The Volvo C70, a two-door manufactured by Volvo Cars, has been available from 1997-2002my as both convertible and coupé, from 2003-2005my as a convertible, and from 2006my as a retractable hardtop.

Volvo introduced the first generation C70 as a 1997 model in Europe, and as a 1998 model in North America — with both low-pressure and high-pressure, 5-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engines and manual and automatic transmissions. Peter Horbury designed the exterior and Mexican designer Jose Diaz de la Vega led the interior design team.

In a development program of 30 months and working with a Volvo 850-derived platform, Britain’s TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) co-designed the car's basic design and suspension tuning with Volvo. The two companies later experienced contract disputes and threatened shutdowns of the Uddevalla factory; TWR did not contribute to the second generation C70.

Volvo's first modern convertible, the C70 was manufactured in Uddevalla, Sweden on a separate assembly line from the 70-series sedan and station wagon. The four-seater convertible featured an electrically-heated glass rear window, automatic (pop-up) rollover hoops, seat belt pre-tensioners, boron steel reinforced A-pillers, front and side airbags, and a safety cage — a horseshoe like structure around the passenger compartment.

The cloth convertible top, initially available in four colors, was fully automatic, operated by a single, dashboard-mounted button. The top stored under a rigid tonneau cover in a system pioneered in the fourth generation Mercedes SL.

The C70 convertible exhibited two negative traits endemic to convertibles: poor rear visibility and pronounced skuttle shake, a characteristic wherby the structural design of the bulkhead between engine and passenger compartment of a convertible suffers sufficiently poor rigidity to negatively impact ride and handling — and to allow noticable vibration, shudder or chassis-flexing into the passenger compartment.

An early special editions featured two-tone leather interior, SC-901 (1998) Dolby Pro Logic I stereo with 3-disc integrated changer unit (via a cartridge) 500 watts of power and 12 high end Dynaudio speakers.

The C70 was introduced to the press in a signature color (saffron orange metallic) and for the debut marketing, the 1997 movie The Saint featured a C70 — recalling the notable connection of the Volvo P1800 and the TV series from the early 1960's, The Saint with Roger Moore as Simon Templar.

The new C70 model was launched on 13 April 2006, sharing the Volvo P1 platform, designed by John Kinsey and built by Pininfarina Sverige AB. The three-piece retractable hardtop raises or lowers in under 30 seconds and replaces both the convertible and the coupé, the latter which had been absent from Volvo's lineup since 2003. The C70 will be offered with a normally-aspirated gasoline engine, as well as diesel engines with variable geometry turbocharger and common-rail direct injection.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States recently conducted its first crash tests of several convertibles and designated the C70 a "Top Safety Pick".

Safety systems include a door-mounted side impact protection inflatable which inflates upward when activated. The curtain has an extra stiff construction with double rows of slats that are slightly offset from each other. This allows them to remain upright and offer effective head protection even with the window open. The curtain also deflates slowly to provide protection should the car roll over. This is a unique solution in the automotive world.

The C70 retractable hardtop also features a roll over protection structure (ROPS) with two pyrotechnically charged roll hoops hidden behind the rear seats that deploy under roll-over conditions whether the roof is retracted or not.

View also:
Volvo S60 - Volvo V50 - Volvo S40 - Volvo C30

Volvo XC60 - Volvo 3CC - Volvo Caresto

Volvo Classic - Volvo S70 - Volvo S80 - Volvo T6 Roadster

Volvo V70 - Volvo XC70 - Volvo XC90

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