A curious question: What does GLT mean?

[Nanoimprint]

Everybody knows for 850 series, there are GLT, base and Turbo... feel curious that what the meaning of "GLT" represents (short name for what?). Is there any history or story about that name?
Thx.

[MadeInJapan]

I always thought, "Grand Luxury Touring," but it could as well mean "Good little turbo." From '97 on, all 850 GLT's have the low pressure turbo...for years before this, GLT's didn't have a turbo, so....

[billofdurham]

Having brushed the dust out of my beard and engaged the brain (getting hard to do now), I thought back to the old days and came up with this:
L was Luxe.
DL was DeLuxe.
GL was GrandLuxe.
GT was GrandTouring.
GLT was GrandLuxeTouring.

This was not specific to Volvo. VW, Ford and Vauxhall (GM) and others used the same.

Then someone screwed it up by putting diesel engines in cars and using D after the model name. That caused a lot of confusion in the UK when people were buying a used ......DL and filling it with diesel. Big money to clean it out.

Some other meanings which could apply to our Volvos:

Global Leadership Team; Guided Light Transit.

I like a good ramble from time to time. My wife reckons it's senility setting in.

Bill.

[Nanoimprint]

Sounds interesting...thx

Having brushed the dust out of my beard and engaged the brain (getting hard to do now), I thought back to the old days and came up with this:
L was Luxe.
DL was DeLuxe.
GL was GrandLuxe.
GT was GrandTouring.
GLT was GrandLuxeTouring.

This was not specific to Volvo. VW, Ford and Vauxhall (GM) and others used the same.

Then someone screwed it up by putting diesel engines in cars and using D after the model name. That caused a lot of confusion in the UK when people were buying a used ......DL and filling it with diesel. Big money to clean it out.

Some other meanings which could apply to our Volvos:

Global Leadership Team; Guided Light Transit.

I like a good ramble from time to time. My wife reckons it's senility setting in.

Bill.

[CarVolvo]

i always thought the L was for limited.

luxury suits the car better though!


I dont think they add GLT anymore because it might mean...

GO LEXUS TODAY

[SwedeRacer]

GLT=GREAT LASTING TRANSPORTATION!!

[larryh]

ok then... what does the R in v70R stand for?

[MadeInJapan]

ok then... what does the R in v70R stand for?

Racing?

[volvrow]

I would imagine racing...but what does 850 stand for? I know it is part of the serial number.

[zenmervolt]

I would imagine racing...but what does 850 stand for? I know it is part of the serial number.

It's Volvo's old numbering system.

The system used to be series, cylinders, doors.

For example:

244 DL = 2 Series, 4-cylinder, 4 door, DeLuxe
265 GL = 2 Series, 6-cylinder, 5 door (wagon), Grand Luxe

In the mid 1980's Volvo dropped the last number and started ending all the model names with 0's because people were mistaking the 244 as being a lower model than the 245, and generally not understanding the system, so both they 245 and 244 became the 240.

The 850 then is an 8 Series, 5-cylinder car. I believe that the factory designations were still 854 and 855 for the sedan and wagon respectively.

(Note that these "rules" were not always followed. For example, the 780 had either a turbo 4-cylinder or a V6, and the 760 turbo cars used a turbo 4-cylinder, so it's not hard and fast, but it usually is correct.)