“No rust ever” is a big deal when buying a vintage car; finding one with no rust that’s also been looked after to the point that it still presents like an example with half the mileage listed is quite another. This 1988 Volvo 240 GL sedan is an absolute stunner and rides on the optional OEM alloy wheels that help transform this stodgy sedan into a handsome Swedish brick. Mileage is listed as 104,000 which makes the condition as advertised even more impressive. Given how many of these were owned by professors and grandmothers, it’s not exactly shocking to find one in excellent shape. Check out the Volvo here on eBay where bidding has reached $4,500 with the reserve unmet.

The 240 is in the same class of vehicles as the Chevrolet Caprice wagon. Now, bear with me: I’m not talking about body configuration. I mean the class of appreciating modern collector cars that still aren’t worth a ton of money but are very clearly on the way up. An LT1-equipped Caprice is a real-deal collector vehicle that you should snatch up if you find one that is in good order and no one else knows about. The 240 is the same way: you can find cheap beaters all day long and, owing to its reliability, such a car should still perform adequately. But finding a survivor like this one? Well, that’s going to net you a much different sale price. I love the color scheme of this one, too.

Most of the time, 240s come in silver or white with gray cloth interiors. This one was clearly ordered as a higher-end model thanks to the aforementioned alloy wheels and the nicely-preserved black leather interior, shown here. They were conservative cars for conservative people and seeming the craziest you could get with the color palette was red with a black interior. This Volvo had a different existence thanks to the first owner clearly seeing their purchase as that of a borderline luxury car rather than a sensible choice for a man or woman who prioritized safety over driving dynamics.

The other benefit of owning such a car was the low cost of ownership. These were overbuilt machines and the drivetrains are still known for going the distance mileage-wise with relatively low costs of ownership, both in terms of maintenance needs and parts prices. The seller sounds like the kind of owner who snagged this clean 240 from the folks that kept it in such great shape over the years, but to their credit, they have addressed some deferred maintenance in the form of a timing belt service, oil and filter change, and new struts all around. As the saying goes, “If you find a better one, buy it.”