is a very good history, from Volvo Car Corporation in Sweden, of our 700 series.

Dan

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Volvo 760 turns 30 – The car that saved Volvo Car Corporation

In February 1982 – 30 years ago – the new Volvo 760 GLE was launched. No typical Volvo, yet unmistakably a Volvo. Seen as elegant and exciting with its characteristic design it was well received. The 760 became the car that actually saved Volvo Car Corporation back then and paved the way to the modern company of today.

When the first plans for the new car were drawn up around 1975 the automotive industry in general was experiencing a lot of difficulties, and Volvo in particular. The first oil crisis had just passed and at Volvo, problems were rising regarding the build quality of the new Volvo 240. It was also a very difficult economic time for the company. It was expensive to build cars in the Torslanda plant, too expensive in fact, and it was no longer profitable to export them.

The 200-series was soon to be complemented with a new generation of smaller cars from the Dutch subsidiary Volvo Car BV, but at the same time a new large volume-seller for the 1980s was desperately needed. A car designed and built to meet the continuously higher demands for fuel efficiency, exhaust emission control and safety that kept appearing. It was just as difficult to foresee what kind of car the customers of the 1980s would want.

A new way to tackle the task
The 760 was conceived in a time when conditions changed almost daily and in the company there were many strong and different opinions regarding the new car. There was no Internet to surf in order to broaden the views but Volvo made use of the best possible tool available at the time, a very thorough analysis of the surrounding world. Careful studies and large mental flexibility would lead the team on to the right track and along that track there was very little or no room for mistakes.

More car at less weight
It was decided that reliability, fuel efficiency, longevity, serviceability, low noise levels, design and performance in that order should guide the development work on the new project. It was also decided that rear-wheel drive should be employed, that the wheelbase should be 10 cm (4″) longer than that of the 240. The car was also to be somewhat shorter than the 240 but have the same width and be 100 kg lighter. For cost reasons most of the technical content was to be carried over from the 200-series with only minor modifications. This was, for instance the case with transmissions, suspensions and many other system solutions. The exterior design, however, had to be brand new.

The project, which was now known as the P31, was subject to changes. The technical specifications were only finalized at about the same time as the final design was frozen. Choosing the right design is just as difficult and important as filling the car with the right technical content.
The introduction was initially planned for 1980 but was at this stage postponed until 1981.

Boxiness becomes a concept
There were many design proposals to consider, many of them from outside designers. Most of them were sedans but Volvo’s head of design, Jan Wilsgaard, was more into a hatchback. The finance department, on the other hand, wanted a design with straight and flat surfaces, with angular lines, preferably 90 degrees, in order to reduce the production costs as much as possible,

In the end, the battle stood between the favourite of the marketing department and the engineering department alternative, when the sometimes very secretive Wilsgaard pulled an unknown contestant out of his sleeve. It was his own proposal which blended the properties in a different way: A car with a drawn out rear end in the estate fashion with straight body sides and with an abruptly cut-off rear, in other words a cut-back. This cut-back remained in the final discussions but eventually a modified version of it – a sedan with an almost vertical rear screen and boxy rear section – was chosen. The straight sides lent the interior a spacious feeling which was also very comfortable. And above all, the car had real character.

It soon proved to be the right choice. In the midst of the round and slippery soap dishes offered by other manufacturers, the Volvo boxiness was a hit and soon turned into a hallmark. Very valuable during this selective process was the use of so-called product clinics which Volvo used for the first time and at which people’s reactions regarding the new car were investigated without revealing any details like the brand of car etc. The reactions were not entirely positive, but in the USA, the planned main market for the new car, people loved it and looked upon it as their type of car.

Guiding large parts of the development work and affecting the project, besides the design, was new legislation and the engine programme. There were still drawing boards in the engineering department but computers were used in an increasingly larger scale with advanced calculation models, especially in the safety development work. By now, the project entered its final phase and at the beginning of 1978 it was humorously re-named 1155, i.e. five to twelve. It was time to hurry up.

VCC – an appetizer
A lot of things happened before the 70s turned into the 80s. In the spring of 1978, the first driveable prototype was ready and many more test vehicles were quickly finished. The time-consuming and thorough field test work started and the cars covered a total of 3.200.000 km on three continents, in the hottest and coldest climates available, in order to sort every thinkable detail.

