Tuesday 26th March 2013

Volvo 850 T5: PH Ad Break

Get those 'blades spinning' with this promo video for the first T5

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Remember when car ads were allowed to promote fast driving? Remember when they didn’t get banned for doing so? Well, here’s one that’s quite distinctly of that era.

Just in case you needed reminding...

It’s a three-minute-long promo slot for the Volvo 850 T5. Regular PHers will be no stranger to the 850’s charms, of course, it being the car that instigated a turnaround for Volvo’s image in the 90s, becoming a cult classic in the process. But at the time, of course, nobody really associated Volvo with the idea of performance motoring – so they had to prove it, in quite some measure.

Hence the orgy of tyre smoke, engine noise, speedo shots and other assorted exuberance that this video happily decscends into, after segueing from shots of a classic Volvo PV. The message is clear: this ain’t your daddy’s Volvo. Enjoy also the backing track; initially 50s doo-wop classic ’59 Volvo’ by Vernon Green and the Medallions, but segueing into a fantastically cheesy up-tempo number evidently commissioned for purpose, and complete with heavy doses of early 90s synth and electric guitar. Lyrics to listen out for include: ‘T5 – your needs are understood’ and ‘Turbo gives you power, makes your wheels go spinning’.

Naff vocals aside, it’s a cracking example of the way car promos used to be, and leaves you in no doubt of the direction in which Volvo was pushing the T5. Enjoy!

 

 

[dinkel]

[Tyre Smoke]

Ahh, Albert!

"Did they think it was the British Towing Car Championship, rather than Touring?"

"There'll be a couple of frightened Labradors in the back of that......"

Brilliant!

[y2blade]

I loved my Stage 1 MTE'd one

[enroz]

Don't think Bo & Luke Duke ever owned one, but still, Yee Haa!

However, it has aged a bit like Daisy..

[treetops]

Volvo never campaigned 5 pot T5's...

Their touring cars were all 2 litre 4 pots iirc.

[y2blade]

treetops said:

Volvo never campaigned 5 pot T5's...

Their touring cars were all 2 litre 4 pots iirc.

you mean 5pot 2litre non-turbo 20valves?

[fuchsiasteve]

OMG !

Cheesy as hell haha

[y2blade]

A quick google...I thought/knew I was right ^^^^^


PRESS INFORMATION
TWR Volvo 850 Racing
Leafield Technical Centre
Leaf eld
Witney
Oxon 0X8 5PF
England
Telephone [phone]
Facsimile 44(0) 1993 871100
VOLVO 850 - SPECIFICATION -1996
Chassis:

Four door shell reinforced TWR
additional tubular steel roll cage.
Engine: Highly tuned 2 litre unit:-
Number of cylinders: 5
Valves per cylinder: 4
Displacement mm: 1,999
Stroke mm: 73.9
Bore mm: 83
Max output KW/bhp/rpm 215+/290+/8500
Catalytic Converter: Catalytic exhaust emission control and silencer fitted.
First BTCC car to do so before mandatory in 1995.
Transmission: Purpose built racing transmission. Six-speed sequential -
push for low gears, pull for high gears. Interchangeable
ratios.
Suspension:

Front: TWR/McPherson struts.
Rear: Volvo Delta Link, Coilspring over
damper.
Dampers: Ohlins
Braking System: Front: AP Balanced braking system. 355mm dia.
AP ventilated discs.
Rear: Brembo 2 piston caliper. 270mm dia.
Brembo ventilated discs.
Cooling: High efficiency single pass aluminium water radiator.
Water/oil heat exchanger for engine and transmission oil.
Steering: TWR power assisted rack and pinion assembly. Driven
through TWR 90° bevel box. Momo Corse steering
wheel.
Fuel Cell: Premier rubber safety fuel cell contained in carbon/kevlar
tray

[jamespink]

There's one of the Securicor BTCC cars in Warwickshire... V. Nice!

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&gs_rn=7&...

[jamespink]

Front tyre life between 2900 and 3100 miles!

[pSyCoSiS]

Silly observation: I'm surprised that the lights aren't on, as they usually were on those weren't they? And the earlier Volvos. Their version of earlier DRLs...

[y2blade]

pSyCoSiS said:

Silly observation: I'm surprised that the lights aren't on, as they usually were on those weren't they? And the earlier Volvos. Their version of earlier DRLs...

You can change them via the little screw on the light switch.

Dipped/side/off

[Devil2575]

Remember when car ads were allowed to promote fast driving? Remember when they didn’t get banned for doing so?

Indeed. Before things got silly.

[X5TUU]

"the best car on the highway"

"going too slow for my volvo"

talk about poetic license lol ... cant remember this advert at all from my childhood oddly

[rix]

awesome find! i dont remember this ad at all tho, assume it was for another market. Still miss my T5R, a brilliant machine.

[hill79]

"VOLVO! VOLVO! VOLVO! VOLVOOO-OH!"

Lyrical genius like that doesn't come cheap I bet.

[mat777]

Looking at the roads, the side they are driving on, words like "highway" and the yank tank cop car, I'm going to guess that was an american market ad. As such, they have never been subject to the same restriction on showing cars going quickly and still arent to this day (as long as they display a "professional driver, closed course, do not attempt" message at the bottom).

I think even for the 90s that ad would have struggled to be aired over here

[pSyCoSiS]

y2blade said:

You can change them via the little screw on the light switch.

Dipped/side/off

Clever guy...

Do you not get what I am asking? I'm sure on certain older volvos, the lights were permanently on?

[y2blade]

pSyCoSiS said:

y2blade said:

You can change them via the little screw on the light switch.

Dipped/side/off

Clever guy...

Do you not get what I am asking? I'm sure on certain older volvos, the lights were permanently on?

Sorry yes..AFIAK the older (Pre-850) volvos had dim-dipped with sidelights and rear lights on all the time.

[anything fast]

"after segueing from shots of a classic Volvo PV"

I hate that word, please stop using it!