The retro Volvo everyone forgot could be the best one to buy now
AFTER years of declining sales, Volvo is on a massive upswing.
This week it will open a new plant in South Carolina, completing a global trifecta of having manufacturing bases in China, Europe, and North America; by the end of 2018 the company will have introduced nine new models since 2012, replacing its entire product line-up from those dismal times when it was owned by Ford Motor Co. Profits reached a record US$ 1.76 billion last year.
Then again, Volvo (now owned by China’s Geely Holding Group) has stood the test of time for nearly 100 years.
There’s a reason the company has maintained its sterling, if staid, reputation since it first debuted the OV 4 in 1927: Safety and reliable Swedish design has always been paramount, coming before even performance and efficiency.
Take the 1800ES station wagon-type, which - with its oblong body and humble mienseems to exude safety over performance just standing there. While it’s the lesser-known sibling of the stylish P1800 coupe, it remains one of the most affordable and reliable vintage cars on today’s market.
Volvo introduced the 1800ES in 1972 as the final instalment of the famous P1800 line. You may remember its predecessor, the P1800 coupe, which was made famous in “The Saint,” the TV show Roger Moore starred in before he became Bond. Volvo marketed that little two- door as a stylish touring car for jet- set types and suave singles.
The 1800ES is not that car. It was made just as the P1800 was being phased out, and it’s far weirder looking and squarer than its sibling. What’s more, it has none of the hype that vintage Porsches, old BMWs, and - to a lesser extent - classic Alfa Romeos, do at this moment.
That makes it all the more endearing.
Volvo made fewer than 8,100 of them in total, selling them for just two years in Europe and North America and discontinuing them after 1973, as stricter US safety and emissions standards loomed. The four round headlights alongside the long, ovoid grille, smooth hood, and sleek body style embodied the values of Swedish design at the time. Inside were wide, bouncy seats, thick, black control knobs, and a curved wooden dashboard that all signalled durability.
As you might expect, driving the 1800ES will not take your breath away. The 1800ES was designed for safe, suburban familial transportation, In those days, that translated into vague steering, soft brakes, and a heaviness of handling that can be felt, in general, at every turn.
You can find running, drivable examples for a fraction of the price of similarly cool-looking cars from the same era.
Most are four- speed manual variants, though there are some rare automatic options. An even-rarer find is one with air conditioning, though they exist.
Parts support for the 1800s remains solid, with a good selection of specialists across the US available to take competent care of owners. One note: While the engines are “nearly unburstable,” according to Hagerty, the bodies tend to rust.