In 1979, the AB Volvo car division was turned into its own company – Volvo Car Corporation – with Håkan Frisinger as its first CEO and in 1980 an interesting concept car was shown which hinted more than just a little bit about what was coming a year later. The Volvo Concept Car was an updated version of Wilsgaard’s cut-back which was the real design inspiration of the 760. Although shorter at the back than the 760 was to be, it was almost identical.

The VCC is today on display in the Volvo Museum. The name, in its shortened version, also stood for the initials of the company, Volvo Car Corporation. In terms of technical content, the VCC featured the constant-track rear suspension of the forthcoming 760 and a powerful turbodiesel which showed the enormous future potential of the compression engine principle.

Driving pleasure and common sense
The plans for the 760 launch at the 1981 Frankfurt Motor Show had to be pushed forward again and when Volvo finally presented the car, in February 1982, an elegant car with a completely new and unconventional design was shown; pleasant to drive, comfortable and offered with three different choices of engine: a four-cylinder turbo, the V6 now bored out to 2.8 litres and the Volkswagen-built but Volvo specified in line-six D24 turbodiesel. When fitted with this engine, the 760 was the quickest diesel car off the mark in the world at the time.

In Sweden, the new 760 GLE was priced just below the psychological SEK 100,000 limit – at SEK 99,800 – and for that money the customer got a car that was very well equipped: a V6 engine with automatic transmission, air conditioning, a sunroof and power steering. No wonder the sales took off instantly, both on the home market and abroad. In true Volvo manner, sales started from the top down, with the 760 GLE followed later by the 740 series, in four and five door versions.

The Volvo 760 became a turning point for Volvo Car Corporation, product wise and financially, and formed the basis for the continuation of the company. Without the 760 no 850, without the 850 no S80 and so on. But it was an investment of gigantic proportions, SEK 3.5 billion. The whole idea behind it was that the 760 and all future derivatives were to keep up the sales during the rest of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, which they did. It wasn’t until 1998 that production ended with the V90, the last Volvo car with its roots in 760 technologies.

In total 221,309 units of the 760 were made (1,230,704 including the 740) before it was replaced in the autumn of 1990 by the more modern 960. By then, the 760 had been a profit-maker and prestige-builder par excellence for Volvo Car Corporation for almost a decade.

###

If you’re coming to the D.C. Auto Show, go over and say hello to my old friend Tom Leaman. Tom is our man in D.C. this week. Ask to see our battery pack for XC60 Plug-In Hybrid on display. It’s only 12 kw but with its clear glass cover, it looks more like 12 megawatts. Don’t bother asking to see the 4-cylinder engine in it, it’s buried under one of the biggest plastic covers I’ve ever seen. In truth, there isn’t much to see right now.

When we did the first C30 all electric cars, the mass of cables, brackets, pumps, AC/Heating units were barely surpassing the wiring mess under my desk from two PCs, printer, router, modem keyboards and mouse controls.  For first generation XC60 Plug-In Hybrid, this show car is rather clean but still, it’s a concept. But do ask Tom to show you how the instrument panel looks, and the really sweet seat patterns.

Olle Odsell came from VCC in Sweden to help with media questions and to meet with political leaders while in DC. I’ve known Olle for some time and knew that he worked with Hasse Nilsson on S60 projects and racing stuff, but really didn’t know what he was up to. So he sent over the following.

Hi Dan,

Since 2003 I have mainly been working with the Volvo C70, as technical project leader and later responsible for quality and running changes. The XC60 PHEV Concept Car is my latest assignment.

-Olle

More about our S60 Challenge Series:

VOLVO S60 CHALLENGE – A RACING SERIES FOR THE FUTURE

When the flag drops for the Swedish racing season 2002, a whole new racing series will be seen on the grid. Volvo S60 Challenge is a one-type class, open for drivers 17 years old and up. The series has the likes of the very popular JTCC class, that has been run for five years with Volvo S40 2.0, although the new cars will be significantly faster. Volvo S60 Challenge will according to plans replace JTCC and will run together with the STCC events from 2002.

Together with STCC AB and the Swedish Motor Racing Association we have discussed how to develop the JTCC concept into a more spectacular and ”grown-up” racing series. Volvo S60 Challenge gives the opportunity for JTCC drivers to take a step forward, but also other new or established drivers will have the opportunity to race a potent touring car at a resonable cost, says Alexander Murdzevski, Head of Motorsport at Volvo Cars Sweden AB.

The class will have a similar set-up as JTCC, although there will be no upper age limit for the drivers. Junior drivers will still have special attention though, with a junior cup within the class.

