I saw this on an e-bay auction and wa just curious if something is wrong with this picture...it's a 1998 S70..which was built 12/1996 ...is this common?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2470592184&category=6462

that seems like a contradiction...

anyway...the vin number indicates ur car was designated a 1998 car and was built in sweden at the torslanda factory. it should also be a t5 with the motronic 4.4, which is also indicative of a 1998 car. 1997 t5/r cars have motronic 4.3 and 1999 cars have me7..

vin number checks out to be 1998... just the 12/96 date may have been the date they started building it? donno...

My 98 T5 purchased in April 1997 has a 1/97 build date. So 12/96
seems valid.

Yes, that's probably correct. I bought a 1998 V70 in April of 1997, so considering the shipment to North America by ship, my car was likely produced early in 1997 or earlier. Volvo wanted to release the new 70 series early to likely get a jump on the competition. Back in the 60's, I think Ford introduced the Mustang as the 1964 1/2, so rather than wait until the traditional mid-September launch, used this technique to introduce a new model - same game by another name.
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Cam a.k.a. CVOLVO.COM

Yes, common. I have a "2001" S80 purchased new in July of 2001, but manufactured in September of 1999. I think if Volvo builds more cars than Dealers actually order within a model year, they assign a new VIN and voila! . . . they become new cars all over again. This practice also reduces the number of "leftovers", which have to be sold at discount prices. I can see where the VIN was altered in the engine compartment.

This is Levi's problem in reverse. I was going to add that in June 2001 I visited the Torslanda assembly plant. Volvo was already making the newly designed V70 in the Java Pearl that I bought the next spring. As you may be aware, Sweden virtually shuts down during the month of July and my visit was just before their Midsummer holiday at the end of June. The point I wanted to mention is that despite the high degree of quality control, during body assembly, painting and final assembly, some cars don't make it "out the door". There is a test track inside the Torslanda plant and if a car fails the final inspection, then it is yanked, then probably repaired by hand, which may explain the late production date on your S80. Nothing to worry about, but I thought I'd respond to your experience.

Ironically, Ford in Canada is advertising a new van or truck and calling it a 2005, so history does repeat itself.
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Cam a.k.a. CVOLVO.COM