Volvo 780 coupe by Bertone celebrates 30th birthday

VOLVO'S LUXURY COUPE WAS ONE OF ITS MOST EXCLUSIVE MODELS IN THE 80S

The Volvo 780 coupe by Bertone is celebrating its 30th birthday. It was in March 1985 that the Swedish automaker debuted the 700-series-based coupe at the Geneva Motor Show, the latest collaboration between Volvo and the legendary Italian carrozzeria.

Designed to combine Italian elegance and Swedish engineering, the 780 premiered on the heels of two other Bertone collaborations: the 262C coupe and the 264TE limousine. Unlike the 262C, the 780 was a blank sheet design -- despite looking like a four-door 740 sedan, every body panel on the 780 is in fact different. Of the major components, only the chassis and the powertrain carried over from the 700 series.

It was Nuccio Bertone who was tasked with designing an Italian suit for the somewhat uptight Swedish sedan with American proportions. And just like the 700-series sedan and wagon, the 780 coupe was aimed at the American market. Bertone was responsible for the assembly of all the cars, so completed rolling chassis would be shipped from Gothenburg to Italy for the assembly.

As the 780 was meant to be a halo car for the range, it received a luxurious interior complete with hardwood accents, while just about every moving component from the seats to the sunroof was powered.

"With the 780, we can offer an elegant car that is ideal for long journeys, incorporating a personal design, exclusive component solutions and a unique range of engines with the emphasis on comfort," said Volvo Car Corporation's Marketing Director Carleric Häggström about the 780 at the time.

The 780 was offered with a total of four different engines in all markets, though North America was denied some of the powerplants. The 150-hp 2.8-liter V6 was the top offering at first, though Volvo also sold the 780 with gas inline-fours in 2.0-liter and 2.3-liter form, and also offered a Volkswagen turbodiesel engine, a 2.4-liter inline-six. There would be a few small changes through the years, as Volvo replaced the rigid rear axle with a multi-link rear suspension for the 1988 model year and kept squeezing more power out of the turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four.