Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

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dragonflyjewels
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Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

Post by dragonflyjewels » Tue May 03, 2022 12:38 pm

I'm delighted to say that I am now the very proud owner of a Paris Edition 1.7 480, with grateful thanks to Jeff and D.C. for their assistance.

I haven't seen it yet, it was near David so he has been to inspect, test drive and purchase for me. Message from Mrs DC read - dc said car is fantastic, gone for a spin, told the guy he'll have it. Apparently I was dc's mother for the transaction. He's taking it home and assures me he will hand it over despite the temptation.... I don't know which of the three of us has been on the worst tenterhooks since it popped up on Autotrader yesterday morning. Not advertised as a Paris, just as a limited edition but the green bumper stripe and what we could see of the headrests confirmed it, even though the limited edition badge is missing. David got photos of the interior and it's all there including the spotty carpet and all in lovely condition. 52k on the clock which ties in with the remarkably clean MoT history. Wheel arches have previously been done, there are just 2 small rust bubbles, one near an arch and one just under a window. 2 owners from new, MoT to September and lots of paperwork. Couldn't have asked for a better example except the registration is 482 - if only............

For those not familiar with it, it was a limited edition produced for 1 year only (1991) for the launch of Paris Blue as a new colour. The full leather interior is turquoise green and grey and it has a Momo steering wheel with matching leather insert. Volvo didn't go too mad with it - no fancy wheels, aircon or ABS and it's 1.7 as it predates the 2 litre engine. Even so they are so rare now that I doubt many were sold.

Having been checking all the Paris Blue cars up for sale over the last 6-7 years, I had almost given up hope of finding a survivor for sale. A few years ago I started a rare editions register, with a very small section of just 7 examples of the Paris Edition. There are threads on here from one owner who actually had 2, one after the other. He scrapped the first one and the second's registration is unknown. Another thread by another member depicts his car, passed on to him by his father. He was planning to put a turbo engine in it but that was in 2013 and he hasn't posted since. Its last Mot expired in 2015 and it is still on sorn. The mot history was good, 75k on the clock, so fingers crossed it's in store somewhere. Last year I finally found a 'live' one which still has tax and Mot. Again, low mileage and a clean mot history so clearly looked after. Delighted to say that there are now 2 live ones on the register, and Paris (what else could she be called ?) will be making her club debut on Saturday.

It hasn't escaped notice that with the purchase of a turbo auto for Al (for practical reasons) and this one for me (practical is sooo boring !)
we now have 3 480s each. Two was extravagant, three is utterly outrageous.

Photos to follow.
Last edited by dragonflyjewels on Mon May 09, 2022 6:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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

jifflemon
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Re: A unicorn joins the club !

Post by jifflemon » Tue May 03, 2022 12:44 pm

dragonflyjewels wrote:
Tue May 03, 2022 12:38 pm
It hasn't escaped notice that with the purchase of a turbo auto for Al (for practical reasons) and this one for me (practical is sooo boring !)
we now have 3 480s each. Two was extravagant, three is utterly outrageous.
You're forgetting that the correct number of 480's to own, is N+1, where N is the number of 480's you currently own.

And you've at least one more each to go before you catch me. :rofl:

I'd honestly assumed that they were absolutely all gone - Having never seen either a brochure, volvo documentation or even pictures, I was honestly beginning to assume people had just made the whole thing up, so I'm incredibly pleased to have it onboard.

Desperately want that carpet now..... Made me realise just how good black carpet would be in my Blue turbo.

#Projectcreep....

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WillC9303
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Re: A unicorn joins the club !

Post by WillC9303 » Tue May 03, 2022 3:26 pm

Fantastic news Sylvia,

I also spotted this yesterday morning and frantically made a post on the forum only for it to have to be removed just in case the seller saw my post and realised what he had! :lol:

I was actually talking to DC a couple weeks ago about the Paris Edition and he suggested there might be none left. Low and behold this one turns up out of the blue! (No pun intended)

I absolutely LOVE the Paris Edition’s interior. The Turquoise leather is gorgeous and the carpet would be best described as 1990s bowling alley spec. The momo leather wheel is the cherry on top.

