When you think of old-school Volvos – you know, those boxy designs that pre-date the more curvaceous models of today – what do you picture? The 240? The 850? Or do you think of the ultimate in squared-off Swedish design, the 760?

The model credited with saving Volvo was introduced in February, 1982, making it 30 years old this month. Reflecting on the occasion, Volvo looks back at the 760′s development, when it needed a car that would be reliable, efficient, durable, easily serviceable, quiet, somewhat attractive, and be a decent performer (in that order). The result was a rear-drive sedan four inches longer in wheelbase than the 240, yet a good 220 lbs lighter.

And that boxy design? That decision was as financial in nature as it was stylistic. After considering a number of design proposals, the final look was selected to be as cost-effective to produce as possible. In the end, those budgetary restrictions left us with a car that was, while not particularly exciting to behold, certainly an enduring icon of its time. Follow the jump to read the full retrospective, and flip through the images in the attached gallery.

Continue reading Volvo marks 30th anniversary of the 760

Volvo marks 30th anniversary of the 760 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Love it or hate it, the automotive industry of today is not lacking for its exercises in reviving old nameplates. The trend ranges from Mini to Maybach, from Dodge Dart to Dodge Challenger. And the French are certainly not immune. Citroën revived its fabled DS moniker for a range of premium hatchbacks, and Renault – most of all – has been mulling bringing back the Alpine for years now.

Arguably just as central to Renault’s performance heritage as the recently revived Gordini line, Alpine made mid-engined sportscars with Renault mechanicals starting in the 1950s and discontinued four decades later. Its most famous model, however, was the A110 (pictured above), which is now celebrating its 50th anniversary. And if a new report from Autocar is accurate, Renault has no intention of letting the occasion slip by unnoticed.

In fact, the French automaker is reportedly planning an Alpine concept car to unveil at the Paris Motor Show next fall. But the question remains whether there’s any production potential with such a concept. The French are known for producing some rather intriguing show cars – sportscars in particular – that never seem to get very far from the show stand, from the GTbyCitroën to the Renault DeZir.

Whether Renault can make the business case – without the North American market, at that – to take on the sports car establishment remains to be seen, but having the Nissan product bin to raid certainly couldn’t hurt.

Renault planning 50th anniversary Alpine tribute concept for Paris originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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General Motors has something festive planned for the 60th anniversary of its Chevrolet Corvette. The automaker will mark the occasion with a special edition 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible, complete with hardware borrowed from the mighty Corvette Z06. Under the hood, a 427-cubic-inch LS7 V8 produces 505 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, making this the most powerful Corvette Convertible ever produced. The 60th Anniversary Corvette will also benefit from the same rear axle as the Z06, and magnetic ride control is standard as well.

The special edition convertible will come with 19-inch wheels up front 20-inch rollers in the rear, both wrapped in Micheline PS2 tires. A six-speed manual transmission is the only gearbox option, though buyers will be able to chose from the full gamut of available interior and exterior colors. General Motors says the vehicle will also benefit from a range of carbon fiber components, including a raised hood, fenders and floor panels. A CFZ carbon-fiber front splitter and rocker panels are also available at an extra cost.

All told, the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible tips the scales at 3,355 pounds. Combined with its lofty power figures, the droptop should be capable of doing the 0-60 mph dash in 3.8 seconds on its way to an 11.8-second quarter mile and a top speed of over 190 mph. The very first model will be auctioned off for charity at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson classic car auction. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

Continue reading Chevy sending off C6 Corvette with 427 Convertible and 60th Anniversary package

Chevy sending off C6 Corvette with 427 Convertible and 60th Anniversary package originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One hundred and fifty years. That’s a mighty long time for any company to have been around, much less an automaker. Particularly since the automobile has only been around for 125 years or so. But while Opel, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, is known primarily as an automaker, cars are only part of its long business history.

Founded in 1862, Opel started out making sewing machines, and over the course of the last century and a half, has produced bicycles, motorcycles, rockets and refrigerators along with cars and trucks. Well over 50 million automobiles, in fact, as the company hit that particular milestone back in 1999.

Since 1929, Opel has been part of General Motors, and today – together with its British sister brand Vauxhall – its 40,500 employees produce more than a million vehicles every year in six different countries, selling them in over 40. Want to know more about Opel’s history? Follow the jump for the full press release and a three-minute video, and check out the historical photos in our high-res image gallery.

Continue reading Opel reaches milestone 150th anniversary [w/video]

Opel reaches milestone 150th anniversary [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s been 50 years since Volvo introduced the P1800, and the Swedish automaker has chosen to mark the occasion by releasing a few sketches of what a modern interpretation of the sports coupe would look like. Christopher Benjamin, chief designer with Volvo, just so happens to be a big fan of the P1800 and worked up the sketches as part of a Twitter chat with fans of the brand. Needless to say, the sketches have created a serious stir among the Volvo faithful, but the company has made it clear there are no plans to bring a modernized P1800 to market.

That’s a real shame, too. We can imagine such a vehicle would give the Audi A5 a serious run for its money depending on final driveline decisions.

Unfortunately, Volvo is still too busy shoring up its core products to worry about branching off into low-volume niches, at least for the moment. If you like the look of Benjamin’s sketches, head over to the Volvo Facebook page to let him know.

Volvo designer pens P1800 for 50th anniversary, no chance at production originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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