Famous 480 owners?

Here you can talk about the joy owning a Volvo 480 brings. Non-technical discussions take place here, like what is the difference between an ES and a S version.

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MisterH
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Famous 480 owners?

Post by MisterH » Thu Apr 30, 2020 2:04 pm

Afternoon all

I was wondering the other day if there were any famous owners or endorsers of the Volvo 480, having recently got a book full of 480 road tests and related journalistic materials, I was wondering if anyone famous used, owned or endorsed the model, it seemed to get quite favourable press against the Aerodeck back in the day, although calling it a 'rival' to the Nissan Silvia Turbo S12 is a bit optimistic :bla:
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

jifflemon
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Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by jifflemon » Thu Apr 30, 2020 7:49 pm

I’m sure someone told me that one of the current top gear lot has/had a 480.... may have dreamt it of course!

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jamescarruthers
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Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by jamescarruthers » Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:43 pm

Jim Bell endorsed the car when it came out, very favourably of course but he would have been paid to do so. The video is on YouTube‎.

Also, last year a vandalised 480 was offered for free by someone on behalf of someone famous. They offered it with an autograph! Search on here.

I'll try to dig links up for the above when I have some time. ‎

And of course the King of Spain who's car was restored and offered for sale last year. It was an 86 or 87 car. ‎
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)

Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)

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dragonflyjewels
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Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by dragonflyjewels » Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:46 pm

here's a snippet from Clarkson

"When it comes to coupes, no-one knows
whether a car will be successful or not and that’s odd. I can’t think of an
excuse so I suspect it may have something to do with the Moon.
We know its gravitational pull causes the
rather weighty Pacific ocean to move about so there is no reason to suspect
that it can’t affect the inside of our heads. Maybe when it’s full, we really
do behave strangely, throwing our shoes out of the window and taking up golf
and choosing to buy a Volvo 480 instead of a Porsche 968."

apart from the old Top Gear line-up, google didn't find anything.

When we bought our breaker we were told the previous owner was a Tory mp from London. However, I have the name on the old v5 and google cant find him as an mp either.

The closest I can come is Kevin Price, founder of the VEC, known to enthusiasts as the owner of the 1800 used to film the Saint. He has a 480 Celeb as his daily driver.
Sylvia

Snazzy - 1993 Paris Blue ES red dipstick 2.0i bought 2001
Lethal Lily - 1991 White Turbo
Paris the Unicorn - 1991 Paris Edition
hubby has
Sven - 1994 Racing Green GT
Evil Eva - 1992 Paris Blue Turbo

no previous 480s - can't bear to sell any

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jamescarruthers
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Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by jamescarruthers » Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:36 pm

Sorry, Derek Bell the racing driver, not Jim!
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)

Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)

arthuy
Advanced 480 rookie
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Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by arthuy » Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:51 pm

The First owner of my car was countess of Macclesfield. (Sandy)

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/whos-la ... 98779.html

Not quite famous other than the family fued.

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edie_fox
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Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by edie_fox » Fri May 01, 2020 1:09 am

I've seen someone in the past year or so who said they had one....it's a presenter I think. Well known, in a sort of ....I just can't, for the life of me, think who now. :nuts: ...Phillip Schofield keeps popping to mind.

After a quick Google, I found this from Twitter "It's the only thing I know about Phillip Schofield. He used to have a Volvo 480. Around the same time, CAR magazine said of that car, "your mother would like it" which sort of describes Schof too. A perfect case of car/celeb synchronicity. Or something."

I happened on these three pages of 480s in film and TV. Someone has been almost as obsessive as me gathering this lot! Went to add the 'Brookside' Turbo (page 3) to the list, Jeff, but you'd beat me to it from seeing it on Facebook! Haha. None of the other UK readable ones show anything.

https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles_make-Vol ... l-480.html

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MisterH
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Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by MisterH » Fri May 01, 2020 7:54 am

edie_fox wrote:
Fri May 01, 2020 1:09 am


I happened on these three pages of 480s in film and TV. Someone has been almost as obsessive as me gathering this lot! Went to add the 'Brookside' Turbo (page 3) to the list, Jeff, but you'd beat me to it from seeing it on Facebook! Haha. None of the other UK readable ones show anything.

https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles_make-Vol ... l-480.html
Ah I have spent many an hour trawling on there...
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

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dragonflyjewels
480 Is my middle name
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Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by dragonflyjewels » Fri May 01, 2020 8:22 am

