After a decade on the market, the 700 Series from Volvo deserved an honorable retirement leaving the place for its successor, the 900 Series.
The Swedish carmaker introduced the 940 in 1990, and it was more or less a refreshed 740, with which it shared most of the engines and drivetrains. On the bad side, it didn’t continue the coupe version from the 740, designed by Bertone.

While other wedged-shaped cars looked outdated, the 940 didn’t. Even though that Volvo shaved the edges trying to make the car looks rounded, it didn’t. It still looked like a boxy sedan, with a slanted hood and a flat front fascia where both the radiator’s grille and the headlights looked designed with a ruler and a straight angle. On the other hand, the wrapped-around bumper smoothed the car’s front image thanks to its aerodynamically profiled lower apron. Behind the rear doors, the carmaker added a set of side windows, bringing more light for the rear seat passengers.

Volvo designed the 940 as an executive car, with an interior that matched the carmaker’s intentions. While the lower trim levels featured wool upholstery, the upper trim levels got a leather-clad cabin. The dashboard sported a smaller instrument cluster with five dials inside. The carmaker placed the center vents in the top position on the center stack, followed downwards by the climate controls and the stereo. At the bottom, Volvo placed the ashtray and the cigarette lighter. There was enough room in the back for two adults. The 940 also carried over the integrated child seat from its predecessor.

Under the hood, Volvo used the same powerplants as the 740. As the name suggested, it featured only inline-four units, but that wasn’t completely true for Volvo’s flagship model. Apart from the gasoline units, the carmaker worked with Volkswagen and installed a range of turbo-diesel engines.