Reflecting further on 'chelle_belle's post, I realise that the earliest V70s are now over 20 years old. This puts them firmly into 'modern classic' territory. To some, therefore, they are cars to be preserved and cherished, only to be enjoyed when the sun shines and the roads are free from salt.
For others, myself included, they are, very simply, a solid motor car which does - in the modern parlance - 'what it says on the tin'; a car to be used every day in all weather conditions.
I think part of this is down to the 'culture' in this country, encouraged by governments of every hue, that newer is better and old is bad. It is also something that is exacerbated by the 'age identifier' introduced in 1963, onto vehicle number plates.
When we first went to Sweden in the 1980s, we were surprised to see many Amazons still in daily use (It had already achieved 'collector' status here). When we commented on this, it was they who were surprised that we thought it worthy of comment. Even today, one can still see many 240s in daily use on their roads. Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA and one of the world's wealthiest men, who died only last year, still regularly used his faithful 245.
If an 'old' Volvo was good enough for Ingvar, it is certainly good enough for me!
Regards, John.
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Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana .....
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