The mid 80s were a heyday for the personal luxury coupé, led by the Germans with the BMW 6-Series and Mercedes-Benz 500/560 SEC, along with the Lincoln Mark VII and Cadillac Eldorado. No one could blame Volvo for wanting a piece of it. While they’d always had a two-door version of the previous 1- and 2-series sedans, their three-box 740 and 760 were only available as sedans or wagons.
Continuing the relationship with Italian design house Carrozzeria Bertone that brought us the 262C in the late seventies, the 780 was born. Its predecessor was more or less a stock 264 modified for two doors, richly appointed in leather and wood, and, for the sake of something different, had its top chopped hot-rod style. The 780, however, was a unique model, both designed and built by Bertone. It too went upscale to match its stylish looks (though only a centimeter chopped from its roof) with lounge-like interiors and, by 1990, a turbo motor putting out 188 horsepower. While down on its competitors on a spec sheet, real-world performance was adequate and maintained the efficient sensibility of a Volvo.
The 780 (renamed simply Coupe in its final year) wasn’t cheap. By the end of its run, its price had climbed to over $40,000 (in 1990 dollars; over $73,000 today). It is relatively rare, with roughly 5,700 copies coming to the US over a six-year span (less than 1,500 of them the Gen-3 Turbo models of 1990 and 1991). And yet, its value today places it among its far more common sedan and wagon 740/760 stablemates. With 80s- and 90s-era Swedish cars in general seeing appreciating values (see Saab 99/Classic 900 Turbo, Volvo 140/164/240/260), the 780/Coupe can’t be overlooked for much longer.
