For Sale: 2003 Volvo V70 in Katwijk, Netherlands

Volvo V70 2.5 R, 2003. Three owners, 64,918 km.

Sweden, early 2000s. While the rest of the car world was busy designing ever-angrier saloons and coupes, a handful of gentlemen in Gothenburg were sitting on an entirely different plan. Take our most well-behaved, most sensible estate, the car beloved by the average country vet and the village headmaster, and drop in an engine that snaps the neck of every last shred of its modest credibility in one clean move. They called the result the R. One letter, that was all it needed.

It's a distinctly Swedish brand of understatement. Where a BMW M5 of the era still wanted to flex a little, with fat bumpers and menacing looks, Volvo carried on as if nothing was going on at all. Just look at it. Five doors, room for the dog, space for the entire IKEA catalogue in the back, and then that 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo sending 299 bhp to all four wheels. AWD, because this is Sweden, and over there they know that power without grip is a delightful way to end up backwards in a ditch.

That five-cylinder is the heart of the whole affair. While everyone else played it safe with a four or went posh with a six, Volvo stubbornly clung to that wonderfully contrary five. And rightly so, because the sound it makes is one you won't forget in a hurry. A growling, slightly asymmetric rattle that sits somewhere between a rally car and an irate raccoon. Open it up on the slip road onto the A44 and you'll hear exactly why enthusiasts treasure this engine. BWWROOOAAARR, with a wink.

The story continues on our website, where the full file is kept as well. 101 photographs including the underside. The service history, scanned in full. The Carfax report. Paint thickness measured panel by panel. A timeline from 17 May 2003 to today, with every owner and the mileage year by year in a single graph.

Every car here follows the same route: first pre-market, then the showroom, and finally the live auction on our own site. What changes is the way you buy, not the location - once a car has arrived, it stays with us in Katwijk. This one is in the showroom and you are welcome to come and see it, no appointment needed. You buy it here at a fixed price: no bidding, no waiting. Our showroom in Katwijk, 30 km from Amsterdam Schiphol, is open Mon-Fri 9-18 and Sat 10-17. Call ahead and it will be standing ready, with someone free for you.

Within the EU no customs duty arises on this purchase. Registration tax and registration costs in your own country are not included. We supply the export documents and assist with the registration. The price shown is the full price for collection in Katwijk. We arrange insured door-to-door transport worldwide, cost quoted per destination beforehand.

Prefer a different colour or specification than this example? Tell us what you are looking for - another Volvo we can often find through our network of marque specialists and collectors, outside the listings.

Our showroom measures 6,000 m�, with over 150 cars under one roof. HooG Selections, Katwijk, the Netherlands. Call or WhatsApp: +31 85 043 05 86.