MEET THE OWNER – STEVE HAIGH AND HIS INVAULABLE 1980 VOLVO 244DL

In the early 1980s, taking delivery of a new car was arguably even more of an event than it is today. Forty-two years ago, Steve Haigh’s grandfather acquired the latest Volvo 244DL from Olaf Olsen’s dealership in Wakefield, and it will soon take part in a significant family event. As Steve explains:

"The 244 towed my nan and grandad's caravan all over Europe; I have photos of the car in the Swiss Alps and many more places. Grandad died when he was 70, and I was 12 when I inherited his Volvo, as I had always loved it. I spent my teenage years learning more about cars, and when I was 17, after a year of driving, it suffered its first small bump. I could not afford to fix it, so, like any foolish teenager, I stripped it to a bare shell because I wanted a project. Every nut and bolt came off, and I decided I wanted to paint it orange" - I am now a painter by trade because of this experience!

However, a decade later, Steve had a change of heart regarding the colour scheme. “The 244 had still not been back on the road at this point, and I realised I’d lost the love for it because no matter the colour, it would always be my Grandad’s blue Volvo to me, so I decided to restore it back to its original look”.

Steve has also fitted an overdrive and last week finally insured the mighty vehicle, which now goes by the appropriate name of ‘Thor’.

As for his plans – “I haven’t finished yet, and there were a couple of unexpected flaws. It is slower than I remember (but back then, I had only driven Thor, I now have another 244 that has got a turbo engine swap and 250bhp, so I am used to faster cars these days). In terms of pride or sense of achievement, it felt good to be driving it again”.

Steve has restored a priceless artefact of family history. Naturally, every detail of Thor is enough to cause a nostalgia overload in any Volvo enthusiast, from the square headlamps to the ‘Fasten Seat Belts’ warning in the centre of the dashboard. But this is more than a stunning example of a 244DL, for it is part of an ongoing story - it will be a wedding car in seven weeks. This car really is a part of the family – making it a highly invaluable machine.

However, it is not the only Volvo in the Haigh fleet, as he also owns a 164 – but that is another story…

With Thanks To – Steve Haigh