1996 Volvo 960 Estate: An Overlooked '90s Volvo

The Volvo 960 is often overlooked by casual Volvo enthusiasts. For one, its powered by the less common six cylinder "White Block" engine Volvo made, and two, it existed during the time of the 850, a radical new car for Volvo, which made the 960 look old. Nonetheless, I was very excited to see one of these in parking lot during an afternoon walk in Providence. I've never photographed one of these before, nor can I recall the last time I ever saw one. 

The 960 was introduced to follow in the footsteps of the 760, exactly like how the 940 was introduced to replace the 740. However, the timeline is confusing. The standard 940 left production in 1995 when the 850 debuted a few years prior. The 960, on the other hand, lasted until 1998, which coincidentally lined up with the 850's end of production towards the nearly identical first generation V and S70 models. 

The 960 was very similar to its 940 relative, the only difference being the 2.5L six cylinder engine and slightly different trim. In 1994, for the 1995 model year, the 960 received a facelift, with a revised front grille and headlights. They were more narrow and squinty than the original design. In 1997, it was renamed the S90 and V90, to correspond with the model rename the 850 would receive when it would transition into the V70 and S70. 1998 would mark the final year of production for the 960 or S/V90. The name would be revived in 2016 as Volvo's new flagship model, replacing the V and S70.

This is the first 960 I believe I've ever seen, or at least can truly recall seeing. It's a good looking car too! I feel that makes these all the more fun to appreciate, because it's a car not as known to the common enthusiast. YouTube car enthusiast Doug DeMuro recently reviewed a 960 Executive model, and put it best: "These cars looked like they were from the early '90s instead of the late '90s." I can agree with this statement, as the 960 was based on a design from the early 1980s, which I suspect is why the 850 overshadowed it.