About Volvo 264
Part of the 200 Series, the 264 was the upgraded version of the 244 model and came with a major improvement under the hood: a six-cylinder engine.
Volvo was not very concerned about the car's lines, even though it was designed in the beginning of the '70s, but it was more focused on providing safe vehicles. That approach made the customers trust this Swedish product, and the upgraded version from 1980 was even better in all areas.
Since it was based on the 144 lineup, it was easy to recognize the former brick-like shape of the vehicle. Yet, thanks to changes in American regulations, the 264 was able to get rectangular headlights on both sides of the Atlantic. The beefy bumper protected the better than most other vehicles on the market. From its sides, the 1980 model-year 264 featured a chromed trim from front to back and also shiny ones for the doors' windows.
Inside, the car got a revised dashboard design, fitted with a center stack where the controls for the HVAC unit were placed. In addition, Volvo installed a stereo on it. Yet, there was no center console between the passengers. But the carmaker started to add even more features, such as the power windows, that were available as an option.
Under the hood, the 1980 264 received an upgraded version of the 2.7-liter PRV powerplant developed together with Renault and Peugeot. It was the same unit installed in the DeLorean DMC 12. But Volvo engineers increased the displacement to 2.8-liter and, thanks to the fuel-injected system, got more power and better fuel efficiency when compared to the previous 264.