Italian craftsmanship met Swedish performance in the Bertone-built 1989 Volvo 780 Turbo Coupe

The pairing of a world-renowned Turinese coachbuilder with a fairly conservative Gothenburg automaker was not one that many deemed a natural fit, but those companies' relationship—spanning three decades—proved very fruitful. From Bertone's initial construction of the stretched-wheelbase 1976 264TE ("Top Executive") limousine to its building the controversial low-roof 262C of 1978-1981, the Italians and Swedes enjoyed an amiable relationship. The ultimate collaboration of Bertone and Volvo resulted in the exclusive Eighties flagship model, the 1987-1991 780 Coupe.

1989 proved a key year in 780 history, because this low-volume, hand-finished rear-wheel-drive luxury two-door was newly available with Volvo's then-most-powerful engine in the automaker's history, its turbocharged "red block" B230FT inline-four. The model had gained a wider rear track and independent multilink rear suspension with Nivomat self-leveling shocks (replacing a live rear axle) the previous year, which improved ride and handling, and the 780 Turbo's downsized, uprated engine gave it a serious turn of speed that the standard model's 145-hp Peugeot-Renault-Volvo V-6 couldn't provide. This enhanced version of the B230—fitted with Volvo's new "Turbo +" extra-boost software—made an additional 15 horsepower over the intercooler-equipped 2.3-liter in the 740 Turbo and 760 Turbo, with total output being 175 hp and 187 lb-ft of torque. Sadly, unlike the 740 Turbo, the 780 Turbo could not be purchased in our market with a manual transmission- all examples were fitted with overdrive-equipped four-speed automatics.

Granted, the automatic suited the cosseting theme of this car's plush, leather-lined, birch burl wood-accented four-place interior. Virtually everything was standard, including heated, power-adjustable front seats with memory, electronic climate control, a cassette stereo system with graphic equalizer, and a power sliding moonroof. A driver's airbag and four-wheel discs with ABS were also part of the package.

Since the major change in this car lived under the hood, it took a real Volvophile to spot the cues that set the 780 Turbo apart from the V-6-powered 780 Coupe: 1-inch-wider "Multi 'X'" 15 x 7-inch alloy wheels, and a small boost gauge in the upper right corner of the instrument cluster.

Volvo 780 historian and registrar Davies Owens discovered that 5,669 of the 8,518 780 Coupes built through 1991 came to the U.S., leaving a fraction distributed between Canada, the U.K., Europe, Japan, and the Middle East.

Our Find of the Day 1989 780 Turbo Coupe is a rare example built for Canada—one of 277 non-U.S.-spec models leaving the Bertone plant that year, and of 364 ever sold in that country—now available through Hemmings Motor News classifieds, and it looks to be a beautifully preserved example.

This one-owner car, painted in 780 Turbo's signature Red Pearl Metallic hue, has traveled 199,800 kilometers, or 124,000 miles. It appears to be in stock condition, save for the addition of a modern aftermarket CD stereo.

From the seller's description:

This vehicle is original, rust free, fully functional and still driven. Generally the vehicle is in good, original condition inside & out - please contact for full suite of pictures. To be brought to excellent condition will require some minor repairs & touch-ups - please contact for full list. The service history and more vehicle details are also available upon request. The car has all of its original books and documents, including the signed dealer pre-delivery inspection form.

1989 Volvo 780