A unique race car built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) is up for grabs in the UK right now. It’s a Volvo 850 estate that underwent two body transformations before arriving at its current state. There’s no set price, meaning you can make your own offer.
Only three such wagons left the TWR garage back in 1994. The first two were intended for racing, while the example seen here was originally envisioned as a backup car. Despite this, it ended up actively used throughout the British Touring Car Championship of that year, piloted by Swedish pro driver Rickard Rydell.
Power for the racing wagon came from a 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated five-cylinder engine tuned to around 290 PS (286 hp / 214 kW). A six-speed sequential gearbox sent the momentum to the front wheels.
Soon after its debut, a revision of the BTCC regulations left the Volvo 850 TWR stranded. A new rule was introduced that mandated rear wings to be installed below roof level. While entirely fine for most tourers, it proved to be a dealbreaker for the wagon.
To get the car ready for the next year’s season, TWR cut its rear body and turned it into an improvised sedan. It ended up used for marketing purposes, prototyping and tests, but never returned to the track.
In 2017, a new owner purchased the sedan and immediately went to TWR to have it rebuilt as a wagon once again. The company obliged, and conducted a full restoration of the car while at it. The seller, Duncan Hamilton ROFGO, points out that it’s the only Volvo 850 TWR currently available for sale and the only one in history to have its body type changed twice.