Volvo 740 that belonged to Paul Newman (Bring a Trailer)
Paul Newman (Photo: AP, Robert Gabriel)
Paul Newman (1925-2008) was an actor and director, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
He starred in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", "Kid and Cassidy" and "The Colors of Silver" for which he also won an Oscar, and of course in "Exodus", about the immigration and the struggle for Israel's independence.
But besides movies, the actor of Jewish origin had another passion: motor sports.
In the 1970s and 1980s, he competed on the track in a Triumph TR6 and a Nissan 280SX and even scored victories.
In 1979 he was even one of three Porsche 935 drivers to finish third in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
So it's no surprise that his private car wasn't some boring American, or fancy European.
Auction house Bring a Trailer is now offering a Volvo 740 station wagon that belonged to Newman.
What's a solid Swedish car and a Hollywood star?
Swedish with an American engine (Photo: Bring a Trailer)
It turns out that the car is also unusual.
The Volvo, a 1988 model, is not exactly standard: Newman had its original engine replaced by a reputable workshop with one from a Buick Grand National, one of the prized muscle cars of the 1980s.
A 6-cylinder, 3,800 cc puzzle, with a turbocharger and fuel injection, and a modest power of 320 hp that replaced the original 2,300 cc 150 hp engine.
The Grand National originally had 250 hp, and the engine in Newman's car was reprogrammed to improve power. The new engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, from a Pontiac Firebird. The car has also been lowered
but looks pretty much the same as a stock 740 on the outside, including an original sunroof. Newman He was probably happy with the result, but it lacked a bit of power. The next car was a Volvo 960 station wagon, which had a V8 engine transplant. The
Volvo's auction price is now $250,000. It will end in three days.
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