VOLVO P1800
It was, quite literally, out-of-the-box thinking for this maker of square cars
Many builders of so-called responsible four-door family cars have also built their wild childs. The two-seat AMX from the American Motors Corporation was one. More recently there’s the Subaru BRZ, a two-door corner carver that’s diametrically opposed to other Subies such as the safe and sane Forester family car and the Outback wagon.
But perhaps there’s no wilder wild child than the Volvo P1800.
Normal Volvos were square, both in shape and cool factor, but the P1800 two-seat sport coupe rose to the top of the desirability charts where it remained for years.
Of course, it helped that this voluptuously skinned Volvo was prominently featured as the ride of choice for Roger Moore, who in the 1960s portrayed the suave and sophisticated Simon Templar on the TV show “The Saint.”
Over the course of eight seasons (and 118 episodes) from 1962-’69, Moore busted the bad guys and won the hearts of many a fair damsel while piloting his trusty Swedish steed. The popular program not only helped Volvo sell plenty of premium-priced coupes, but also helped build showroom traffic. There, prospective buyers were exposed to the company’s other products, including the humped-back PV544 coupe and the more practical 122-series (called the Amazon in Europe) two- and four-door sedans.
The P1800 was actually Volvo’s second crack at creating a sporty model. The company’s initial effort, dubbed the P1900, was brought out in 1956. However, production of the two-seat convertible was halted (after a mere 67 versions were made) due to quality concerns with the fiberglass body. For Volvo, it was back to the drawing board.
The next attempt led to the company taking a more conventional approach, employing an all-steel body with mechanical pieces borrowed from existing inventories. Physically, however, the P1800 looked more like an Italianbased 2+2 GT than something originating from somewhere north of Europe. Its egg-crate grille proudly protruded from an elongated front deck and the car’s slab sides ended in the rear with more than a hint of tailfin. The P1800 also featured higher-than-normal doors that, combined with a low greenhouse, wrapped its occupants in a cocoon-like cockpit.
Being a Volvo, the P1800 naturally came with a strong dose of practicality. The car was blessed with a rock-solid structure, a Volvo tradition since the company’s first motorcar — nicknamed the Jakob — rolled out of the company’s Gothenburg plant in 1927. Then there was the P1800’s drivetrain, featuring the stout 100-horsepower 1.8-litre fourcylinder engine that also saw service in Volvo sedans. It was coupled to a tough and smooth-shifting four-speed manual transmission.
The initial run of 6,000 right-handdrive P1800s (Swedes drove on the left until 1967) was assembled in England from late 1961-’63 by Jensen, a lowvolume auto manufacturer that later became famous for its Chrysler-V-8powered bubble-hatch Interceptor GT. By the end of that year, production was relocated to Sweden where both leftand right-hand-drive models were made.
The newly reconstituted P1800S also received an increase in horsepower to 108, an amount that grew to 115 by 1967.
The only inherent deficiency in the P1800 was its lack of raw power. That problem was partially corrected in 1969 when the engine’s displacement was increased to 2.0 litres with a corresponding increase in horsepower to 120 (118 in North America). The original engine’s carburetors were also replaced by Bosch fuel injection. The P1800E, as it was then called, was capable of zero-to-100 km/h bursts in less than 10 seconds.
The last of the P1800 series wrapped up in 1972, replaced by the stunning P1800ES estate. This was essentially a P1800E coupe with its original roof replaced by a station-wagon design. At the rear, the car’s unique liftgate was made entirely of glass. What the ES’s hatch might have lacked in privacy (and security), it more than made up for in rearward visibility and good looks. The wagon also delivered a more respectable 135 horsepower and there were headroom gains for back-seat riders who were previously forced to endure the cramped confines of the original’s 2+2 arrangement).
From 1973-’74, Volvo created 8,078 ES models in addition to the more than 39,000 P1800 coupes built before then. However, as with many North American imports, stricter emissions and safety regulations spelled doom for this sportiest of Swedes. Regardless, Volvo’s long-term strategy was to introduce more upscale and conservative products, and a sports car like the P1800 no longer fit with the corporate plan.
In its day, the P1800 not only provided Volvo with a welcomed sense of flair and high style, but also gave its lucky owners a thoroughly agreeable grand-touring machine. It might not have been the quickest car on the block, but it was beautiful, fun to drive, comfortable and thoroughly reliable.