Volvo 300 Series - Reputation and Popularity

Reputation and Popularity

Like other Volvos, the 340 embodied many ground-breaking safety features which have since become standard on most cars. Sales began at a low level, not helped by the absence of a manual transmission option, but gradually increased as the lineup expanded. 1983 marked the first year that 300-series production broke the 100,000 barrier (102,000).

While the car was fundamentally robust, the detail build quality was never up to the same standard of Volvo's larger, Swedish-built models, coupled to the fact that the early Variomatic cars proved to be particularly troublesome. The Volvo badge however ensured that the car had a strong middle-class following (often as a second car) particularly in the UK in the 1980s, regularly making that country's top annual 20 sales tables for that decade, and they are still seen fairly often in the UK more than 20 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 (especially the 1.4 and 2.0s) were quite durable.

An unusual feature of the car's design is the geometry of the rear axle. Two degrees of negative camber on the rear de Dion axle produces a similar stabilising effect as the expensive and complex Weissach axle launched by Porsche a year after the launch of the Volvo 343. The inherent stability of this design made the car popular with caravan owners, being voted Tow Car of the Year in 1985.

The Renault-sourced 1.7 litre engine suffers from a well-known problem where the carburetor mounting flange warps due to engine heat, causing a small air leak and subsequent running problems. This is easy to fix, requiring minor machining of the mating faces.

The Volvo 300 has experienced something of a renaissance in recent years with a number of very active websites across Europe. A strong, young following has developed attracted by a rear wheel drive car which is very cheap to buy, insure and relatively easy to work on. In the UK, despite being unsuitable for professional drifting, many 300s (because of their low price) have found popularity amongst the amateur drifting community. Known as "trampdrifting," old bangers are modified to drift at a minimal cost and are discarded once they reach the end of their usefulness.

It featured among the top 10 most popular new cars in the UK in 1982, 1983 and 1984, and was one of the UK's most popular imported cars of the decade.

It was not sold in North America. The Volvo 360GLT only was introduced in Australia and New Zealand during 1984, and lasted until 1987.