New V3M forum member: introduction

[leonsteyns]

Hello,

Just registered after following a link on your Dutch counterpart, so a brief introduction would be appropriate I guess...

Volvo 340 GLE B172K Millionaire 1988 (#040 of 125 made, just five exist today, only three on the road, this is the oldest one):



Volvo 360 GLS B200K RAI Special 1985 (just eleven exist today, only four on the road):



Other cars are a Volvo 940 Estate D24TIC Malmö 1996 (with a PVO-conversion from Elsbett, but currently in storage) and a Volvo 440 1.8i B18U 1995 as a daily driver. The owner is an old fart in his late fourties (me), so the car-thing could very well be some sort of a lingering mid-life issue...
Nevertheless, these cars (except for the 940) are part of a successful Dutch car manufacturing heritage, so I try to live up to the responsibility of preserving these vehicles for future generations (aka a great excuse to justify hoarding tendencies)...
Despite the LHD, I sometimes manage to convince/trick my family on a UK holiday so there may be a very small chance of seeing one of these on the road in your beautiful country (and no: I'm not going to use the B-word, you will be assimilated again in due course anyway so what's the point? Besides, this is about cars). Ah yes, and there's no such thing as a brief introduction...


Greets, Leon.

[360beast]

I have never heard of an RAI special before, anymore info on both cars? They both look like they are in really good condition.

Welcome to 300 mania

[360beast]

Also what is a Malmö?

[bogbasic]

Super cars. Malmo is a dodgy geezer you meet on the common.

[leonsteyns]

Thanks!

I think I should have explained...
The AutoRAI was a car show/exhibition that started in 1895 with a yearly (almost at least) event in Amsterdam, organised by the automotive industry in The Netherlands. Since the financial crisis, it has been low key with the most recent event five years ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoRAI
Had to look it up...

The dark grey one was a special model that was introduced by Volvo for the 1985 AutoRAI show. One thousand cars, 750 340 DL and 250 360 GLS, were built for the occasion - hence "RAI Special".
This is two images from the original Volvo folder:
340 DL RAI Special

360 GLS RAI Special


Specifications on the 340 DL:
- 5-speed manual gearbox
- heated driver seat
- 5J steal rims with 175/70 R13 radial-thread tyres
- econometer
- outside temperature display
- lockable gas cap in body colour
- exclusive lightgreen metallic paint
- decorative striping
- tinted windows
- black trimming
- different rubbing strips
- special upholstery fabric (green tweed)
- exclusive designed doorpanels with storage space in front doors

Specifications on the 360 GLS RAI Special:
- 5-speed manual gearbox
- heated driver seat
- lockable gas cap in body colour
- anthracene metallic paint
- decorative striping
- black trimming
- headrests also on the rear seats
- full leather upholstery
- central door locking

Mine also has Volvo power steering...
It will also receive airco, front foglights, steering lock, econometer and outside temperature display, headlight wipers, a tow bar and the original rims with a decorative chrome ring.
The GLS is in better condition than the GLE Millionaire, but has some minor damage on the front right fender. Both will be fixed in due course... I made a couple of changes to the GLE as it also has full leather upholstery. Electric windows and heating on both front seats were already built in.

The 340 GLE Millionaire was a special edition of 125 numbered cars in celebration of the one millionth Volvo 300 Series car in 1988. This model was only for the Dutch market. In the UK for example, the 340 GLE Limited Edition was a similar celebration model, but unfortunately not a single one remains today...
See here for the specifications: http://www.chriscardwell.co.uk/volvo/340GLE_LE.pdf

"Malmö" in this case refers to an accessory package from Volvo for - in my case - the 940 Estate. It included metallic paint, tinted windows, ECC (airco), full leather upholstery, heating on the front seats, power steering, cruise control and ABS. It also came with a 4-speed automatic gearbox.

[Ride_on]

Is that 187 anthracite metallic? I did mine in that (requested to the sprayer) but mine looks quite grey. It was originally 306 graphite grey.

[leonsteyns]

Yes, you are correct! The colour code says 187-5 (not sure what the dash five is... )

[360beast]

- 5 is the shade.

1 is the lightest and 5 is the darkest.

[leonsteyns]

Thanks for the explanation!