340, ugly? Surely not!

[workshopmanualman]

Lazy journalists pumping out the same old tosh. http://www.virginmedia.com/motoring/gal ... php?ssid=6

[Edcase 300]

hi workshopmanualman

haha i just read that article!
I honestly wonder if the journalist who wrote that ostracizing article has ever even driven a 340 or 360 for that matter?

Hes probably a bit antiquated in the driving department.
Its just a typical example of journalistic gluttony to earn a few extra bucks and follow a silly chip on the shoulder trend.
haha I feel satisfied now

Hehe- well I like you think that the Volvo 300 series is smashing little car

[nomead]

Heh, and they found a Finnish picture, of all things.

[filthyjohn]

Lazy journalism. As if the writer of that piece has ever driven one. I'm cancelling my Virgin Media services because of this.

[MJ]

I can thing of better reasons to cancel Virgin Media

If you do, make sure to tell them why!

[filthyjohn]

This house has no BT line so I'm stuck with them. I'll just have to make sure this month's direct debit bounces. Although, that happens every month

[Stefan]

just a tit with no real idea what he is talking about. i have had a few cars on that list and loved them and would like a few of the others. Still never was a fan of the x90 but each to there own

[Ronnie]

I wouldn't lose any sleep over that ass-hat - number 5 on the list is a TVR Tuscan, possibly the most beautiful car ever built. I bet he drives a Vauxhall Vectra...

[workshopmanualman]

Man, I drove a Vectra a few years ago. Within a mile I was bored stiff. A few years ago I looked into buying a Honda Joy Machine - name was bad enough, but I sat in it, got out, walked away without even starting the engine. I'll admit the Volvo can be a bit ugly in the wrong colour schemes, but it isn't a bad car to drive by any means. Mine is my work car that I use instead of the train into London - my wife has a new car with all the bells and whistles, so my yardstick to judge the 360 against is a £14k car. The new car is good, but a little boring to drive [it even applies the brakes a little harder if it feels you're a numpty....]. The Volvo? Bounces all over the place, is noisy, hot, and a bit smelly. Sometimes it doesn't want to start. But I don't drive it like a moron, I'm aware of what goes on around me, and I'm oddly content driving the thing. So there Mr Ten Ugly Cars!

[MJ]

The Volvo? Bounces all over the place, is noisy, hot, and a bit smelly. Sometimes it doesn't want to start. But I don't drive it like a moron, I'm aware of what goes on around me, and I'm oddly content driving the thing.

Quoted For Truth

[nomashedswede]

I`m going to apologise in advance for the length of this reply, but does this so called journalist know that research is an integral part of writing anything intended for publication ! Or is his ignorance so complete, he thinks himself above it.

1, "Ladas were ugly, weak, beige and very, very cheap. As such, they were pretty popular but you really don’t see many of the old 1980s models anymore. Thank heavens." Whilst I wouldn`t disagree with most of this, there rarity is more due to the fact that all the ones in the UK were repatriated by Russian sailors originally, and then the Russian mafia got involved and cleared the UK out. I know, I sold them loads of second hand ones - thank you Mr Gorbachev and peristroika - happy days !

2, "Famously, Skoda has re-invented itself. Slightly. It’s now marginally cooler than it was in the 1980s with Skoda now partnered with Renault." Hmmm - has anybody informed Volkswagen that their Chzech mistress, is now in a dalliance with a French suitor ?

5, "it’s difficult to lay insult on a solid British car manufacturer, seeing as there are so few these days," Thought TVR factory had been closed, and they are now to be made in Russia - anybody in Blackpool confirm this ?

8, "British Leyland was going through very tough times during the Allegro’s launch and refused to fall in line with more popular approaches to cars at the time. The hatchback was becoming king, British Leyland stubbornly refused to produce them. A relic, if ever there was one. Just like the Allegro."
So the Austin Maxi - the ONLY hatchback on the market when it was launched, was obviously made by another company !

What a to**er - and presumably, he gets paid for this drivel !

[hatch360]

this journalist makes as if the competition was any better looking. The 80s for me was the ugly years for most cars, but the 300 series wasnt the worst, he just got a pic of an unkept one and attached some bs to it.

[nomashedswede]

You make a good point, Oz - the 300 series just looks a bit out of time, but that`s testament to it`s longevity. Certainly in the UK, I cannot think of another 80`s survivor, that appears so regularly, or in , often, such good condition ( with the exception of 240`s and 740`s, of course ! )

[workshopmanualman]

Odd that, isn't it, about the competition still being around. BMW 3-series seem a bit thin on the ground, and oddly so are the Escorts of the time - but they may have been killed due to their popularity. Only the Golf seems to exist in similar numbers to the 340, but given that they sold a zillion of the things, then the Volvo is doing better statistically. The Merc 190E seems to be the only other car around of that era that just runs and runs. But to me the Merc has associations with people that live in caravans, so I wouldn't have one for that reason! Shallow I am.

And of the 340 / 360's that I see, it seems that there is a 50/50 split between them being in really good condition or bad. Either way, they are still running. I am not offended by him calling the car ugly, or particularly bothered by it. What it does mean is that small minded people avoid them, prices stay low, and yet here we have a car that is reliable, easy to service, and seems to exist in a vacuum on the road - I never get challenged by boy racers or have people up my chuff to get a move on.

In their day Volvo knew how to build a car, and didn't waste money on fancy frills like bodywork designers! Nuff said.

[trabitom99]

It is of course easy saying a car is ugly, showing an unkempt vehicle with sun-bleached paint:



If he had chosen to fill out his article with a picture like this:



he would have had a much harder time of it ...

Tom