C70 – The car that changed the way Volvo looked

Picture: Supplied. 2026 is a milestone year for the Volvo C70. The Swedish marque’s two-door grand tourer line up was first introduced in late 1996.

The first generation is turning 30 years old, and the second generation is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The C70’s legacy can be viewed as a defining chapter in the marque’s history. Beginning as a bold design departure and ending as the most technically ambitious convertible Volvo ever produced.

Revealed at the Paris Motor Show in 1996, the first-generation C70 was offered with a range of five-cylinder engines, providing the performance one would expect from a Volvo sports car. The most potent motor offered was the turbocharged 2.3-litre engine. This engine developed a heady 180 kW and 330 Nm of torque.

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Making it one of the most powerful front-wheel-drive vehicles at the time. Based on the P80 platform (which underpinned numerous Volvos, including the S70 and V70), the C70 was offered with two transmission choices. Namely, a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual.

A year later, the C70 convertible was introduced. Marking the first Volvo drop-top since the little-known P1900 debuted in the 1950s. Unlike its predecessor, the 780, the svelte C70 was one of the Volvos that pushed the brand forward design-wise.

Who jokingly told the press that with the C70, Volvo “threw away the box but kept the toy inside,” referring to the brand’s link to boxier, sturdy-looking exterior design. Horbury wanted to create something that was an emotional project, a car that didn’t need to be functional. Reviewing the C70 at its 1996 launch, the lateTop Gearpresenter and media personalityQuentin Wilsonsaid the “C70 goes as well as it looks,” praising its dynamism and surprising wild side, noting it’s a Volvo with attitude. “It’s poised, it’s accurate, and it feels very crisp indeed.”

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