IN THE late 1960s and early 1970s there were some very tasty six-cylinder cars to be had, not the least of which was the hunky and powerful Volvo 164 which was hungry for a slice of the Jaguar market.
But as things worked out it proved not quite up to the mark in style over outpacing Jaguar and Mercedes but was an excellent alternative to cars like Britain's Wolseley 6/110 which bowed out in the late 1960s.
The 164 was a longer wheelbase version of the much praised 140 series and made an excellent job of broadening Volvo's appeal in Britain which was being held back by the absence of a big six.
Under the bonnet was a robust three-litre seven bearing engine which provided plenty of oomph to propel this hefty car up to a maximum of 120 mph in the car's later 175bhp fuel injected form.
Volvo built around 150,000 examples before production ended in 1975 and features included a faux wood dashboard, and an optional leather interior.
The 164 represented Volvo's first venture into the luxury segment since the demise of the PV60 in 1950 and the step onto the luxury ladder was difficult due to the number of established marques.
The first grain of an idea of creating a large Volvo came about in the 1950s when designer Jan Wilsgaard penned a V8 concept which became too expensive because the home market was not large enough. Interestingly it had coachwork inspired by the Wolseley 6/99.
And so the 164 was conceived and it became a popular car in the UK. I remember doing a road test in one in the early 1970s and thoroughly enjoyed this Swedish slant on big car driving.
It was only ever offered as a 4-door saloon but there was the start of a demand for a large estate and because of this several private parties constructed estate versions.
On the road I remember this majestic Volvo to be something of a travelling gym.
A strange comparison you might think, but without the optional power steering you very soon began to tone up those muscles when trying to manoeuvre it in and out of tight spaces.
A Daimler 250 V8 without power steering was hard work but this massive Volvo was something else.
The 164 has established an amazing fan-base and I can understand why.
Despite early problems with fuel injection and heavy fuel consumption the cars that were sold in Britain rapidly endeared themselves to their owners as big, tough motors that rarely let you down.