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The late actor and race car driver Paul Newman loved modified Volvo cars, and one of them is now up for auction at Bring a Trailer.
The car in question is a 1988 Volvo 740 Turbo Wagon with an engine originating from Flint, Michigan, not Gothenburg, Sweden. It’s a turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 from the Buick Grand National, and drives the rear wheels via a Pontiac Firebird-sourced 5-speed manual transmission.
Ex-Paul Newman 1988 Volvo 740 Turbo Wagon (photo via Bring a Trailer)
An engine exchange was made in 1988 by HESCO Engineering of Birmingham, Alabama, according to the auction listing. The company is run by Lee Hurley, who built engines for NASCAR stars Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, and Neil Bonnet, the seller added in a comment on the listing. Other modifications reportedly include an engine tuning chip, electric cooling fan, larger oil cooler and a custom exhaust system, while subsequent owners reportedly added a new air intake and a Bosch fuel pump.
The exterior also has some subtle modifications, including a body kit, Gemini 16-inch alloy wheels and lowering springs. The black leather interior also has a Sony CD player—in-car audio technology the latest in 1988—and an eight-speaker sound system.
Ex-Paul Newman 1988 Volvo 740 Turbo Wagon (photo via Bring a Trailer)
Newman owned the Volvo from 1988 to 1998 and it put in more than 59,000 miles, according to the seller, who claims he now has 76,000 miles. It was offered with a clear Illinois title on behalf of the seller, plus a photocopy of the Connecticut title on Newman’s behalf to prove ownership of the actor.
While mostly related to Datsun/Nissan racing, Newman owns a few modified Volvos. After this car was built, Newman commissioned three more Volvo wagons, this time in a supercharged Ford V-8, according to the seller. He even convinced David Letterman to get his own supercharged V-8 Volvo 960 wagon, which appeared in Jerry Seinfeld’s episode “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
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