In a sensational publicity coup, Volvo entered the British Touring Car Championship with the 850 Estate. Built, as all the Swedish make's Super Touring racers would be, by TWR, it allowed a learning year in the hotly competitive arena, with no outside expectations of race wins and a lot of attention wherever the team went.

Experienced Dutchman Jan Lammers, a Le Mans 24 Hours winner with the TWR Jaguar squad, was signed as lead driver, with Swedish single-seater ace Rydell as his back-up.

'I was a bit of an unknown in touring cars, but touring cars were unknown for me as well', remembers Rydell. 'I had never raced a front-wheel drive car. I was lucky because I struck up a good relationship with my engineer John Gentry [who would go on to design the 850 saloon racer and the early S40].

The Estate was perhaps not the best car, but it was the right thing to do at the time'.

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