Paul Newman was never typecast during his career, but he had a type when it came to cars.
The Hollywood legend and avid automobile racer owned a string of sedate-looking Volvo station wagons that he used as his daily drivers.
But they were just acting the part.
Newman owned a racing team and the crew modified the Volvos with high-performance engines as gifts, turning them into what’s known as “sleepers” that combine speed with stealth.
The 1998 Volvo V90 has a GM crate V8 similar to the engine in the Corvette. (RM Sotheby’s)
The 1998 V90 “Volvette” has a 6.0-liter V8, like the contemporary Chevrolet Corvette’s, with around 400 hp, more than twice that of the stock V90’s straight-six.
The car features a four-speed automatic transmission. (RM Sotheby’s)
It was also equipped with a GM four-speed automatic transmission to send power to the rear wheels and front suspension parts from a Porsche 911 to improve its handling.
Newman’s team affixed a plaque to the dashboard. (RM Sotheby’s)
A plaque affixed to the dashboard reads: To PLN. This Should Get You To The Grid On Time. From The Team.
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The pre-auction estimate for the car was just $20,000 to $25,000, but online bidding had already reached $40,000 at the time this story was published and is not scheduled to close until June 13.
