Volvo 700 Series

The Volvo 700 series is a range of mid-size luxury cars produced by the Swedish manufacturer Volvo Cars in the 1980s and 1990s. The 700 series was introduced in 1982 with the luxurious 760, followed two years later by the more reasonably priced 740 which capitalized on the prestige attained by the very similar 760. The 700 series was then gradually replaced, beginning in 1990, by the 900 series. The 700, designed by Jan Wilsgaard, was originally to have been a replacement for the 200 series, but production of that model continued until the early nineties. The expensive 780, a Bertone-designed coupé version, entered production in 1986 and departed without a direct successor only four years later.

The most visible differences between the 700 and the 900 series were the more rounded corners on the body of the latter, and a somewhat better-appointed interior. The 700 series came to an end in late 1992 when the last 740s were built (although they were considered to be of model year 1993). The range was then augmented and finally supplanted by the Volvo 850 in 1993, with the last of the 900s being sold in 1998.