A car built for racing

The S60 Challenge cars will be a lot faster than the JTCC cars. The engine will be based on Volvos 2.3 litre T5 engine, which with a 3″ exhaust system and a racing catalyst will develop approximately 265 horsepower. The engines will be sealed and they will have a maximum turbo boost restricted by a calibrated overpressure valve. The car´s racing abilities will also benefit from Öhlins shock absorbers, 18″ BBS wheels, 4-piston caliper brakes, a rear wing and a front splitter. The gearbox is standard, except for a limited slip differential and a shorter final ratio to fit the Swedish circuits. The class will be run on a specified tyre, although at the moment which brand is not selected.

In total, Volvo will sell 25 ready-to-race cars starting this fall. The price will be 320 000 SEK + VAT. The cars will be owned and run by different teams, but Volvo is also investigating in the possibility to rent out cars together with team personnel and service for a whole season or for single races. No matter which option chosen, all drivers will have the opportunity to have their own personal looks and sponsors on the cars.

Our aim is to have price money in the S60 Challenge and to have the class broadcasted on TV. We believe this will be a very attractive racing series for anyone who wants to race at a level just a step away from the STCC, says Alexander Murdzevski.

Volvo S60 Challenge will run a promotion event at the STCC race at Ring Knutstorp on September 2nd. Twelve famous drivers from other classes will then be invited to fight in a “Race of Champions”.

TECHNICAL specification Volvo S60 Challenge:

Base car: Standard S60 T5 with manual gearbox.

Engine: 2.3 litre T5 turbo engine with lightened flywheel and reduced exhaust counterpressure.

Power: 265 hk @ 6000 rpm, 350 Nm @ 2000-4500 rpm.

Maximum rpm 6500, maximum turbo boost 85 Kpa.

Adapted original engine electronics for 98 Octane unleaded fuel.

Transmission: Standard M56H 5-speed gearbox. Final ratio 4.78:1, equipped with limited slip differential, sintered clutch and a stronger clutchplate. Top speed approximately 230 km/h at 6500 rpm on 5th gear.

Chassis: Based on standard parts with Öhlins competition shock absorbers and racing springs. Individual adjustments of rebound and compression plus ride-height. Rubber bushings replaced with uniballs in wishbones and subframes front and rear to stiffen the chassis and to improve handling.

Ride-height 80 mm. Standard sway-bars; front diam 23.5 mm hollow, rear diam 21.0 mm solid.

Steering: Standard servo with detachable Sparco competition steering wheel.

Brakes: Standard ABS-system. AP-brakes, 4-piston calipers, 355 mm brake discs front. Standard brakes rear.

Wheels: 8×18”  BBS rim ”Nebula” with 235/40-18” tyres

Bodyshell: Standard S60 shell equipped with a FIA homologated rollcage made of 25CrMo4 material. Built to strengthen the bodyshell and to absorb suspension forces. Reinforced suspension struts front and rear plus a stabilizing cross bar in front. A special front splitter and a rear wing will be provided to give the car a good balance.

Interior: Original instruments with tachometer, fuel gauge and engine temperature meter. The heat system is modified leaving only the defroster functions. A main power switch is installed and a special cable harness is developed for simple use and weight reduction. FIA approved Sparco racing seat and 3” 6-point safety belts.

Miscellanious: Weight is reduced to approximately 1250 kg including liquids and 10 litres of fuel, excluding driver. Headlight covers are replaced with plastic lenses.

Jessica T., of State College, Pa., now owns a little piece of Edward Cullen after winning Volvo’s “Journey to the Wedding” Contest. Thorpe picked up her shiny new Volvo S60 R-Design – the exact car Edward drove in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” last week at Volvo State College.

Here’s what Jessica had to say about her new car:

“I love my new car! It is so fun and it drives so nicely! My old car was 14-years-old and had 193,000 miles on it, so winning such a sleek, stylish and powerful car was a wonderful Christmas present. I’m so grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime prize of a new, luxury Volvo S60 R-Design. It means so much to me.”

And here’s a news clip from Jessica’s hometown newspaper:

http://www.centredaily.com/2012/01/10/3047273/state-college-woman-wins-twilight.html#storylink=misearch

After winning Yahoo’s “Say ‘I Do’ Sweepstakes,” Cherie M. of Hendersonville, Tenn., picked up her new Volvo S60 R-Design at Volvo of Nashville.

