Big rear‑wheel drive Volvos have an enviable reputation for both reliability and longevity.

This 1988 example is a GLE, denoting one of the more more luxurious and better‑equipped variants, and so comes with black leather interior to complement its metallic blue exterior.

Fitted with the 2.3‑litre ‘Red Block’ engine ‑ a non‑interference unit with its origins stretching back to the tough old 240 of the 1970s ‑ this example comes with working heated front seats and original dealer‑supplied hard tray mats and rigid boot liner.

The vendor tells us that the front fog lights are new, and all electric windows are working, as are the sunroof (albeit with a broken deflector hinge that needs to be pressed down manually before closing) and the petrol and temperature gauge (a common fault on 740s).

The MoT runs until October 2021; when tested, the car’s mileage was 169,651, it’s now 169,822.

There is a partial history in the service book (up to 159,705 miles, albeit with a gap from 81,087 mil...