RE: Pic Of The Week: Volvo 850 BTCC
Friday 29th March 2013
Quite frankly this photo needs no words. It's a Volvo estate on a race track, and that's reason enough for it to be Picture of the Week; a trip down memory lane to a time when the BTCC was essential viewing and took a primetime slot on weekend TV.
Pic Of The Week: Volvo 850 BTCC
The first - and only - BTCC estate car is the subject of our image of choice this week
Race 'em on Saturday, sell 'em on Monday was never more apt, but in the heyday of the BTCC it was more a case of race 'em on Saturday, straight to the bodyshop on Monday as nudging and jostling was par for the course. Heroes were made of such names as Cleland, Rydell, Tarquini, Sytner and Rouse.
Earlier thie week the flying 850 was posted on our Facebook page and recieved over 600 likes (and counting) making it more than worthy of inclusion on the homepage. Especially considering the 850 T5 Ad Break we ran on Monday. Volvo openly admitted at the time that the BTCC car was a marketing ploy to show the sportier side of Volvo - and boy did it work. Will we ever see the like again?
Enjoy.
Traditional (4:3)
Computer widescreen (16:10)
TV widescreen (16:9)
Portrait (smartphone, etc)
Discussion
loudlashadjuster said:
I'm no big fan of their cars, but part of me will always hold Volvo dear for having the chutzpah to race the 850 estate. Almost seems like a "did that actually happen?" thing nowadays.
Many happy Knockhill memories watching them!
I've had two T5 estates and they are very underrated. Great cars. Many happy Knockhill memories watching them!
loudlashadjuster said:
My addled brain has difficulty sorting out what happened last week, no wonder it is getting hazy about stuff that happened nearly 20 years ago!
They ran 850 saloons for the next two seasons, could be what you're remembering. Then they ran the S40 until 1999 - shame it took the smaller model for Volvo to win a title... would have been historic to see a big, boxy, un-aerodynamic estate taking the silverware 
When i researched the 850 for my website, rumours suggested that the only reason for using the estate was due to the prototype used an estate chassis after there being no saloon versions being available.
Steffensen automotive built the prototype, the red one most have seen, and such was the response to it Volvo got TWR to build both a saloon and estate race car. They displayed both to the press when they announced their race programme.
TWR found little difference between the two but the amount of press coverage made Volvo go with the estate for marketting purposes.
They moved to the saloon in 1995 when the new aero rules were introduced which give tge salon an advantage
Steffensen automotive built the prototype, the red one most have seen, and such was the response to it Volvo got TWR to build both a saloon and estate race car. They displayed both to the press when they announced their race programme.
TWR found little difference between the two but the amount of press coverage made Volvo go with the estate for marketting purposes.
They moved to the saloon in 1995 when the new aero rules were introduced which give tge salon an advantage
Always remember that massive shunt Kelvin Burt had in the saloon....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsOAZxi1S_E
Good old Volvos!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsOAZxi1S_E
Good old Volvos!
For me, the glory days of the BTCC ran from the intro of the Cossies in the late 80's (The appearance of Soper in his black 500 always got the pulse racing) and the group B M3's, through to the multi-make tussles in the early to mid 90's. I have memories of Patrick Watts flipping his Xedos 6 at Silverstone, along with Thompson totalling an Accord as well.
The 850 estates were a marketing exercise, but I recall them being competitive (if only because you couldn't get past them due to their bulk).
My Father's company sponsored a R500 for a while - driven by a chain smoking Le Mans veteran who, from a child's perspective, was as cool as it got. I went to a fair few meetings with my dad, culminating with being flown in to watch the F1 GP at Silverstone. I had a poster of the estate Volvo on my wall (next to Sopers Texaco special).
Happy days
The 850 estates were a marketing exercise, but I recall them being competitive (if only because you couldn't get past them due to their bulk).
My Father's company sponsored a R500 for a while - driven by a chain smoking Le Mans veteran who, from a child's perspective, was as cool as it got. I went to a fair few meetings with my dad, culminating with being flown in to watch the F1 GP at Silverstone. I had a poster of the estate Volvo on my wall (next to Sopers Texaco special).
Happy days
I loved this era of touring cars, it was around the time i was really getting into cars. I'm just a bit too young to remember the RS500's and M3's but the 90's supertourers really caught my attention. I went to a Vauxhaul show at castle Combe about 2 years ago and Clelland was running his old Cav around the track. Looked and sounded amazing! I've never seen anything before or since thats gone through the chicanes so flat. Think i may have to dig out the old PS1 and fire up TOCA when i get back from the pub later!
B.J.W said:
For me, the glory days of the BTCC ran from the intro of the Cossies in the late 80's (The appearance of Soper in his black 500 always got the pulse racing) and the group B M3's, through to the multi-make tussles in the early to mid 90's. I have memories of Patrick Watts flipping his Xedos 6 at Silverstone, along with Thompson totalling an Accord as well.
The 850 estates were a marketing exercise, but I recall them being competitive (if only because you couldn't get past them due to their bulk).
My Father's company sponsored a R500 for a while - driven by a chain smoking Le Mans veteran who, from a child's perspective, was as cool as it got. I went to a fair few meetings with my dad, culminating with being flown in to watch the F1 GP at Silverstone. I had a poster of the estate Volvo on my wall (next to Sopers Texaco special).
Happy days
Sorry to be all supertourer nerdy, but it was Matt Neal who rolled the Xedos 6 at Silverstone in 1994. What was the name of the driver your father sponsored? Wasnt David Brodie was it?The 850 estates were a marketing exercise, but I recall them being competitive (if only because you couldn't get past them due to their bulk).
My Father's company sponsored a R500 for a while - driven by a chain smoking Le Mans veteran who, from a child's perspective, was as cool as it got. I went to a fair few meetings with my dad, culminating with being flown in to watch the F1 GP at Silverstone. I had a poster of the estate Volvo on my wall (next to Sopers Texaco special).
Happy days
The 850 estate was excellent, This was the pinnacle of the BTCC. Supertourers before the aero was introduced and costs got silly.
Simon
I used to work for David Sutton motorsport (Audi Sport UK)on the awesome S1 and E2, Quattros, he managed to fix a ride with Rydell, great hearing the 2ltr N/A 5 Cylinder motor pulling 8500RPM, not quick by any means with 290BHP and 240f/lbs but swift(ish) when up to speed, Rydell was awesome, great great driver and really nice bloke, in fact all the drivers on the day were, really approachable and plenty of tales to tell.
Great series sadly now in the past.
Great series sadly now in the past.
dave stew said:
loudlashadjuster said:
I'm no big fan of their cars, but part of me will always hold Volvo dear for having the chutzpah to race the 850 estate. Almost seems like a "did that actually happen?" thing nowadays.
Many happy Knockhill memories watching them!
I've had two T5 estates and they are very underrated. Great cars. Many happy Knockhill memories watching them!
Edited by AnonSpoilSport on Friday 29th March 20:10
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