Here’s what Cherie had to say about her amazing prize:

“Wow, I am still in shock! I can’t believe I won! I am definitely Team Edward and am so excited I won his car! I love all the movies so far and can’t wait for Breaking Dawn 2 next year. The Volvo S60 R-Design is a beautiful car inside and out, and I can’t wait to drive it!”

Every New Years, I would call him or he’d call me, just to chat and to wish each other a good New Year. Funny how traditions help keep us in touch with friends and family.

So I asked Hasse if he would do a short interview with me about what he does at VCC.

1. What kind of racing background to you have? Any pics of you, your team and car? Were you successful?

The racing I have been doing for the last 20 years is together with a team of Volvo colleagues, and it is on a pure hobby level. It is an endurance racing series, with the theme maximum racing for minimum cost. The races are 6 hours long and include beside driving also tactics for refueling and change of drivers. Each driver can drive max 1.5 hour at the same stint. Technically it’s open for 4 seat standard cars. Only normal aspirated engines with 2 liters volume and 4 valves per cylinder or 2.5 liters and 2 valves per cylinder. Maximum tire width is 205 R marked but no slicks. Chassis modifications are free.

The fastest cars are using a Volvo B230 engine stroked to 2.5 liters. Used in BMW 3 series, Porsche 944, Opel Ascona, and of course Volvo 140, 240 and occasionally also a 544.

We race a Volvo 240 with a “B250″ engine with two Weber 50 carburetors. Power output last year was 242 hp. Getrag close ratio gearbox, Brembo calipers and BMW M3 rotors. Chassis changed in all dimensions.

We normally finish top 5-6, and have never won the series but finished 2nd or 3rd, at best.

It is a hobby thing, a nice way to meet the guys (all Volvo colleagues). We meet one evening per week, roll up the sleeves and do some real hands-on car development.

Team mates are:

-Olle Odsell, Tech Project leader C70

-Kent Persson, Chassis development (also run his own rally team)

-Kenneth Ekström, Chassis development. Developed chassis for S60R , V70R and the new S60

-Ola Gruvesäter, Chassis dept

-Lars-Erik Lundin, Vice president. Was up to last year active in the team

-Hans Nilsson, Product manager S60, V60, XC60

-Kenneth Garthammar, Mechanics at Powertrain dept.

2. I know racing was probably a factor in doing S60/V70 R work, but is there some technology you wanted in your race car but was able to put into our R’s?

3. You mentioned how the 60 series is now your responsibility, does that mean all the technical advances (future engines/transmissions?) and exterior/interior is another person or are you the head of the whole line? If whole like what falls under your authority?

I was the project leader and product manager for the R-cars for 10 years.  In 2006, I started as product manager for S60 and V60.  The product manager is responsible for the content in the car and the balancing of the attributes. To make sure that the car is delivering all its attributes and fulfilling its (task) i.e. roll and position. So I’m involved in most of the technical stuff.

4. In a few words, what do you see the 60 series doing for Volvo?

Hasse is the guy leaning into their race car.

So don’t think for a moment that our man behind XC60, S60 and V60 (yes..I know “we should bring it here so don’t post any more comments – thanks) is just a guy leading a bunch of other folks with no idea about what makes a car special.

Today, I’m in an R-frame kind of mind.

dan

So if nothing else, oil changes are a must. Heck, just checking for oil is a must.

Take care,
dan

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http://www.valpolife.com/index.php/business/autos/15154-can-a-car-really-last-a-million-miles

