Introduced for the 1985 model year, this Volvo nameplate represented the brand’s most exclusive rear-wheel-drive coupe of the 700-era. Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1985, it was designed by the Italian styling house Bertone and built in Turin, giving Volvo a distinctly more elegant, coachbuilt counterpart to its mainstream sedans and wagons. Technically, it was closely related to the 760, but it carried a unique two-door body, a bespoke interior, and a more luxury-oriented character that set it apart from Volvo’s core family cars.
The car was developed as a successor to Volvo’s earlier Bertone collaboration, the 262C, and it continued the company’s long-running partnership with the Italian carrozzeria. That relationship is a major part of the model’s identity: the styling was more formal and restrained than many contemporary coupes, but it still conveyed a premium, distinctive presence. The limited production volume made it relatively rare even when new, and that scarcity has helped it remain a favorite among Volvo enthusiasts and collectors.
Production ran continuously through the 1990 model year, after which the nameplate ended without an immediate direct successor. As the final Volvo coupe of its era, it occupies an important place in the brand’s history: a low-volume grand touring alternative that combined Scandinavian engineering roots with Italian design and assembly. Today it is remembered as one of the most characterful and unusual Volvos of the 1980s.