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CDA
March 28, 2023
A 1988 Volvo 740 Turbo used by Paul Newman as a family car and which had its engine changed to double its power, for sale.
Paul Newman, apart from being known for being one of the great actors of the 20th century, is also ffamous for his love of cars and motor racing. Now, one of the cars that were part of his garage is going up for auction through the Bring a Trailer website.
It is a high-performance wagon from the 80s. Exactly, a Volvo 740 Turbo from 1988, which the legendary actor bought new. This “square”-looking family member doesn’t seem like the most logical choice for a car racing lover, like Newman was, although when you discover that it is a modified version in which its performance has been increased, things change.
Newman had the engine changed and doubled the power of the car
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Mind you, Newman used it primarily as a family car for his wife and kids, but wanted to give it a “spicy” touch to make it more attractive to drive. The 740 left the factory with a turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four engine capable of developing 150 hp.
Actors passionate about car racing: from Paul Newman to Eric Bana
However, Newman had the engine changed by a 3.6-liter turbocharged V6 of Buick origin, which used the Grand National, one of the fastest American cars of the time. Mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, sourced from a Pontiac Firebird, the engine more than doubled power to a staggering 320 hp.
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The powertrain wasn’t the only aspect of the 740 that Newman tweaked. He also wears a slight aerodynamic kit and the height has been lowered to the ground a bit. Finish is gunmetal gray, the interior is black leather, and it rides on a set of 16-inch five-spoke Gemini wheels with BFGoodrich g-Force Comp-2 all-season tires.
Newman’s 740 Turbo is up for auction and at the time of writing these lines had a maximum bid of $25,000 (€23,400), a more than good price for a very attractive car, for benefits, and practical that, in addition, was owned by a famous actor like Paul Newman.
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