1981 Volvo 244 DL

More Volvo for you! Although we've been photographing quite a bit of classic Volvos recently, this one is no exception. What you're looking at is a great example of an early '80s Volvo 240, 1981, to be exact.  Although there are clear signs of this car being a daily driver, it's been incredibly well preserved for a New England car.

With the '84 240 from a few weeks ago, and the '82 240 from March 2023,  I've really been enjoying finding these old Volvos. While they all may look pretty similar, I assure you that there's always some interesting aspect to discuss in an entry. Maybe it's also my growing bias to the 240 since my ownership last April, but nonetheless, seeing a 240 on the road is a pleasant sight. Now, let's have a closer look at this old Swede.

As I discussed in the 1982 240 entry from last winter, I like to think of the 240s from '79  to '82 as the transitional years for the 240. 1981 was a fairly exciting year for the 240 as well. It marked the change from the '70s era 240s, to the more modern looking '80s era cars.

 1981 introduced the quad rectangular headlights, the third headlamp design during the 240's production. This design would be used up until 1985, with the introduction of the "cinderblock headlights," seen on cars from '86 to the end of production. The interior also recieved an update from the groovy and bright '70s styling, to the refined '80s styling. Being one of the most popular cars of the 1980s, one could assume Volvo had to keep their appearance up with the changing styles. Following 1982, the 240 would receive the large 6x6 tail light design, which would be used from '83 to the end of production.