I'm sure some of you will know, but I was invited to show my early 343 on the Volvo Owners' Club stand at the Classic Car Show at the NEC this year.

Sadly, the car is not exactly in concourse condition, and the torn seat fabric and the bubbling paint on the bonnet let it down. And it was parked next to an immaculate Volvo 66 which had just come back from a full restoration at a bodyshop the previous week! But I still got a lot of interest and some really good comments. The really good thing is that I've been able to educate a lot of people about early 343s, which I really enjoyed .

Here are a few pictures (and for all you sticklers, despite being a 1977 model year car, I actually call it a 1976 343 in the bio, because it was in fact built on 14 September 1976, but hung around for 6 months before it was first registered in April 1977. I wonder what it was up to in the meantime!)

Didn't make it this year but great to see your car in the pics - I'm impressed there's room for the funny dutch things

Wow, thanks for sharing those pictures. That's a real museum-spec car you have there, an absolute rarity.

Cheers

Tom

Hi Sion.
Just stunning mate. The 66 looks just as good.
Cheers Mark.

Nice pictures of your '76 indeed! I do like these real MK1's very much.

If you come across the correct colour and pattern of the upholstery: I'm interested as well, since the rear seat on mine is dissolved as well (the front seats are strangely doing OK..)

Freerk

trenning wrote: If you come across the correct colour and pattern of the upholstery: I'm interested as well, since the rear seat on mine is dissolved as well (the front seats are strangely doing OK..)

Ahh, this is really a problem for me too! I'm going to try some trimming places soon to see what I can find, but it's such an odd material, I think it's called Bri-Nylon.

For now I've covered it with a contemporary cover in beige fur. Not original but the kids love to sit on it!

Freerk

Sion, now that is nowadays called a "survivor" car.
Some people prefer their cars to be original incl the 40-year wear and tear.....
Great pics, you've certainly educated the readers of the flyer at the NEC!