Written by Heinold and Feller

From the November 2011 VehicleMD publication One million miles. It’s like driving 10,000 miles a year…for a century. It’s like driving around the earth’s equator…40 times. It’s like taking a round trip to the moon…twice. (Before the astronomers write in, we know it’s technically only 955,428 miles in two round trips to the moon, but we rounded!) It’s so far, in fact, that it takes light a little more than 5.3 seconds to cross one million miles. In other words, one million miles is, in the human scale of things, a loooooong way. Yet more and more vehicles these days are turning up with that magic number on their odometers. And I’m not talking about over-the-road trucks, either, since those big-rigs are built to endure such long distances. I’m talking about the very same passenger vehicles most of us drive every single day. For instance, you might have read about Joe LoCicero, the insurance adjuster from Maine who just hit the million-mile mark in his 1990 Honda Accord. Bought the car used in 1996 when it had 74,000 miles on it and averages about 4,700 miles per month. Or how about Wisconsin travelling salesman Peter Gilbert, who retired his 1989 Saab 900 to a museum in 2006 after wracking up 1,001,285 miles. Finally, there’s New York’s Irv Gordon, a retired schoolteacher who purchased his 1966 Volvo P1800S brand new and is preparing to hit the three million-mile (!) mark early next year. Gordon- who put 1,500 miles on the car the first two days he had it- has driven the car an average of 65,000 miles per year, even shipping the car across the Atlantic to tour Europe on occasion. So how have these drivers achieved such extreme lifespans with their cars, especially when a typical vehicle’s lifespan is around 145,000 miles? By following these seven strategies. 1. Drive. A lot. It goes without saying that in order to hit seven figures on your odometer (if, in fact, your car’s odometer goes that high) you have to put in some serious seat time. But not all miles are created equal. As these drivers could attest, though highway miles are amassed faster, they are typically easier on your car than miles driven in city traffic. Constantly starting, stopping, accelerating, idling, cranking, etc. puts a lot of stress on your car. In contrast, a vehicle, like any machine, operates at peak efficiency when it is in a steady-state rhythm like that experienced while driving at a steady speed on the highway. But don’t worry. Even if you commute (like Gordon did for decades in his Volvo before retiring), there are some other strategies you can use to maximize your vehicle’s lifespan. 2. Change is good. All three of these drivers- as well as many others who have racked up very high mileage totals on their vehicles- have something in common: they are all big believers in regular oil changes. Think about it. Your car’s engine is like any other industrial machine. It works hard with metal parts sliding back and forth against each other hundreds of times each minute. For vehicles that accumulate the miles, that means the engine is experiencing millions, even billions, of revolutions. That kind of mechanical pressure takes its toll on the motor oil that lubricates engine parts, making periodic oil changes a safe bet if you want to keep your car running. Gordon, for instance, changes his oil every few thousand miles, and didn’t have to have the Volvo’s engine overhauled for the first time until nearly 675,000 miles showed on the odometer. Plus, as motor oil quality has improved in recent decades, those overhauls have gotten further and further apart! 3. Follow the schedule. Motor oil isn’t the only fluid that needs attention in a vehicle. That’s why LoCicero credits “religiously” following his car’s recommended fluid maintenance schedule for helping his car achieve its incredible lifespan. In fact, the only major components LoCicero has ever replaced on his car are the fuel pump, cooling fans and the radiator (twice). That none of those repairs were directly related to fluid maintenance speaks to the effectiveness of such a strategy.   4. Try the synthetic route. Gilbert purchased his Saab brand-new and knew he wanted to give it the ultimate in protection. That’s why he opted to use synthetic motor oil from the very first oil change, a strategy that paid off big time. Ever after a million miles, the Saab’s engine had never been overhauled or needed a repair. In fact, Gilbert bragged that the only major repair he’d ever had to pay for (besides collision repair; more on that later) was a transmission rebuild at 200,000 miles. 5. Invest in repairs. If you truly want to keep your car running for an extended period, you have to come to grips with the fact that things will break. Like all machines and mechanical devices, the components on cars will eventually wear out- though hopefully not all at once! During his frequent travels, Gilbert encountered several wayward deer and had to pay for collision repairs on several different occasions. And while it can seem like a waste to spend money repairing an older vehicle, if you do the math you’ll find that even a major repair job (spread out over time) is less expensive than replacing your current vehicle. Like the wise man once said, the cheapest car you’ll ever own is the one you’re driving now! 6. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Your car’s insides aren’t the only parts that will need attention if you want to drive it for a long time. Road grime, dirt, mud and anti-icing salts and chemicals like those found in northern and snow-bound states can play havoc with suspension, exhaust and other components beneath your car. Plus, they’re murder on your car’s finish. Gordon notes that he spends as much or more time cleaning his car on the outside than he does maintaining it on the inside. Not only does running your car through the carwash keep it clean and sparkly, it also removes the dirt/grime/salt that can over time contribute to wear and damage. Not to mention the fact that you’re almost certain to take more pride in a car that you spend time and money keeping in good shape. After all, none of the cars we’ve run across that hit the magical million-mile mark were beaters! 7. Take care. Okay. You have the motor oil and other fluids changed regularly. You pay extra for the very best products. You have your baby washed and detailed often. So what’s the final step in driving your car for a very long time? Well, that involves visiting your neighborhood auto service center. You see, the technicians that service your vehicle aren’t just changing the motor oil and filter. They’re also giving your car a thorough once over, looking for little problems that you can fix before they become big-and expensive- ones. Thus our final piece of advice is to partner with a trusted technician or mechanic and listen to his (or her) advice when it comes to needed maintenance and repairs. Because if you really want to drive a million miles, chances are you’ll need some help.

