The 8th annual Art of Speed Festival took place over the weekend and it featured some of the best cars and bikes in the country. Here’s a compilation of the best wagons at the show.
Volvo 245DL
Without a doubt this 245DL in pristine stock condition was my personal favourite. I think the ride height and rims might be the only visible modification as they appear to be of a larger size (maybe 16-17″) and have a more modern design. One might expect to see rims of the sort during the re-Volvolution period. But they’re still OEM-looking wheels and give the wagon a smart appearance.
Most Malaysians would have encountered 200-series Volvos in their lives before, but the wagon variants are pretty rare in Malaysia. The 245DL was powered by a B21 2.1L carburetted petrol engine.
Despite being a rarer body type than the sedans most of us see, the DL is actually a lower trim level than the GL and GLE trim lines we normally see on more common 200-series sedans.
Ford Cortina Mk3
This Ford Cortina Mark 3 estate in white was also spectacular to behold. And just like the Volvo 245DL, the only visible modifications were the ride height and rims. That being said, the wheels here do have a much more aftermarket, deep-dish look and chrome arches.
Being unfamiliar with Cortinas, we had to look at the headlights to determine which generation this was as the Mk3 and Mk4 models look very similar. As the turn signals don’t curve around to the sides, it’s safe to say this is a 3rd gen model.
Volvo Amazon Wagon
Moving back into Swedish territory, we find a station wagon variant of the Amazon. 73,000 of these were made between 1962 and 1969. This particular unit looked like it just rolled out of the factory.
The tailgate was a two-piece affair and the license plate could be adjusted for use even with the rear half of the tail gate lowered.
Morris MINI Traveller MK1
This Morris MINI Traveller was also known as the Austin Mini Countryman. Today, BMW Group’s MINI continues the tradition of the barn-style doors on the Clubman, while using a standard liftgate on the crossover Mini Countryman. But these original Traveller and Countryman models were replaced by the MINI Clubman in 1969, and the wagon versions of that was called the Clubman estate. Now we can’t blame BMW for ironing out the nomenclature.
Toyota Corolla E70 Wagon
This one wasn’t a show car, but it did catch our attention outside the halls.