I personally like that interior more than the TT, Celeb and GT’s interior. It’s simply magnificent! Defo my favourite car on this forum (That is, apart from Josephine of course :D)

Just a shame they never made a Turbo! (Or at least a 2ltr)
On top of that - 55k miles and two owners from new!

Now for the hard part: finding the original brochure for it.
dragonflyjewels wrote:
Tue May 03, 2022 12:38 pm
even though the limited edition badge is missing
As someone who had a similar problem with the badge on their TT, I wish you the very best of luck tracking down a replacement :lol:
Last edited by WillC9303 on Tue May 03, 2022 7:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
William

1993 2.0i Limited Edition

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MisterH
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Re: A unicorn joins the club !

Post by MisterH » Tue May 03, 2022 4:14 pm

Image

OH
Mijn
God


You've done it. Forget Harrison Ford and the Antioch's Hand Grenade, You've found the Holy Grail.

Does this one come with Taurus wheels? IMO Taurus and Paris Blue are an amazing combination, but this car is so special. How much more 90s can it get than Purple-Blue Paint and a GREEN pinstripe?

I so wish I was coming home this week rather than next, I need to feast my eyes on it!
WillC9303 wrote:
Tue May 03, 2022 3:26 pm
Fantastic news Sylvia,

I also spotted this yesterday morning and frantically made a post on the forum only for it to have to be removed just in case the seller saw my post and realised what he had! :lol:


Good thinking Will, although I don't think it would have had a huge impact either given that the entire market for such a car is in this room* :lol:



*Who between them, probably have a not insignificant portion of the UK's 480s. How's that for oligarchy :rofl:
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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WillC9303
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Re: A unicorn joins the club !

Post by WillC9303 » Tue May 03, 2022 4:35 pm

MisterH wrote:
Tue May 03, 2022 4:14 pm
Does this one come with Taurus wheels?
Atlas 14’’
Unfortunately I believe the Paris Editions just about predate the Taurus wheels. Although I do agree, Taurus wheels look great on Paris blue cars (as with a lot of other colours for that matter!)
MisterH wrote:
Tue May 03, 2022 4:14 pm

Good thinking Will, although I don't think it would have had a huge impact either given that the entire market for such a car is in this room* :lol:
As much as I’d like to take credit for that, it was Jeff who removed my post :rofl:
William

1993 2.0i Limited Edition

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MisterH
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Re: A unicorn joins the club !

Post by MisterH » Tue May 03, 2022 4:56 pm

WillC9303 wrote:
Tue May 03, 2022 4:35 pm
MisterH wrote:
Tue May 03, 2022 4:14 pm
Does this one come with Taurus wheels?
Atlas 14’’
Unfortunately I believe the Paris Editions just about predate the Taurus wheels. Although I do agree, Taurus wheels look great on Paris blue cars (as with a lot of other colours for that matter!)
MisterH wrote:
Tue May 03, 2022 4:14 pm

Good thinking Will, although I don't think it would have had a huge impact either given that the entire market for such a car is in this room* :lol:
As much as I’d like to take credit for that, it was Jeff who removed my post :rofl:
You know I think you're right, Taurus came in '92 with the TT. You're getting really good on this, so nice to have someone of a similar age whose equally keen to be a 480 buff! :lol:
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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jamescarruthers
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Re: A unicorn joins the club !

Post by jamescarruthers » Wed May 04, 2022 7:55 am

Outrageous but fantastic, well done. It does look good that interior and my Paris blue car was the one that got the most compliments on its colour by a country mile. Look forward to seeing it in the (green cow) flesh some time!
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: Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

Post by dragonflyjewels » Mon May 09, 2022 8:04 pm

After an action packed few days, it's time for the promised photos. It was described on the advert as a limited edition - a quick check on dvla confirmed that. This was the photo that caused all the excitement:

Image

Clearly not a two tone, Paris blue with green bumper stripe and ribbed headrests were a giveaway - it HAD to be a Paris ! Interior photos were requested and sure enough

Image

The lovely green and grey leather interio, Momo steering wheel and that spotty carpet.

