In March 1977, the Volvo 262C made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The strikingly designed coupé significantly changed the perception of the Swedish brand. Although the model was twice as expensive as the entry-level version of the Volvo 200 series, it still sold well.
The design, which looks very similar to the Bertone lettering, was by no means created in Italy. Volvo's chief designer Jan Wilsgaard drew the lines for the 262C and used the Volvo 264 as a model. The engines came from France, where they were manufactured in Douvrin by the Société Franco-Suédoise de Moteurs-PRV. The cars were manufactured in Italy by Carozzeria Bertone, as the factory in Sweden was not equipped for the production of a small series.
The 262 C was primarily aimed at the American market. Technically, the coupé corresponded to the 264 saloon, which meant rear-wheel drive, V6 engine with 140 hp (PRV engine), independent front suspension and rigid rear axle. Little was changed during the six-year construction period, apart from the power increase to 155 hp.
It was soon realized that the planned 800 vehicles per year could not meet demand, so the production volume was doubled. Nevertheless, just 6,622 units were built between 1977 and 1988. In 1985, the Volvo 780 was presented as the successor to the Volvo 262C, which was also developed in collaboration with Beltona.
The prototype built by Coggiola can be seen today in the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg. Although not exactly this one, we portrayed a somewhat later Volvo 262 C (1982) on Zwischengas a good three years ago.
