A Late Success: The Volvo 240 Super Polar

Between January and August 1989, fewer than 190 Volvo 240s were sold in Italy! The situation was critical, especially as Volvo’s leading position in the estate car segment in Italy was under serious threat. An analysis showed that although the Volvo 240 wagon with gasoline engine had a good image and was in high demand on the used market, the price for the new car was too high. So it was high time to revive the Volvo 240 wagon in Italy!

So in 1989, Volvo and Volvo Italia developed an affordable version named “Polar” to boost sales and appeal to younger, price-conscious buyers who would otherwise opt for brands such as Volkswagen or Lancia.

Based on the 2.0-liter 240 DL wagon, the Polar was equipped very basic to lower the price. The Polar was only available with one engine, one gearbox, one upholstery and in four colors, which also helped to reduce costs.

But it sported a fresh and stylish look with a black grille and trim, similar to the GLT or Turbo models. Priced 18% lower than the previous version, it was positioned alongside the VW Passat.

The launch of the Polar in 1989, accompanied by a unique marketing campaign (more on this later), led to an explosion of Volvo 245 sales in Italy! In 1990, Volvo sold 4,492 units, compared to only 989 in 1988. Given the fact that sales of the Volvo 240 dropped in all other markets in 1990, this achievement is even more impressive!

BTW: There almost wasn’t a “Polar”, because the working title of the project was initially “Western”, as it was assumed that younger people would like this name. Luckily, those responsible changed their minds and came up with an even cooler name.

This success paved the way for the launch of the Volvo 240 Super Polar in 1991, a model aimed at more demanding customers such as executives, lawyers and doctors. The Super Polar had greatly improved features, including ABS, electric windows, metallic paint, leather upholstery, Scorpius alloy wheels and air conditioning, positioning it in a more „premium“ segment. In 1991, 2,585 Super Polar models were sold, rising to 2,862 in 1992, despite initial skepticism from dealers due to low profit margins.

The Volvo 240 Super Polar stands as proof that a „classic“ model can achieve renewed success when marketing, pricing, and features align perfectly. Volvo writes in its brochure “240-bolaget, ett framgångsrikt arbetssätt”:

The Super Polar remains to this day a symbol of Volvo’s success in Italy and a classic that occupies a special place in automotive history.

And perhaps the same story is happening today with the XC90?

Due to its success, it is not so difficult to find a Volvo 240 Super Polar in Italy. And that allows us that we can still enjoy driving one of the the most luxurious late-version Volvo 240 today.