240 General: New (to me) 1980 Volvo 244

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I always associated Volvo (particularly the estates) with antique dealers and the saloons (especially the Amazon models) with insurance brokers - the antique dealers because when i was a young pup it seemed every antique dealer had one and the insurance broker because a "family friend" (i use the term very loosely!) was an insurance broker and had an Amazon and i believe a 264.

However, i think Volvo were being more subtle than a simple stereotype as their marketing demographic. I suspect they were aiming at what was referred to in the 70s as "the County set" - those who were generally speaking well off, upper middle class due to income with aspirations to rub shoulders with royalty but in reality only clashed polo bats with them.

As for Lavinia and her chums, they are probably well into their 80s now so you, like the rest of us, will still be out of luck!

You are right about the 'county set' Dave. I recall that 240 estate I bought new in the mid to late 80s (about '86 or '87 I should think). I'd been living in Germany at the time, but bought it back to sell it from a friend's house in Farnham (the capital of the County set) - it was a RHD UK spec car, a couple of years old and I was being posted to Cyprus. I'd placed an ad in the Farnham Herald - the 'phone rang off the hook and I sold the car for a bit more than the asking price (people were bidding against each other) on the evening the paper came out, such was the demand in Surrey.

Happy days :-)

[loki_the_glt]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

As for Lavinia and her chums, they are probably well into their 80s now so you, like the rest of us, will still be out of luck!

Assuming the brochure is a 1978 one, and the three cars it features tend to suggest that, Lavinia is probably in her mid-to-late60s now.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by loki_the_glt

Assuming the brochure is a 1978 one, and the three cars it features tend to suggest that, Lavinia is probably in her mid-to-late60s now.

It is a 1980 brochure - so they might be a little less :-)

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by loki_the_glt

Assuming the brochure is a 1978 one, and the three cars it features tend to suggest that, Lavinia is probably in her mid-to-late60s now.

I beg to differ for a few reasons. First, look at what the girls are wearing. A twin-set and trouser-suits. I remember my mum buying stuff like that in 1973-4 because it was the "latest must have in fashion" and she was always 3-4 years behind the times on fashion. That means they were probably at the height of their trend in the late 60s/early 70s.

Also enlarge the photo - they all look to be late 20s/early 30s minimum. That would tie in with another point, the trouser-suits and twin-set - most girls that i've known that would have been early 20s in the late 70s/early 80s wouldn't have been seen dead in those garments - "mum clothes" was one comment!

However, assuming they bought those assaults on the feminine shape in the early 70s and like my mum, would need surgical removal from them, that puts them about 10 years older than they were in the early 70s - based on the comment above about "mum clothes", that would make them late 20s or early 30s a decade before the photo was taken or at least a decade before the brochure was published. That means in 1980 they'd be late 30s/early 40s which would have been the general county set upper limits - the ones who had made it financially and could afford to buy a new Volvo.

Take that as a whole and add the 40 year time difference in and we're back to what i originally suggested.

If anyone can show me something to suggest Lavinia and co are younger, i'll gladly listen!

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I beg to differ for a few reasons. First, look at what the girls are wearing. A twin-set and trouser-suits. I remember my mum buying stuff like that in 1973-4 because it was the "latest must have in fashion" and she was always 3-4 years behind the times on fashion. That means they were probably at the height of their trend in the late 60s/early 70s.

Also enlarge the photo - they all look to be late 20s/early 30s minimum. That would tie in with another point, the trouser-suits and twin-set - most girls that i've known that would have been early 20s in the late 70s/early 80s wouldn't have been seen dead in those garments - "mum clothes" was one comment!

However, assuming they bought those assaults on the feminine shape in the early 70s and like my mum, would need surgical removal from them, that puts them about 10 years older than they were in the early 70s - based on the comment above about "mum clothes", that would make them late 20s or early 30s a decade before the photo was taken or at least a decade before the brochure was published. That means in 1980 they'd be late 30s/early 40s which would have been the general county set upper limits - the ones who had made it financially and could afford to buy a new Volvo.

Take that as a whole and add the 40 year time difference in and we're back to what i originally suggested.

If anyone can show me something to suggest Lavinia and co are younger, i'll gladly listen!

Excellent discussion for a Volvo cars forum!

An aside, one of the few things I have learned about girls is: never try to guess one’s age. If a man guesses too high then that is instant death, if he gets it too low then the girl thinks he is just trying to get into her pants (which maybe true...), even if he guesses dead right he is wrong: all girls think they look younger than they really are. Ho hum, it is impossible to win, so don’t try.

:-)

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Excellent discussion for a Volvo cars forum!

An aside, one of the few things I have learned about girls is: never try to guess one’s age. If a man guesses too high then that is instant death, if he gets it too low then the girl thinks he is just trying to get into her pants (which maybe true...), even if he guesses dead right he is wrong: all girls think they look younger than they really are. Ho hum, it is impossible to win, so don’t try.

:-)

Eloquently put Alan and another factor in my considerations. I'm usually fairly close (but always drop it a little to flatter but not so low as to make her think what i'm thinking! ) but having said that, i don't offer my guess unless specifically asked. Then there is the usual banter that they'll hate me if i guess too high etc but usually that just makes them more eager for me to guess - by which time i've got their promise of no recriminations either way. That means i'm relatively safe as long as i'm within a reasonable shout either way.

That aside it's still a risky pastime!

I suppose if we really wanted to know we could start doing internet searches for the actors/actresses/models used in the Volvo brochures from 1980 and then identify Lavinia, Drucilla and Esmeralda for real.

[Stephen Edwin]

.

Actors, or models, is the point David. They wore what was provided.

Excellent discussion re Volvo 240s yes Royal Czar.

Actually a discussion with at times sexist tendencies init?

Comrade Stephen Edwin




.

[Othen]

Eeeek!

We have being watched by the Politically Correct Police!

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Othen

Eeeek!

We have being watched by the Politically Correct Police!

Indeed and their powers of observation leave a lot to be desired!

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

Indeed and their powers of observation leave a lot to be desired!

Walls have ears... and pork pies, and sausages...

:-)