Here we have a beautiful Volvo S70 T5 in the Chinese capital Beijing in 2016. The Swedish sedan was in great shape, painted white with slightly tinted windows and interesting wheel covers.
The Volvo S70 was made from 1996 until 2000. The T5 model had a turbocharged 2.3-liter five-cylinder petrol engine under the hood, hence the name. The output of the T5 was 240 hp and 330 Nm. The motor was mated to a five-speed manual or 4-speed automatic, sending horses to the front wheels only.
The timeless design of the S70 was just brilliant. The S70 was an improved continuation of the classic Volvo 850 sedan. The V70 station wagon was not officially sold in China but some examples arrived via the gray market and other misty channels.
The interior looked great! It has the original beige leather seats, and they are okay for its age. The owner didn’t put any seat covers on, which is rare in China. The wood looked good. There are wood panels on the center stack, the center tunnel, and the dashboard. It also has the factory audio system, with a radio, a CD player, and a cassette player. This car has the automatic gearbox.
The T5 model came standard with a small spoiler on the boot lid, very sporty for Volvo! The wheel covers are Volvo’s but the T5 usually had sporty five-spoke alloys. Perpahs the first owner didn’t like those wheels, and he went for something more classy instead.
The renowned black license plates were exclusively designated to foreign-owned companies from the 1980s until the mid-2000s. These enterprises had the option to purchase vehicles domestically or import them.
There were no restrictions on the quantity of cars, their pricing, or engine specifications. The unique numbering system commenced at 京A·00001 and progressed sequentially. Consequently, the lower the number, the older the vehicle. This Volvo S70 T5 has 京A·14100, so that’s an early one.
A fine white Volvo in China, from the days that Volvo was still fully Swedish. Ford became the owner later on, and then Geely, which owns Volvo until today. Geely did a great job preserving the Swedish identity of Volvo, while at the same time modernizing the cars and the brand. More Volvo later on!