Well blow me down !! The Brookside car has another claim to fame - if he's still got it, it belongs to long-time forum member Ade. Lots of threads on here about the engine swapping he was doing, and we've seen the car on several meets. He hasn't been on here for the last few years, last I heard he'd setup a business repairing and restoring 480s. Rachel can probably update us - Ade did a load of work on her lovely smoke grey turbo.
Sylvia

Snazzy - 1993 Paris Blue ES red dipstick 2.0i bought 2001
Lethal Lily - 1991 White Turbo
Paris the Unicorn - 1991 Paris Edition
hubby has
Sven - 1994 Racing Green GT
Evil Eva - 1992 Paris Blue Turbo

no previous 480s - can't bear to sell any

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MisterH
480 Is my middle name
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Location: Stockbridge

Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by MisterH » Fri May 01, 2020 8:34 am

dragonflyjewels wrote:
Fri May 01, 2020 8:22 am
Well blow me down !! The Brookside car has another claim to fame - if he's still got it, it belongs to long-time forum member Ade. Lots of threads on here about the engine swapping he was doing, and we've seen the car on several meets. He hasn't been on here for the last few years, last I heard he'd setup a business repairing and restoring 480s. Rachel can probably update us - Ade did a load of work on her lovely smoke grey turbo.
I am glad it is known; I felt relieved when I checked the plate and found it still around. IMCDB is hugely addictive, of mortifying at the amount of cars no longer around :cry:
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

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dcwalker
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Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by dcwalker » Fri May 01, 2020 10:07 am

I can add two more names:

Lord Carrington, former Foreign Secretary who resigned over the Falklands crisis, drove one in the late 80's - he used the same vets as we did when I was still at home and I once saw him there with the car - pale blue metallic IIRC...

Bobby Pryor, who does traffic reports on Radio 2, was recently (ie in last couple of years) selling one that belonged to her late father. Red GT I think...someone on here went and saw it I also think, but can't quite remember who...

David
Current: 1994 480 GT, 1996 460 CD & 1997 440 LE with lots of optional extras & 2007 V50 SE Sport
Previous: Celebration 331 (re-homed with Richard S), Celebration 467 (returned to Martin Mc); Celebration 346 (re-homed with Alan480); Celebration 269 (scrapped abandoned project), Celebration 73 (sold on after 6 years), 1992 ES, 1988 ES - and numerous other non-480 Volvos!

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jamescarruthers
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Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by jamescarruthers » Fri May 01, 2020 11:55 am

Regarding the Radio 2 traffic presenters, I thing Sally Traffic did the audio cassette which ‎came with early cars extolling their virtues. I had this tape in my long lost minter. I wish I'd at least taken a copy of the tape before I sold it. 
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)

Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)

David
Can tell where the 480 was built
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Location: Cork, Ireland

Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by David » Sun May 03, 2020 12:00 am

I heard that Linda Ronstadt (singer) had one as did Lisa Stansfield.

Tim Severin (explorer) had a GT version and is indeed a member on this site.

They were quite an expensive albeit quirky car back in the day so there's bound to be a few others.

dekkb
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Location: Coventry

Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by dekkb » Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:56 am

freddie flintoff has one
Previous: 440 turbo ( broken with an impressive loud bang) 2008
Current: 1993 480 ES
2009 Subaru Legacy sportsback (blown engine)
2004 Audi A6 avant 2.4 V6

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MisterH
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Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by MisterH » Tue Jun 30, 2020 9:00 am

dekkb wrote:
Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:56 am
freddie flintoff has one
That's Interesting, Hope it isn't trashed (though if its a personal car that's unlikely) Where did you find that?
Current Jobs to do (23/1/22):
Fix Central Locking
Fix drivers side speaker
Annoying Scratching Squeak
Water leaks
Complete Front O/S rebuild

dekkb
480 Newbie
Posts: 46
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2019 4:01 pm
Location: Coventry

Re: Famous 480 owners?

Post by dekkb » Thu Jul 02, 2020 11:45 am

[/quote]

That's Interesting, Hope it isn't trashed (though if its a personal car that's unlikely) Where did you find that?
[/quote]

Can't remember really. I think a mate of mine who has coached Freddie told me about it when I was getting mine back on the road. I'll have to double check tbh.
I would have added ore detail but I was in a bit of a rush and didn't want to miss the topic :lol: :lol:
Previous: 440 turbo ( broken with an impressive loud bang) 2008
Current: 1993 480 ES
2009 Subaru Legacy sportsback (blown engine)
2004 Audi A6 avant 2.4 V6

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