| Volvo 480 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Volvo Cars |
| Production | 1986–1995 |
| Assembly | Netherlands: Born (NedCar) |
| Designer | John de Vries,[1] Peter Horbury |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Compact car[2] (C) |
| Body style | Coupé |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Related | Volvo 440/460 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | |
| Transmission | 5-speed Renault JC5 manual 4-speed ZF 4HP14Q automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,503 mm (98.5 in)[3] |
| Length | 4,258 mm (167.6 in) |
| Width | 1,710 mm (67.3 in) |
| Height | 1,318 mm (51.9 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,016–1,079 kg (2,240–2,379 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Volvo P1800 |
| Successor | Volvo C30 |
The Volvo 480 is a sporty compact car[4] that was produced in Born, Netherlands, by Volvo from 1986 to 1995. It was the first front-wheel drive car made by Volvo and the only Volvo featuring pop-up headlights.[5] The 480 was available in only one body style on an automobile platform related to the Volvo 440/460 five-door hatchback and four-door saloon models.
It features an unusual four-seat, three-door hatchback body, somewhere between liftback and estate in form. The 480 was marketed as a coupé in Europe starting in 1986. The car was originally intended to be marketed in the United States as a 2+2 "sports wagon" in the fall 1987, although these plans were cancelled in part due to the continued weakness of the U.S. dollar during 1987.[6][7][8]
- ^ "480 History". volvo-480-europe.org. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
- ^ Holweg, Matthias; Pil, Frits K. (2009). "A Break from the Past: Volvo and its Malcontents". In Freyssenet, Michel (ed.). The Second Automobile Revolution: Trajectories of the World Carmakers in the 21st Century. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 355. ISBN 978-0-230-23691-2. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
volvoPRthe480was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Motoring: Return of a Saint - A Front-Drive Volvo". Scottish Field. 132. Holmes McDougall. 1986. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
Just about 14 feet overall, from nose to tail, the new Volvo is a compact car
- ^ "20 cars that rocked pop-up headlights - #17. Volvo 480 (1986)". classicandsportscar.com. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- ^ "Volvo Cars of North America". Ward's Automotive Yearbook. 50. Ward's Reports: 207. 1988. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
Volvo Cars of North America Inc. was hurt by the continued weakness of the U.S. dollar in 1987, and by U.S. tax law changes that took effect Jan. 1, 1987. The dollar's weakness also caused Volvo to abandon much-ballyhooed plans, slated for the spring of 1987, to import the compact front-drive 480-series cars
- ^ Hartford, Bill (July 1986). "Imports". Popular Mechanics. 163 (7): 49. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
- ^ Matras, John (December 7, 2015). "Volvo 480ES: The immigrant that wasn't". CarBuzzard. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.