One of Paul Newman’s hopped up Volvo wagons is about to go over the auction block. This one happens to feature Corvette V8 power thanks to the late actor’s race team. It might end up being less expensive than one might guess based on its celebrity connection.
Newman is somewhat famous just for his collection of souped-up Volvo wagons. Earlier this year we told you about a 1988 740 Turbo that he modified with a Buick GNX engine, a Borg-Warner five-speed manual transmission, and a bevy of suspension mods. It traded hands for just shy of $90,000 in March of this year.
This 1998 Volvo V90 isn’t modified as heavily but it’s still a worthy addition to his collection, and possibly yours. It features a 6.0-liter Chevrolet LS2 V8 crate engine and a GM-sourced four-speed automatic transmission. To incorporate that, Newman’s racing team also included a custom driveshaft and slight tweaks to the shifter linkage.
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According to the listing, the wiring was tackled by an expert in the field so as not to set off any alarm bells or issues between the different systems. Evidently, the front suspension features parts from a Porsche 911 though there’s no clear indication of what parts those may be.
Beyond those modifications, this is an otherwise stock Volvo V90. That makes it one of the more cushy of the Newman bunch. It even features a plaque on the dash denoting its power and relation to the actor: “To PLN – This should get you to the grid on time. From the team.”
It comes with all of its associated documentation, service records, and even the original inline-six engine. The auction house, RM Sotheby’s has a guidance on the rare Hollywood-linked Volvo of just $20,000-$25,000. To make it even more enticing, it’s offered without reserve. Nevertheless, as of this writing, the bidding is up to $40,000.
Should one miss out on this find there are other bits of Newman’s history available. On May 27th, Sotheby’s online auction High Speed: Paul Newman’s Racing Legacy began with a number of notable pieces from his life and career.
