Fast wagons are just plain cool. The Volvo 740 Turbo is one of the ones that set the groundwork for the segment and this one, well… it’s got a few extra layers of cool. Not only did the legendary Paul Newman own it but he made some outstanding performance modifications to it as well.
Originally built in 1988, this Volvo 740 Turbo Wagon rolled off of the factory floor with a 2.3-liter engine. It developed somewhere in the neighborhood of 163 hp (121 kW) and 194 lb-ft (264 Nm) of torque. That wasn’t enough for Newman who bought it brand new.
He set to work by dropping a 3.8-liter turbocharged V6 into it from a Buick GNX. That legendary power plant is said to make 320 hp in this car and is mated to a Borg-Warner five-speed manual transmission from a Pontiac Firebird. This Volvo isn’t just full of horsepower though. Newman also added suspension components to make sure that it could handle that power.
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As you can see from the photos above, the 740 sits lower, about 2 inches lower than a stock example. In addition, it utilizes Bilstein struts and shocks along with IPD lowering springs and sway bars. The five-spoke Volvo wheels at each corner are wrapped in BFGoodrich g-Force Comp-2 all-season tires.
The interior looks worn but in decent shape. The dashboard and center control stack is about as original and classic as it could get and the seats could use restoration. There’s an aftermarket turbo timer and a pillar-mounted boost gauge too. The rear cargo area still has the rear-facing stowable jump seats too.
Documentation includes a copy of a Connecticut title in Newman’s name, manufacturer’s literature, service records, and even an ad from a previous sale of the car that took place in 1997. It’s not in perfect condition, the seller notes an oil leak, but that seems to be the only real issue here.
This is one wild build with an incredible history and a lot of character. We can’t wait to see what it goes for when it crosses the auction block on Bring A Trailer on Friday afternoon.
