Rusty But Trusty

If you grew up in the 1970s or 1980s, there’s a good chance you have some level of nostalgia (ironic or genuine) for the spoiler & strip performance packages they used to put on cars back then. Thanks to relatively new emissions and fuel economy regulations, manufacturers were likely reluctant to revisit the testing process for a limited-audience high performance models, so performance was in the eye of the beholder. Among its visual upgrades were a flat hood, red striping inside and out, and fog lights in the grill, but it did also get some proper performance features – anti-roll bars and a special grill with integrated fog lights. However, the rest of the world also got an upgraded engine (injected 2.3), where we had to make do with the standard 2.1 found on the regular DL. Anyhow, in the meantime it’s a fun oddity and possibly a good subject for an upgrade to a later Volvo turbo unit or a V8. Wait, did someone say V8? Today’s 242GT is available for $3300 in Arizona.

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