1990 Volvo 240 DL Sedan: Signs of Spring

One sunny afternoon, I decided to take a bike ride into Providence, hoping to photograph some classic cars. Unfortunately, I didn't find much, mostly just a handful of old trucks. There was this old Volvo, however, so I guess that was a plus! You can read the full entry here.

This 240 a bit more unique from the others I've found. It has the five speed manual transmission, which is pretty uncommon to see. But, there's something a bit more special to this old Swedish brick that you may not have picked up on. 

We've spotted this car before, however, its changed its location. If you recall from last spring's general finds entry, I found a gray Volvo 240 sedan on the East Side of Providence with Connecticut antique vehicle plates. This is the same car. However, in that entry, we only got to see the rear end of the car since it was parked in a driveway. Therefore, I wasn't able to determine that the car had a manual transmission at the time. I'm definitely glad to see this Volvo again, as it lets me know that the owner is still driving it around. Although, it looks like they have a surprise parking ticket waiting for them. 

Much like any old 240 I've found, this one was in the usual survivor condition. The headlights were foggy and there was a piece of trim hanging off the driver's side door. I think what helps makes the 240 a great car is that it aged well, even if it looks like it's been driven around the world more than once. The Volvo 240 has a very simple design, as I discussed in the Late Winter Finds '23 entry featuring an older 240 from 1982. I talked about the 240's design being simple, even for its time, however, I didn't discuss how it aged. 

I think the 240 aged very well. I know it's very easy for me to say this because I love these cars, but even before I became a Volvo enthusiast, I thought so. The 240 looks old, as it was a car designed in the 1970s that was produced until the early 1990s with minimal cosmetic changes. The changes were mostly to the headlights and tail lights. However, some cars, when they get old, don't look good. Because the Volvo 240 remained unchanged for so long and the fact that over 2 million were produced, its presence became cemented into the subconscious mind with other everyday surroundings. Its simple, unchanged design, coupled with its reliability helped it age well into the 21st century.