Volvo 164

Volvo 164
Manufacturer	Volvo Personvagnar
Production	1968–1975
Predecessor	Volvo PV831 Disponent
Successor	Volvo 264
Class	Executive car
Body style(s)	4-door sedan
Layout	FR layout
Engine(s)	B30
Transmission(s)	4-speed manual 4-speed manual overdrive 3-speed automatic
Wheelbase	2700 mm (106.3 in)
Length	4700 mm (185 in)
Related	Volvo 140
Designer	Jan Wilsgaard

The Volvo 164 is an executive car manufactured by Volvo from 1968 to 1975. The 164 was introduced in late 1968 as a model year 1969 offering; the last model year was 1975. When production ended in 1975 146,008 cars had been built. The 164 was positioned, equipped, marketed, and priced well upscale of the more utilitarian 140 model upon which it was based.

Contents 1 History 2 Engine and powertrain 3 Transmission 4 Body and chassis 5 Descendants 6 External links

History

The lines of the 164 came from the pen of Volvo designer Jan Wilsgaard and were first seen in the late 1950s as a concept car called the P358 powered by a large V8, but the P358 was cancelled when the home market was found too small. The front was inspired both by the Wolseley 6/99 and the Volvo P1900. In 1968 Volvo introduced the 164. It was a development of the 140-series but with a more prestige oriented position. The biggest difference is that the 164 is powered by a 3.0 litre straight-6. This was the first time for 10 years that Volvo had offered a 6 cylinder engine, the last time being the PV800 series that went out of production in 1958. The front bodywork was also quite different from the 140: the bonnet was lengthened to make room for the bigger engine and it was given a large grille with a more prestigious look. The interior was also made more luxurious, with optional leather.

Engine and powertrain

The 164 was powered by a 3-litre OHV straight 6 cylinder engine, the B30, which was a 6-cylinder derivative of the proven B20 4-cylinder engine that powered most other Volvo models. 1969-1971 models were equipped with dual Zenith Stromberg 175CD2SE constant-depression carburetors. In 1972, Bosch's first volume-production electronic fuel injection system, D-Jetronic, was offered as optional equipment. Carburetors were dropped and "D-Jet" became standard equipment for the 1973 model year. Cars equipped with the fuel injection were badged as 164E models, the "E" standing for einspritzung (German for fuel injection). Like other fuel-injected Volvos, the 164E models gave improved performance and driveability with less-toxic exhaust emissions than their carbureted counterparts. The D-Jetronic system, however, was not renowned for fuel economy or easy hot-engine restarts.

Transmission

Transmission options included a manual 4-speed (M400) gearbox, which was known as the M410 when equipped with the optional electrically-operated Laycock de Normanville overdrive. Both the M400 and M410 had Volvo's "remote control" shifter, which used a conventionally short, vertical shift stick placed between the front seats. Manual-shift models other than the 164 and the P1800 continued until 1971 to use Volvo's direct-control shifter, featuring an extremely long, almost horizontal shift lever with its pivot point well under the dashboard. A 3-speed automatic transmission, the Borg Warner BW35, was also offered. The automatic shift selector was mounted on the steering column from 1969 through 1972, and on the floor from 1973 through 1975. Despite its rough operation and inefficiency, the BW35 was popular in the North American market.

Body and chassis

The 164 was only offered as a 4-door sedan, and shares many body and chassis components with its 144 forebear. From the cowl rearward, body sheetmetal is identical. The front was lengthened 6 inches (152 mm) to accommodate the longer 6-cylinder engine. Because of the shared components between the 140 and 164, several private parties have constructed station wagon and 2-door hardtop versions with 164 front ends. Despite strenuous calls from North American Volvo dealers for a 6-cylinder Volvo station wagon, Volvo is said to have produced only a single 165 estate car (with a long wheelbase), which was given to designer Wilsgaard on his retirement from Volvo.^{[dubious – ]}

Descendants

When Volvo was developing the 262C coupé in the mid-seventies a 164 was used as a testbed. The result was a two-door "162" with the chopped, vinyl-covered roof that would be found on the 262C. This car is today on display at the Volvo Museum in Goteborg, Sweden. As with the estate versions, some replicas have been made by enthusiasts.

External links

• IMCDB: Volvo 164s in movies and TV shows
• Volvo 164 Club of Sweden
• Volvo Club UK

1971 Volvo 164 with Australian-market accessory exterior sunvisor

Specially-built (one-off) Volvo "165" wagon

This box:  •  • edit Volvo Cars, now a luxury subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company since 1998, road car timeline, 1960s-present
Type	1960s										1970s										1980s										1990s										2000s
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Small family car	544																66
																	340
																								360
																												440 / 460
																																					S40								S40
Compact executive car	Amazon / 120 / 130
								140								240																	850						S70			S60								S60
																										740						940
Executive car									164															760								960							S90	S80								S80
																260
Sport		P1800		1800S							1800E		1800ES						242 GT			240 Turbo														850 R			S/V70 R			S60/V70 T5			S60/V70 R
Coupé																											480																					C30
																			262C									780											C70								C70
Estate car																																					V40								V50
								145								240																	850						V70/XC70				V70/XC70						V70/XC70
	Duett																									740						940
Crossover																																																		XC60
																																												XC90