11. Stuart Kuy – 1996 Volvo 850 T5

It was back in 1994 when Volvo’s estate car racers first appeared in the British Touring Car Championship, and with Rickard Rydell and Jan Lammers at the wheel they provided plenty of entertainment. Having been lucky enough to see the unusual racers in action it would inspire Stuart to buy an 850 of his own.

He found the perfect car in December 2022, and says that was when his dream turned into reality. “I found it for sale on an internet auction site and although it was almost two hundred miles away that didn’t matter at all. Although there was snow on the ground I couldn’t wait to start the journey home.”

he owner explains that the drive home was a chance to start planning the restoration that would see his practical Volvo emulate those famous racing machines. The result is certainly impressive and the first job to be done was getting the big estate car resprayed in white; the famous livery would come later.

There were also some choice mechanical upgrades, including Brembo brakes and Koni dampers but then attention could return to the bodywork. A broken rear window delayed the project while a replacement was sourced, but with the eye-catching graphics applied Stuart says his dream car was complete.

It would take almost a year to transform the boxy Volvo into something rather more special, and with the car now finished it’s proud owner plans to attend plenty of shows where it’s sure to attract lots of attention.

It isn’t just the looks that impress. Launched in 1993, the T5 was fitted with a turbocharged 2.3-litre engine producing 222bhp so there’s ample performance on tap with 0-62mph taking a rapid 7.3 seconds. Stuart is certainly guaranteed a lot of entertainment.