The more I think about it, the more I really like the dark gray cloth interior on my '93 240... but it seems like I don't usually see that color on the 240's I see for sale out there. It's always tan and more tan and vinyl... Was gray just the least popular color out there or was it the blue? That tan has to be the toughest color to keep clean

Never gave it much thought before, Blue car, blue interior ...Never questioned it! Ours is the DL Vinyl and at 218,000 miles, 27 years in the So Cal sun parked outside, it looks better than any of our other cars. It did have dark tint up until last year, that probably helped, but except for the cracked dashboard, looks like new!

Blue on blue sounds good!

First black, then dark gray and finally tan. But it also depends on the exterior color. Black on black, black with dark gray and black with tan. I don't really care for the other colors although I do own an 89 240 blue on blue.

I agree on the black with tan interior. That is one color combination where I like the tan I think...

If a green, red, brown, or sometimes black 240/260, you'll see the tan/beige color. The tan/beige plastics went to hell if in a UV-rich environment at altitude. The beige/tan fades faster than the black or blue interiors and can become frail and crack and fracture more easily; certainly in very cold weather.

The black, blue, and several grey interior variations are the most durable and lasting in UV-rich environment.

The darker the plastics, the more durable.

Also, the same seems to hold true for the vinyls used as seat coverings in Volvo. Beige / tan goes first. But all go over time as vinyl fails along seams on the seat and seat back with recurring use, or if the supporting foam and structure are failing. (Tie up or replace those seat webs and seat-back lumbar supports for your comfort and seat longevity.)

Same is true for the glove leather, unless the leather-equipped-RWD-Volvo-owner cleans and hydrates the leather often. (Leather preservation best performed in hot weather.) The lighter the leather color, the shorter duty (life) cycle. Parking in a garage out of sunlight helps leather longevity.

On 240s and all RWD Volvos with the hide (not glove) leather seat cover, you really need to clean (once) and hydrate the leather with repeated application. Give it as much hydration and UV protecting treatment as the hide leather can soak up a lot over several applications in a short period, like several times in the hottest summer months. You can then use a clean cloth to wipe up any leather protectant-hydrating residues that come up and coat the patent leather surface.

Agreed on the cloth seat coverings as the best choice, yet more crap filters from above and into the foam under the cloth cover. The 1989 or so+ 240 tweed-velour like cloth seat coverings were really the most durable cloth, yet can suffer from the driver side butt slide when the driver enters and exits the driver seat a bazillion thymes.

The dark grey cloth is my fave. You can replace the cloth seat cover foam from passenger side eat cover foam from a salvage yard, gently wash the cloth seat cover, and stitch up failing seams from the inside of the cloth seat and cloth seat back cover. Do this while you replace and/or tie up the seat web and repair the seat back lumbar support, whether or not you are replacing the seat foam.

For cloth seat owners, it may behoove you to grab a few replacement matching cloth seat covers from your local Volvo-equipped salvage yard. Using a profession auto-upholstery service may be very expensive, even with cloth coverings.

The rear seat covers are not so easily removed from the seat and seat back whether a wagon or sedan. You can remove and wash the seat covering. You may want to remove the rear seat and seat back to mop up the crap the prior owner's children or rear seat occupants spilled, like lots of nasty dried soda and french fries. A clean Volvo smells better and does not attract so many insects.

You can swap, in part or while, the entire interior from the first era Volvo 240s (1976-1982 or so before the dash redesign was applied by Volvo AB). If you have a faded beige carpet, or any carpet interior, you can swap out carpet sections from the same model, by 240 era (small dash or post 82 or so large dash). You may want to power wash that carpet, inspect for rust, clean spilled biocrap, install or run stereo and other electrical wire harnesses from front to back (use protective sheathing where chafing may occur between tight areas and wire harness, and lay down or replace sound deadening matter).

I'd like to do that on my red (and white for not much longer 1990 240 DL wagon). A blue or black cloth interior, including the carpet. Unless you use your Volvo in a trades that hauls loads that leave residues behind. In that event, use heavy cardboard pieces or the heavy rubber rear cargo area trays you can get from Volvo (Tasca is best price) or from iPd or FCP Groton, I guess. I stick with cardboard. Change out the cardboard as it gets stained and deteriorates.

I'd like to install a blue or dark grey (or black, if it exists) grey cloth interior in the 1990 P245 DL li'l red Kombi (wagon). Well, well see.

The black leather interior on my dark verdigris (green) 1992 240 GL is okay. I've helped it by cleaning twice and hydrating the heck out of it. Some of the rear seat seams are open as the thread between the seat sections has pulled out. Just need to get a heavy enough needle and proper thread type to sew it back up.

I feel the interior colors on the early 240 and before were more creative. The bright reds and burgundy and sea greens you see.

I also really favor the exterior colors Volvo used in its paints. The pastoral and bucolic-quality yellows, greens, light blues. Sort of like Easter colors (there's a name for that quality in color and I forget the name.) We then had the had the very bold reds, blues, greys, tans, and browns, metallic or not, clear coat or not, from the late 1970s to the mid 1990s.

I think blues and greys are Volvos best colors continuously into the late 1990s/ Volvo also does black very well. At least the metallic paint and clear coat formulations improved while preserving the Volvo ethos of reduced environmental manufacturing impact spurred by the great Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson, Volvo's founders.

Now that Volvo Cars AB from Ford onward into Geely, these are luxury cars, only. They are no longer the true People's Car as VolksWagen would call it self. (Ever repair anything in a FWD Volkswagen from like the mid 1990s onward? Forget it, kid. Or load up on the band-aids. Ouch.)

Sorry, I'm practicing the QWERTY keyboard. Lack of use allows my dyslexia in, a bit. Dyslexia really is crap.

Hope that helps.

Volvo 240 FOREVER!

cheers and Happy Good Friday everybody!

Well Duffed MacDuffed
--
Dude, you have an excellent dark grey cloth interior in your 1992 Volvo 240 sedan!

Thanks for the great response! Have leather interior on my wife's V70 so some good tips here that will help me out for sure.

I had blue cloth on my 90 244. Looked great with the white exterior and wore like iron. I now have dark gray (smoke or almost black in color) leather in my 855. I am not crazy about leather, but the dark gray wears the best and looks the best of all Volvo leather interiors I have seen. IMHO - best color for leather. Tan interiors on Volvo's always seem to be trashed whether they are leather, vinyl or cloth. Cloth rules!

--
95 855 GLT Sportwagon 220k, 90 244 DL 300k+ - after 11 years has a new home

Yep I agree on the durability of cloth... mine still looks great! That's why I think I'd go for cloth again over vinyl interior but seems like the vinyl is what I see the most of out there.... Had one car one time with vinyl interior and definitely not my favorite choice of materials. Too sticky in summer!

Of my 4 volvo 240's three have had blue cloth interiors, and one was tan. I agree that the tan shows the most dirt quickly. The blue always makes me smile when I see one in pictures, I think because I know how difficult it can be to find. I have been looking for a blue Wagon middle seat for a while and have not been successful in getting a late pattern cloth seat. I have not had a charcoal interior yet, but admire the look especially when it is on a bright red body colored wagon.

The dark gray was common in late UK models -- I had one. It wears well. My personal preference is the blue. I dislike the drab interiors of almost all modern cars. Fiat seems to be one of the only manufacturers who still do some more cheery interior colors. But it's all a matter of personal taste.