Volvo 340DL, model 1986-1991

The Volvo 300 series is a rear wheel drive automobile sold as both a hatchback and a conventional saloon. It was developed in The Netherlands shortly after Volvo bought a major stake in the passenger car division of DAF in 1973. The series consisted of the Volvo 340 (initially badged as the 343/345) and the Volvo 360. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (829x445, 111 KB) Volvo 340DL Source: Eigenes Foto File links The following pages link to this file: Volvo 300 series ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (829x445, 111 KB) Volvo 340DL Source: Eigenes Foto File links The following pages link to this file: Volvo 300 series ... Rear wheel drive was a common form of engine/transmission layout used in automobiles throughout the 20th century. ... An automobile is a wheeled vehicle that carries its own motor. ... Peugeot 306 Hatchback, with the hatch lifted and the parcel shelf visible A hatchback is an automobile design, consisting of a passenger cabin which includes an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind by a hatch or flip-up window. ... A Ford Taurus, a recognizable sedan. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... 2002 Volvo S80 Volvo Cars, or Volvo Personvagnar, is an automobile maker that was founded in 1927 in the city of Gothenburg in Sweden. ... DAF is a Dutch automobile company, with its main offices in Eindhoven. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1973 calendar). ...

Origins

After building a series of compact cars, DAF sought a partner to bring its new, larger model, codenamed P900, to market in 1970. Several manufacturers were approached, including Audi, BMW, and Volvo. Volvo was not originally interested due to the cost, but DAF's access to Renault engines led the Swedish company changed its mind. This helped Volvo expand its model lineup without the large expenditures associated with developing a new model. Building cars in the Netherlands also helped Volvo access the other markets of the EEC DAF is a Dutch automobile company, with its main offices in Eindhoven. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... Audi is a German automobile maker with headquarters in Ingolstadt, Bavaria. ... BMW AG (an abbreviation of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works), is a German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. ... AB Volvo (or Aktiebolaget Volvo) is a world-leading Swedish manufacturer of commercial vehicles, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services. ... AB Volvo (or Aktiebolaget Volvo) is a world-leading Swedish manufacturer of commercial vehicles, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services. ... DAF is a Dutch automobile company, with its main offices in Eindhoven. ... Renault S.A. is a French vehicle manufacturer producing small to upper-midsize cars, vans, buses and trucks. ... AB Volvo (or Aktiebolaget Volvo) is a world-leading Swedish manufacturer of commercial vehicles, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services. ... The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ...

Volvo purchased a one-third share in DAF in 1973, followed by a 75% stake in 1975; the company's name was changed to Volvo Car BV that year. Free of its passenger car division, DAF's commercial vehicle division still operates today. DAF is a Dutch automobile company, with its main offices in Eindhoven. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1973 calendar). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... DAF is a Dutch automobile company, with its main offices in Eindhoven. ...

Model chronology

The Volvo 343 was introduced in 1976. DAF had already begun development of this car as a replacement for the DAF/Volvo 66. It was fitted with a 1.4 liter Renault engine and DAF's characteristic Variomatic continuously variable transmission. A manual transmission from the 200 series was made available in 1979. A five-door model, the 345, was added in 1980. 1981 saw the addition of an additional engine option, the 2.0 liter B19A developed by Volvo. Variomatic is the stepless, fully automatic transmission of the passenger car manufacturer DAF. The final drive has two pulleys with moveable conical drums. ... This article is in need of attention. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The third digit designating the number of doors was dropped from model designations in 1983. The 360 arrived that year with two 2.0 liter engine choices, the 92bhp B19A and the 115bhp B21E, also from Volvo. This model was available in five-door form, with four-door models added in 1984.

A new Renault 80 bHp 1.7 Litre petrol engine (designated the B172) was introduced in the 340 during the late 1984 range facelift, along with a 340 version of the saloon, which was only available with the new engine. This made the car very popular with caravan owners, and was voted Tow Car of the Year in 1985.

A famous advertisment for the 300 series in the late 1980's had a crash test dummy drive a car out of a factory window. Unfortunately this gave way to the famous saying "Designed by Computer, Built by Robot, Driven by a Dummy" and didn't help with the image of the car.

A diesel engine for the 360 was available in certain export markets and was added to the 340 models in 1986. These diesel models were never offered in Right Hand Drive form, hence they were never offically exported to the UK.

From 1987 on, incremental improvements in features and emissions control were made. Production of the 300 series ended in 1991, replaced by the 400 series.

Reputation and popularity

Like other Volvos, the 340 embodied many ground-breaking safety features which are now standard on all cars.

It was a popular car in the UK throughout the 1980s, regularly making the top annual 10 sales tables for that decade. It was generally thought of as more comfortable, safe, and well-made than similarly-priced Ford Escorts, Austin Maestros and Vauxhall Astras. The Ford Escort was a compact car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from 1967 through 2003. ... The Austin Maestro was a mid-sized hatchback automobile produced by the Austin Rover Group company in the early 1980s. ... The Astra is a General Motors (GM) small family car, badged as an Opel in continental Europe, a Vauxhall in the United Kingdom, a Holden in Australasia, and a Chevrolet in Latin America. ...

Volvo 300s are still widely found in the UK 15 years after production ceased. They are robust and mechanically simple (and therefore easy to maintain). Even the unpopular Variomatic transmissions are reliable given proper care. The rust protection was poorer than other Volvos, but the engines were quite durable.

A small image problem arose from their popularity among the middle-aged and older motorists. However, there is currently something of a resurgence of interest in these cars as the rear wheel drive makes them suitable for drifting. A drifting exhibition in Atlanta in 2005. ...

The best-kept secret of the car's design is the geometry of the rear axle. Two degrees of negative camber on the rear dead axle produces a similar stabilising effect as the expensive and complex Weissachs axle launched by Porsche a year after the launch of the Volvo 343. 1980's caravaners and modern-day drifters alike appreciate the inherent stability of this design though few understand it. Thirty years after its launch there remains considerable motorsport potential in this model since it is cheap to buy, cheap to modify and a wide range of modifications are available for the 1.7 Renault engine.

References

• Matras, John. Illustrated Volvo Buyer's Guide. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 1993. ISBN 0-87938-713-0.
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A700949
• http://www.volvo300mania.com/