Today

Volvo marks 35 years of 'pioneering' 850

And what better way to doff the cap than becoming the proud new owner of a vanishingly rare Olive Green T5-R?

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This year, Volvo marks 35 years of the 850, the sharp-suited saloon (and later estate) that introduced not just a new look and platform, but also the sort of innovative features that helped cement the manufacturer’s reputation as a pioneer of road safety. More excitingly, it showed the world what a wagon would look like in Touring car costume (fantastically good), and then gatecrashed the road-going performance market with the mould-breaking T-5R. 

In short, Project Galaxy, which had kicked off a decade earlier with the aim of overhauling Volvo’s mid-sized lineup, well earned its highfalutin name. The 850 didn’t seek to throw away the boxy, practicality-first image of the preceding 200 Series - a model range in production for two decades, which overlapped for a number of years as the 240 - but Jan Wilsgaard’s new design (the last of his storied career) successfully remade the concept for the forward-thinking ‘90s. 

This also suited the forward-thinking nature of what was underneath: the P80 architecture shifted Volvo from its antiquated front-engine, rear-drive P platform to a new front-drive modular solution that exclusively featured transversely mounted inline five-cylinder engines. It gilded this better-performing lily with the newfangled Side Impact Protection System - the brainchild of three-point seatbelt inventor, Nils Bohlin - and later, the world’s first side airbag. 

But it’s easiest now to recall the Volvo’s love affair with forced induction, a seemingly very Swedish infatuation at the time, that delivered a turbocharged T5 in 1994. The 850 really hit its stride a year later with the T5-R, which increased output from the 2.3-litre five pot to 240hp courtesy of a Bosch Motronic ECU. Intended as a special edition, the model added the sort of splitter, spoiler, skirts and sills proven to make grown men go weak at the knees. It was so successful that Volvo followed it up with the 850 R in 1996, which would get 250hp in time, though perhaps not the kudos of the original. 

And that’s what we have here, in rare and very lovely Olive Green, limbering up for auction this Sunday. Like many if not most T5-Rs, this one has accrued its fair share of miles since 1995 - 145,682, to be exact - but it has also spent a good deal of time in dry storage. Now, following a hefty round of recommissioning courtesy of a Volvo specialist, the car is back to something like its in-period best and ready for its sixth owner in three decades. 

Moreover, it presents now as arguably you'd hope a nice T5-R would: old enough to feel special, honest enough to use. Despite its bodywork addenda, there was always a Q-car vibe to the 850’s toppled wardrobe aesthetic, and with the five-speed manual ‘box present and correct, you’ll find sufficient performance on tap to fit the billing. Plus, of course, you’ll be able to fit an actual wardrobe in the back whenever you need to. Not the actual tagline when it was sold new, perhaps, but the attraction remains exactly the same, no matter how much time has passed since.

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See the original advert

[Taz73]

I wonder how much that will go for, I do like the green but really like the yellow.

[Edgey1]

In my eyes the best alloy wheel design on any car.
Keep looking on e bay for a rim so I can use it to wind my garden hose round and marvel at it every day!

[C.MW]

Damn that thing looks fabulous! I'd take this thing over any modern stuff from any manufacturer including Porsche, Ferrari and yes, Volvo.

[Pablo16v]

Taz73 said:

I wonder how much that will go for, I do like the green but really like the yellow.

I agree, one of the few cars I'd buy in yellow.

[5lab]

article said:

This also suited the forward-thinking nature of what was underneath: the P80 architecture shifted Volvo from its antiquated front-engine, rear-drive P platform to a new front-drive modular solution.

I'm not sure it did. The 850 was preceded by the 480, then the 440 & 460 in the late 80s, all of which were on a (different) fwd platform

[nismo48]

Still has presence today. A sure fire classic

[Augustus Windsock]

Had 4 of these in different flavours (always the estate, never the saloon) and was only disappointed by the results be automatic I had.
I saw one in the M1 last week and my god, they look small compared to modern fayre.
I also had a V70R auto AWD and that felt very different again
Given a choice I’d go for a an early manual estate in green or the maroon I had, and despite its age I’d still probably prefer it to the modern estate I’m running now…

[Panamax]

I had one of these for a few weeks many years ago.

Unless you enjoy a car with suspension made from concrete, stay well away.

[sharkattack]

I used to love these things. They felt ludicrously fast at the time for a large estate car.

Fast forward to now and my current Skoda estate actually has more power and could easily make much more. It's also just as anonymous to normal people.

The T5 looks cool but I'd struggle to buy one in 2026.

Saying that, I'd have another 240 wagon any day if I could find one that wasn't rusty.

[J4CKO]

We had one, 1994 manual 850 GLT estate in silver, was brilliant as a family car and compared to Volvos of old much more fun.

Do I want another, not really, was fairly fast for the time but they did have their limitations. Better really if you thought of them as a superb family wagon with a turn of speed rather than a drivers/performance car, same with Saabs.

[LMPanda]

Can confirm they’re small compared to modern machinery. Solid though and still plenty quick enough (with a little fettling…) for French toll GP’s.

212k miles now. Standard rusty wing and creaky interior. One of two in the family, the other being a manual Gul wagon that now resides in Canada.

[SweptVolume]

Cool car. Cool advert, too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b47VDQOReew

[simonriley11]

My work colleague had one of these and we would occasionally swap cars at the weekend if I had some hauling to do (I had an Escort Cosworth at the time). It was very practical with really comfortable seats but had a rock hard ride and hilarious amounts of torque steer - I was always glad to get my keys back on Monday morning!