‘P999 SAA’ is a turquoise Volvo 850 T-5 that left Sweden in 1995, going first to a retired ambulance driver (hence the numberplate) and then into his nephew’s care when he passed away.

The seller and his brother bought it from the nephew around ten years ago when it had just 13,000 miles on the odometer.

They’ve since added another 2,500, almost all of which were racked up during three trips to France.

There are notes on file to say it was never used on “bad roads” or during the winter and was always kept garaged.

Beautifully curated, it is so original that the rear tyres are still the ones it left the factory with.

The T5’s shutlines are still factory-perfect, the panel alignment shows why Volvo became a byword for engineering excellence, and the protective mouldings on the bumpers and along the car’s (remarkably straight) flanks are still virtually unmarked.

The lamp lenses are free of cracks and chips, the chrome radiator grille is shiny and free of tarnishing, the glazing is ...