Advance notice - Volvo 850 T5-R from Otto Mobile

The 850 has many fans, it represents the Volvo brand like no other model. Jan Wilsgaard's design is timeless and ages with dignity, if at all. Otto Mobile has now announced a 1:18 miniature of the Volvo 850 T5-R. The top model of the series, which was originally supposed to come onto the market as the 850 Plus 5.

Volvo 850 T5-R from Otto Mobile

Volvo 850 T5-R from Otto Mobile

The 850 was the big hit at Volvo and there is always a bit of Trollhättan in it. Parts of the team that put the 9000 on its wheels then switched to the bigger brand in Gothenburg. At Saab, they had to nibble on the 850 and its qualities tremendously. I still like the Volvo today. Its design is Scandinavian strict and makes it unmistakable. The in-line engine with the five cylinders conjures up a nice sound, and the T5-R really gets going.

The T5-R is something of the answer to the 9000 Aero. Its turbo pushes 225 hp and 330 Nm from the 2,3 liter engine. With overboost it even gets 240 hp. A package made of Swedish steel that is fun. The 850 T5-R is loved by fans and some of it is sold dearly. Because prices have only gone one way in recent years. That led steadily upwards.

Otto Mobile, model car specialist for miniatures on a scale of 1:18, has announced the Volvo 850 T5-R for June 2021. The French provider's sales model is special, but very successful. Otto Mobile always produces limited editions that are only available for a short period of time. Often the entire contingent is already sold in the pre-order phase, traditional specialist retailers are left out.

Speculation and Limitation

But the prices are comparatively low. Unfortunately, it is not manufactured in France, but in its own factory in China. The quality offered is good, the models are often limited to a maximum of 2 units per customer, which has led to an interesting development.

Sold out miniatures can usually be found on the well-known platforms with a hefty surcharge, and the specialist trade also plays a role here. A little speculation for model car enthusiasts that should almost always work. The miniature of the Saab 900, which was reissued last year, is more than 100% above the price at the time, and an even higher premium is often requested.

The order books for the Volvo 850 T5-R opens Manufacturers in April, a quick order history is certain. Another highlight this year for fans of Swedish driving culture.

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Volvoab Driver
Volvoab Driver
3 years earlier

Because it was just a marginal topic here:

The 850 was also Volvo's farewell to the small tropic ...
The Gothenburgers celebrated that with their predecessors and smeared it on the bread of the competition. Very powerful.
I remember brochures (240), they devoted entire pages to the small tropic.
And for the US market, elaborate clips were shot with the 140, in which road cruisers and large estates suffered and caused a lot of damage, before nimble and agile Volvos drove into the picture and easily mastered the same situation in time-lapse. The cheeky clips (in fact, time-lapse was used again and again) can be found on the DuRöhre.

You could say that Saab made school in Sweden - the 9K and its drive concept were the inspiration for the 850. For Volvo it was a big step forward, the 850 a big success.

From now on, Volvo preferred to remain silent only about the turning circle. As before and at the same time also Saab. In my 9K brochures it is specified as 10,9 m. However, with a footnote, so to speak. In the thin print it says “(track circle)”. Ergo you have to add the vehicle width if you want to get to the true turning circle.

Isn't that bad, even after this simple mental calculation, this roughly corresponds to a current car of this size with front or all-wheel drive. Nevertheless, at that time (1992 and 95) they did not dare to publish it openly and honestly. The sting that Gothenburg had set with around 3 m less in the era of its rear-wheel drive in Trollhättan was apparently deep.

The 850 must have been a great satisfaction for the Saab engineers. It is like an admission and admission of Gothenburg's achievements and concepts
Trollhättans. It's a shame, a shame, a shame that Saab never made a profit from it.

When I think of Volvo's cheeky campaigns in the UK or the USA, Saab should have countered the 850 just as cheekily. For example like this: "Saab teaches Volvo!"

Sounds good, right?