The very last DAF was designed as the DAF 77 in the early 1975s by the proud Dutch car manufacturer DAF. In 1976 the passenger car division of this company was taken over by Volvo. The DAF truck branch has been fantastic so far. Volvo did its Scandinavian thing to make it a Genuine Volvo, so improved the design, and marketed the reborn Daf in 343 as the Volvo 343. The 340 was built in Born in Limburg by the Volvo Car, later NedCar, factory. The Volvo XNUMX.
Also interesting: The last passenger car with the DAF brand name: the 46
The Volvo 300 line was a small family car with rear-wheel drive that was sold as a hatchback and as a conventional sedan.
As we read in our archive, the newcomer was positively received by the press and the public. However, there was also criticism about the imbalance in performance and price: The 1.4 (Renault) 70 hp engine was on the light side in relation to the weight of the car and the price was on the high side. The 343 was delivered with a variomatic gearbox in accordance with Daf's ideas. For publicity reasons, Volvo called the Variomatic 'CVT', continuously variable transmission. The top speed was stated as 150 kilometers per hour. From the 1979 model year, the 343 was also available with a four-speed manual gearbox from the Volvo 240 series. Volvo hoped to boost sales of the 343 with this. A new version of the 343 appeared on the market. This was called the 343 GL. There was also a five-door version on the market, under the name Volvo 345.
These Volvos were never really big sales. Still, the factory delivered a full range of versions and Volvo regularly released special editions.
The 340's: Jelyll and Hyde
For a long time and with determination, the Volvo 300 series (especially in the CVT version) was seen as a means of transport for the somewhat older, acknowledged dull people who smothered and felt hat wearers with their blue-washed wives. That the Volvo 300 series also had a very dynamic second personality was shown by the fact that many 340s and 360s spent their last days on all kinds of circuits, where they were delicious - and cheap - toys due to their conventional rear-wheel drive with a rigid De Dion -ash. For sporty Volvo drivers, there was also the R-Style Volvo Competition and Performance Parts program with engine tuning kits, special brakes, lowering sets, sports steering wheels, sports exhausts, spoiler sets, and spotlights and fog lights. Those things have been recognized as scarce.
We found such an R style Volvo (in the making) at Theo Voskuil. And the birth of the Daf RECOVERY: Volvo was one out of passion. The client is fully aware that his very rare Volvo will never "raise his money."
The 340's now
We all know the stories about classics that change owners for tons and millions. Never say never, but we do not see it running with the Volvo 340 yet.
The asking prices for moving Volvo 340's with MOT are between € 500-1.000. From € 1.500 you can set requirements and above € 2.500 it will be delicious. More expensive ones are also offered. The highest asking price we found was almost ten mille for a copy from a collection with only a few thousand kilometers on the clock. Unfortunately, there were no booklets with that. Another nice item must yield € 5.950 + € 995 for the warranty package. In short: these Volvo cars are in the classics category where prices are between 'asking prices' and 'dream prices'.
But with the good Volvo 340 for the good price you can have a very nice, lovingly dated classic that you can also just use to do your shopping.
Buys Dutch product!
In the 340s, many Dutch police forces employed Volvo's from this series. The vast majority of these were Volvo 340 hatchbacks. Particularly interesting was that 360 DLs with a two-liter engine were also delivered to the police. The two-liter engine was usually only used in the XNUMX.
In order to protect my Porsche's 20, Jaguar's XJ/XK, many Chevy's/Dodges and other exotic items against the brine over the past 911 years, I drove old, cheap and inconspicuous cars with an MOT for half a year. So 3 years ago, I bought a 343 Volvo 1979 CVT from 72.000, 1.400 km on the clock, for 3 euros. A fantastic car, never disappointed me, everything works great, so after the winter I drove it on. Then I got "enchanted" and have loved those cars ever since. I now have 343; Also a 1978 CVT from 37.000 with 345 on the odometer and a 1981 CVT from 55.000 with XNUMX on the odometer. The exotic cars with mountains of horsepower no longer interest me, I am so very happy behind the wheel in my old but brave Volvos!
I found this version of Volvo the most beautiful model and reliable car they have made, I was able to participate from 1979 to 2016, the 340 was also a VAN version without a back seat, the successor the 440 was not a success as the 480 which was way too expensive was a nice concept. My first 343 was a 1400 from 1982 then a 340 from 1987 that I had for 10 years and then bought for 1500 guilders. Find another 340 of the last production days with injection engine BJ 1989.
Wasn't the 360 also “Caravan Tractor of the Year”? At the ANWB?
Yes that's right.
The National Police has only had the 1400 cc Volvo 340 in service. Possibly a lost 1700 but the 2000 cc has never served as a striking car to my knowledge. However, with many Municipal Police forces. I remember when these colleagues overtook us with those 2 liters as if we were standing still. Especially when they switched to 340 diesel. 90 km max upwind. Secretly the pump was turned up a bit by a friendly mechanic so that you could go a little harder. We were asked not to drive through the neighborhood at night because the noise of this diesel woke people up?? But still good memories of this car. Because the Fiat 127 was really nothing. The predecessor of the 340. The 440 was also a good replacement.
A nice memory!
So, a 360 glt has been driving here for a while, with 7 × 15 ats cup rims and 195 50 15 tires, the first to have such low tires
now on almost every shopping cart ...
what a stark contrast to most 343 with 1400 engine and variomat, usually with a silvery hairy and quiet driver with a crocheted toilet hat on the parcel shelf.
Nice description of the manual type of drivers!