Volvo 242. 1974 - 1984

History of the Volvo Car

In August 1974, Volvo presented a new generation of cars called the 240 and 260 Series.

These new models had been developed from the 140 series and were very similar to their predecessors. The changes included a new front, large bumpers and a developed chassis, featuring a front-wheel suspension system of the McPherson type. At the same time, a new 4-cylinder engine series with an overhead camshaft began to be used. The previous 4-cylinder was still used for a time.

Two-door cars were still very much in demand, particularly on the Nordic markets, and it was therefore only natural to include a 2-door in the programme. However, as the trend was moving towards 4-door cars, the 242 was taken out of production long before the 244 and 245.

Over the years, the Volvo 242 was produced with many different engines and gearboxes.

Technical facts:
Prod. years:	1974-1984
Assembly:	Sweden: Torslanda (Torslandaverken) Sweden: Kalmar (VKA) Australia: Melbourne Belgium: Ghent (VCG) Canada: Halifax (VHA) Italy: Turin [N 1] Malaysia: Shah Alam (SMA)
Prod. volume:	242,621
Body style:	2-door saloon
Engine:	1784 cc B17 I4 1986 cc B19/B200 I4 1986 cc B20 I4 2127 cc B21 I4 2316 cc B23/B230 I4 1986 cc D20 I5 diesel 2383 cc D24 I6 diesel
Transmission:	4-speed M45/M46 manual 5-speed M47 manual 3-speed BW35/BW55 automatic 4-speed AW70/AW71 automatic
Brakes:	Hydraulic, disc brakes on all four wheels.
Dimensions:	Length 192.5" (489 cm), width 67.3" (171 cm), height 56.3" (143 cm), wheelbase 104.0" (264 cm), kerb weight 2841-2946 lbs (1290-1338 kg)
Miscellaneous:	In 1985, the Volvo 242 won the European Touring Car Championship.