THE VOLVO C70 – THE FORGOTTEN SAINT CAR

The 1990s are now looking not so much remote as impossibly distant. As the popular phrase goes, when did you last see a Rover 600, a first-generation Ford Mondeo, or indeed a first-generation Volvo C70? Many enthusiasts regarded the aforementioned (as heir to the P1800) as an affordable and reliable yet extremely stylish grand tourer. Furthermore, it was not the fault of the C70 that it co-starred in one of the least memorable screen versions of The Saint.

At the beginning of the 1990s, Volvo decided to embark on a coupe and a drophead based on the 850. The project was undertaken in collaboration with TWR of Kidlington – a first for the Swedish marque, and the Oxfordshire firm was responsible for its design and production adjustment. Incredibly, the development period was a mere 30 months.

Power for the C70 was initially from an array of five-cylinder turbocharged units, and the suspension design was derived from the 850, although the rear track was almost an inch wider. The bodywork cleverly masked the fact that the wheelbase was the same as its parent model. Peter Horbury, the company’s then Head of Design, summarised the C70’s ethos as ‘I’ve tried to create a car that people will want, not a car people need’. He also observed, ‘this time we kept the toy and threw away the box!’.

The C70 Coupe made its bow at the Paris Motor Show on 30th September 1996. Volvo announced the Cabriolet version in 1997, with British sales commencing in June of that year. In 1998 Top Gear magazine thought the hardtop ‘more than holds its own with the Mercedes CLK and the Peugeot 406 Coupe at the upper-middle end of the GT class’.

Half of the total production run was destined for the USA, where the C70 had to appeal to BMW and Audi drivers. Volvo of North American saw the latest model as ‘One which is being pursued not for its volume potential but for its image enhancement’. To further establish the new GT as their true heir to the P1800, it would feature in the new cinema version of The Saint with Val Kilmer as Simon Templar

Variety noted the ‘a $5 million-plus tie-in campaign’ - ‘Paramount and Volvo’s cross-promotional efforts will include national and local TV spots and print ads, as well as promotions at auto shows, in-dealer displays and a Web site’. The picture, directed by Phillip Noyce, went on release in April of 1997, with high hopes for vast box office receipts.

Unfortunately, the critical and public response ranged from apathy to disappointment. Kilmer was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor, although he lost to Kevin Costner in The Postman. In fact, many filmgoers thought the Garnet Red C70 the highlight of the picture - And they were probably correct.

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