Hello- I was just wondering why I sometimes see '96 850s that have a build date as early as 6/95 when they were actually produced as '96 models. I can tell that a major difference between 1995 and 1996 850s is in the inside, where the switch labeled "LOCK" (for power locks) is located to the right of the headlight switch. That can obviously be found in '96 cars, and never '95s.

The latest '95 models I've personally seen have build dates of 5/95. Once they go to, say, 6/95 through 8/95, I definitely can tell it's a '96. I always thought about why Volvo Cars decided to start the 1996 model year early...maybe it's because they wanted to install OBD-II wiring in the 850 series. I have noticed that the company has been starting model years really early in recent times. For example, the '04 models started production in March of 2003, while the '06 models began in May 2005 (same as aforementioned '96 models). To me, it's a phenomena I can't explain. (lol)