Two owners from new, the second one had it 28 years then sadly became terminally ill. Low mileage, with almost every piece of paper you could wish for in an impressive document wallet. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine being in a position to buy a Paris Edition, and certainly not with so much going for it. The icing on the cake was that the car dealer who had it had no idea of the rarity. I was dreading an avalache of phone calls giving the game away but apparently only one other person rang about it the day the advert appeared.

Of course, it has faults, but all very minor. This is the worst of the rust:

Image

Image

Image

Image

The leather has a lot of cracking but lashings of conditioner should bring that back

Image

Looks like someone spilt something yukky on the back seat and then left it folded down - the leather is covered in tiny bubbles. I suspect Coca Cola.

Image

Why is it that when anyone else cleans a car they find cash, but all I came up with was a manky old mint imperial !

Image

If anyone is wondering what we were doing in Yorkshire, Al and I bought one another supercar driving experiences at Elvington airfield. My first choice to cut my teeth on was a Jaguar F type - 2 laps in that and I just about got the hang of the paddle gear change. Then I had two laps in a BMW i8 - beautifull looking car but with no engine burbling up front it was a bit sterile. My top choice was a Maclaren 570s so I saved that until last and boy was it fun. Much more like a 480 than the other two only just a tad faster. The thing that really surprised me was that the seat adjustment was manual - the same bar under the front as our cars, back adjustable with a lever, but no way to adjust the seat height ! For the amount of money they cost ~I thought that extremely stingy especially as I could have done with a cushion......
Much though I enjoyed it, my mind was elsewhere most of the time. :wink:
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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WillC9303
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Re: Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

Post by WillC9303 » Mon May 09, 2022 9:34 pm

Great to see some more pictures of this car. Aren't these the same seats that were fitted to the prototype 480 cabriolets? The carpet on the Paris Editions is out of this world. Makes me wonder why more car makers don't get more creative with the carpet pattern in cars. Most of them are dull greys and blacks. Was the Paris Edition available on anywhere else on the continent or was it a UK only trim?
dragonflyjewels wrote:
Mon May 09, 2022 8:04 pm
Why is it that when anyone else cleans a car they find cash, but all I came up with was a manky old mint imperial !
Count yourself lucky - you could've had the displeasure of reaching into the abyss of the rear seat only to jab your finger on a sharp needle like object. Never did get to the bottom of that one - the previous owners didn't appear to be that type at all.
William

1993 2.0i Limited Edition

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dcwalker
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Re: Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

Post by dcwalker » Tue May 10, 2022 6:09 am

WillC9303 wrote:
Mon May 09, 2022 9:34 pm
Great to see some more pictures of this car. Aren't these the same seats that were fitted to the prototype 480 cabriolets? The carpet on the Paris Editions is out of this world. Makes me wonder why more car makers don't get more creative with the carpet pattern in cars. Most of them are dull greys and blacks. Was the Paris Edition available on anywhere else on the continent or was it a UK only trim?
dragonflyjewels wrote:
Mon May 09, 2022 8:04 pm
Why is it that when anyone else cleans a car they find cash, but all I came up with was a manky old mint imperial !
Count yourself lucky - you could've had the displeasure of reaching into the abyss of the rear seat only to jab your finger on a sharp needle like object. Never did get to the bottom of that one - the previous owners didn't appear to be that type at all.
I believe at least one of the cabrio models had that interior, yes.

As for the mint, I had already found you 40p! Left the mint in case you wanted it... ;)

Great update on what promises to be a great car - keep them coming Sylvia!

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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Re: Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

Post by jifflemon » Tue May 10, 2022 6:49 am

WillC9303 wrote:
Mon May 09, 2022 9:34 pm
Was the Paris Edition available on anywhere else on the continent or was it a UK only trim?
Have had reports of one in the Netherlands so I’d guess so!

