Volvo 480 Club Europe

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

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

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. ‎

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.

Sorry, Derek Bell the racing driver, not Jim!

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.

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. ...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

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...

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.

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

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

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. 

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.

freddie flintoff has one

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?

[/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