FOLOWUP-OK- while waiting for responses- I took the battery ground (negative)(Black)and removed it from the battery for about a minute- also I took the ground wires and moved them behind the battery, jiggled them and then back to the normal position on the side. I waited about a minute and reconnected the ground making sure it was tight. The car starts back up like nothing ever happened. Go figure!!! So the starter functions OK by virtue of the car starting.

It appears that the cable connections are HYPERSENSITIVE to Ground ( ground wire to the body).- and moving the cable and jiggling them caused a marginal connection to make ground.

Or, removing the ground reset some electrial connectoions and thus allowed the car to start.

I am going to take the 850 to my Volvo mechanic and replace the ground wire from the battery and resurface the conncetion to the body for a better ground.

This is absolutely crazy!!!-This intermittent problem has plauged this car for years. I wonder how many 850's have been sent on there way because this problem was never really been identified cleary.
850 in motion
JMM