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dragonflyjewels
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Re: Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

Post by dragonflyjewels » Tue May 10, 2022 7:57 am

Paris edition was also available on the continent. After years of research I have photos of two German cars, a Paris ES and also a very jealous-making Paris turbo. Over there, Paris, Two tone, GT and Collection were all packages which could be added on to any version. Collection was the continental name for the Celebration.
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
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Re: Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

Post by MisterH » Tue May 10, 2022 10:56 am

This is honestly amazing news Sylvia, even though it is a lowly 1.7 Cat, what a rare specimen. You say it has the green bumper stripes, they look black to me, or is it just the light?
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: Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

Post by jifflemon » Tue May 10, 2022 11:09 am

MisterH wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 10:56 am
This is honestly amazing news Sylvia, even though it is a lowly 1.7 Cat, what a rare specimen. You say it has the green bumper stripes, they look black to me, or is it just the light?
Image

Hold the line please Ben, got Specsavers asking for your schedule.... :rofl:

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MisterH
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Re: Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

Post by MisterH » Tue May 10, 2022 11:18 am

jifflemon wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 11:09 am
MisterH wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 10:56 am
This is honestly amazing news Sylvia, even though it is a lowly 1.7 Cat, what a rare specimen. You say it has the green bumper stripes, they look black to me, or is it just the light?
Image

Hold the line please Ben, got Specsavers asking for your schedule.... :rofl:
Nice, there wasn't a close up of the stripe before. But that is a really nice dealer plate...
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: Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

Post by jifflemon » Tue May 10, 2022 11:35 am

Isn't it just? Correct font and original plate! Just devine!

Its such a lovely car (I'm SO glad Sylvia bought it as it means I'm not currently wondering where the heck I'm parking yet another Volvo!)

Alan 480
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Re: Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

Post by Alan 480 » Tue May 10, 2022 5:15 pm

looks 'pap-on'
I'd be adding the 'cat' to the scrap heap (or just poke a brush handle through it?) :wink:
Alan

480 ES 2litre 'Celebration' ? , C30 1.8ES, SS1

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dragonflyjewels
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Re: Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

Post by dragonflyjewels » Tue May 10, 2022 6:01 pm

I have plans for the cat, and they don't include staying on Paris :lol: she's a lot more throaty than Snazzy but definitely not so fast whilst being strangled.
Just been to the bodyshop to book her in, she'll be getting the works including a top of the range type of cavity wax they use on the underside. Apparently it goes on white so they can make sure they don't miss anywhere. Waxoyl these days is pretty dire.
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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Re: Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

Post by Jay-Kay-Em » Tue May 10, 2022 10:03 pm

Congratulations Sylvia on your purchase of what is undeniably a rare car.

I have collected car brochures for many years and have a good few 480 items including TT, but never have I seen a Paris brochure.

It would appear VDL Nedcar popped next door to their coach division for that carpet! Love it!

There seems to be a good few 480’s on Autotrader at the moment. I had given up looking on there to be honest. A stellar find.
Jay-Kay-Em
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dragonflyjewels
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Re: Paris the Unicorn joins the club !

Post by dragonflyjewels » Wed May 11, 2022 9:29 am

jifflemon wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 11:35 am
Isn't it just? Correct font and original plate! Just devine!

Its such a lovely car (I'm SO glad Sylvia bought it as it means I'm not currently wondering where the heck I'm parking yet another Volvo!)
Instead of which Sylvia has been wondering where the heck to park yet another Volvo !

Luckily Snazzy is in for a service and Sven will follow for MoT so I have a brief reprieve whilst awaiting 2 tonnes of soil to fill the old pond in. It was intended to be the new home for a rhododendron but for now it'll have to accomodate a rescue car. Unless of course Al decides to create a new side entrance so the car in the pond becomes accessible. The real frustration is that we have plenty of land but having spent 50 years creating gardens I dont want to destroy, I've only left parking for 5 cars. There really shouldn't be another 3 in the orchard, never mind two behind the carport, right next to the new conservatory windows ! Not quite the view I had in mind :lol:
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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