dan

So first off, let’s get this out of the way:

• No, we have not decided on what vehicle this technology will be used on.
• We are not announcing a date for introduction – that will be decided later this year.
• No pricing at this time.
• Yes, it is being developed for this market and for China.
• No diesel engine for the U.S.
• No on V60 diesel with this technology.
• I think that’s about it. If you have questions, please feel free to send them over. No problem.

After next week, we’ll have photos and more details about this technology. Also, this concept car is next being shown at the Washington, DC Auto Show in a few weeks, and then off to the Chicago Auto Show, so be sure to check it out if you can.

dan

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I guess at that age you are just unable to pronounce ‘V.’ My kids did the same thing. Hearing them say Bobo was always funny, but I believe that even at a young age a car can be something special to little folks.

The following came in from Alex in our Social Media group: “Essentially this girl is truly a Volvo fanatic at the young age of 4. Her parents drive an S60 and XC90 and she just has this unbelievable love for the brand. They have been in two accidents and were safe in both. She loves visiting Volvo dealerships, near her house or on vacation (Cherry Hill is their local). Her mom started posting to YouTube just for fun. We picked them up and reached out to them and they came and spent the day with us, toured the facility and had lunch. I am sure you can put a better spin on it then I can.”

No Alex, it doesn’t need any spinning. She was so cute it’s hard to put into words any better than what you have written, thanks.

Many years ago, there was a TV show called “Connections” with James Burke. He could take something like a beetle scientist and link him to Sherlock Holmes with amazing clarity. Search YouTube for “James Burke.” So the other day, Mark, at Hemmings Motor News, sent us this 855 R photo just for our enjoyment, and I thought heck, lets post it to our blog.

So we asked Mark to get permission from the photographer, Lance Cole, and he came back with the following:

“This is a tuned 855 T5R with specially gray sprayed wheels. It is owned by French Swedish car guy Alain who also owns a concourse rally tuned 300bhp Volvo PV 544. Alain hosts a Volvo Saab French Swedish day in Brittany, France every year. The stunning photo was taken by well-known automotive and aerospace photographer and author Lance Cole in Brittany, France at dawn this past November. I have owned seven Volvos and three examples of a certain other Swedish car make! I love the V70 – it has room for all my Nikons and kits and soothes my bad back like no other car. My life was saved by a Volvo and its side impact system 10 years ago and I was the only person uninjured in a crash involving three cars and a truck.”

Lance asked if I could also include a shameless plug for his work. He is available worldwide for transport and travel photography and other commissions.

And now the connection part – his new book, “Secrets of the Spitfire,” is to be published by Pen and Sword books in Britain in April next year. So he and I emailed about how that was a plane I dreamed about when younger. I know war isn’t cool, but the Spitfire and P51 Mustang were just amazing pieces of technology. How beautifully graceful in design and function both are. I always loved taking things apart (not always getting them back together – sorry Dad) and we talked about Duxford Museum in Britain and their fantastic collection of airplanes. Flying machines are pure and simple, nothing is in excess. On one visit there, passing between exhibits, there was a photograph of a photographer standing in front of a plane holding a huge (maybe 4′ long) camera who looked exactly like my boss Bob Austin. Then it dawned on me that it was Bob’s father. He flew in a De Havilland Mosquito.

From Bob: He (Bob’s father) flew a De Havilland Mosquito.  He was part of the 8th Air Force located in the UK at a base named Watton.  The Mosquito was a twin engine, all plywood plane that was equipped either as a light bomber or a photo reconnaissance plane.

My dad’s plane flew night photo recon before and after bombing runs.  They had no guns or armor.  Their secret to survival was speed.  They could cruise at 400 mph with two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines.  Very few Mosquitoes were in US livery, most were used by the RAF.

As Bob says, it’s the guy on the left..the one with hair.

Lance’s photo is just wonderful to look at and almost peaceful in those colors. I think 850 T5R was one of those legendary cars that will not only be a collector’s piece but will still be running for many years to come, as will S60 R and V70 R.

So its funny how one totally unrelated something leads to something else and in a way is related after all.

dan