The Volvo Owners Club has put many of these historic documents together here to make them easier to find. These documents contain lots of useful information, both of a general and technical nature.

1920-2005
Technical facts about the various models with photographs, and a comprehensive Volvo Car Production Statistics from 1927.

1920-2000
These documents have fuller details about the year and the models.

History Articles
A series of documents from Volvo and other sources. Some have company statistics and other detail the background of Volvo and car production. Most are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.

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Volvo 343

[ P1800ES | 242 | 244 | 245 | 262 | 262C | 264 | 265 | 66 | 343 | 345 ]

When the Volvo 343 was presented in the winter of 1976, it was the first totally new car from the Dutch company Volvo Car BV. The Volvo 343 entered a very important segment for the European markets - the compact segment.

The Volvo 343 was a 3-door hatchback and the large tailgate at the rear ended in a small spoiler. The car was relatively roomy and also had a good, flexible luggage compartment.

From the beginning, the car was only available with a 1.4-litre engine and continuously variable automatic transmission. It was rear-wheel-driven and had its gearbox at the rear next to the differential to guarantee good weight distribution. The rear-wheel suspension was a De Dion system.

During its lifetime, the Volvo 343 underwent a number of changes in terms of its appearance, engine and gearbox. The largest change in its appearance took place in the autumn of 1981 and included a new front and a new interior.

Technical facts:
Prod. years:	1976-90
Prod. volume:	472,434
Body style:	3-door hatchback
Engine:	4-cylinder, in-line OHV, 1,397 cc, 4-cylinder, in-line OHC, 1,986 cc, 4-cylinder, in-line, 1,721 cc or 4-cylinder, in-line OHC 1,596 cc diesel.
Transmission:	Automatic, continuously variable CVT, 4-speed manual, 5-speed manual.
Brakes:	Hydraulic, disc brakes at the front and drums at the rear.
Dimensions:	Overall length 419 cm/165", wheelbase 239.5 cm/94.3".