I have one quick question about the last year of the 850 designation, 1997. Why did Volvo start producing the MY '97 cars so early and then terminate production in the early part of the calendar year? While I was car-hunting recently, I came across a couple of '97 850 GLTs, T-5s, and Rs at a local dealership. They all had build dates as early as 5/96 and as late as 2/97. I could tell what year they were because of the square tip of the tailpipe from the back.