Actor Paul Newman’s 1988 Volvo 740 Turbo station wagon with a Buick turbo V6 is up for auction at bringatrailer.com. Newman, who was not just a talented actor, but also a racing driver, owned the vehicle from 1988 to 1998.
Newman, who was nominated ten times for the Oscar and won twice, had also founded a racing team in 1983. He had a Buick V6, the turbocharged version, which he bought new in 1988 and installed in the Volvo 740. The Buick V6 was produced from 1961 to 2008 and was mounted lengthwise and crosswise in a variety of Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Kaiser Jeeps. The engine was also used in the British car industry with aluminum housing, driving Rover, Morgan, Land, and Range Rovers there from 1960 to 2006.
Newman had a version with a turbocharger from Buick Grand National built into the station wagon 740, which produced around 248 hp. The chip increases the performance – up to about 324 hp. Power was sent to a five-speed manual from the Firebird, and the body of the car received a complete package of aerodynamics and was reduced by five centimeters.
The Volvo is on 16-inch Gemini wheels with BF Goodrich 225 tires. When Paul Newman sold the car in 1998, the odometer read 59,400 (95,040 km). Today the Volvo has run 76,000 miles (121,600 km). The day before the end of the auction (March 17, 2023), the highest bid was $26,000 (24,520 euros).
The combination of a well-mannered Volvo 740 with a turbo V6 from Buick may seem unusual at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, the combination makes sense. Where else can almost 300 hp hide better than in a family car with a third row of seats?
Newman’s legacy lives on, both in his successful acting career and his love of racing. His station wagon with the Buick turbo V6 is a testament to his passion for fast cars and will undoubtedly be a prized possession for the lucky buyer.
