February 2004 saw the purchase of a near mint Celebration model with very low mileage (42700 when bought). For those that don't know, the Celebration models were a limited edition run of only 480 UK spec cars (there was another run of only 480, which were called "collections" rather than celebrations and these were sold in Germany) which generally had more of the options fitted as standard, such as the full leather interior etc. My car is #191/480.
Every aspect of this car seems new, it drives like a new car, it looks like a new car! :D - The only thing that makes this near mint, are 2 small scuffs on the rear arches, but this was well compensated for in the price!
The car has the 2.0l engine under the bonnet, and has a lot of toys inside, such as full leather interior, air conditioning, digital clock, oil pressure, 6 CD multi changer and roller boot cover! Some of these are very sought after ;-)
Unfortunately I had to make the decision to sell the celebration in preparation for the turbo coming home; I was going to build a second garage to keep it in, but this never happened. I also needed a more practical car, so I sold the Celeb in December 2004 to another 480 enthusiast from the 480 Club Europe (www.volvo480wales.com) - a gut wrenching decision, but I couldnt keep it outside in the weather and watch her near-mintness slowly disappear. It will be fondly remembered, and this page will remain as part my 480 owning history. The practical car I bought is a Volvo V40 T4.
