Considered by many to be Volvo's most iconic model, the P1800, a strong Italian-inspired coupé created by Swedish designer Pelle Petterson, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year (2021).
Its history thus goes back to 1961, the year in which the elegant Swedish coupé was launched, but with a definitely British “rib”. This is because, at the time, Volvo was not able to produce this P1800 by its own means.
Therefore, the production of this model during its first years of life was carried out in the United Kingdom, with the chassis being produced in Scotland and assembled in England.
And it went on like this until 1963, when Volvo managed to take the P1800 assembly home to Gothenburg, Sweden. Six years later, in 1969, he transferred chassis production to Olofström, also in that northern European country.
Based on the platform that served as the basis for the Volvo 121/122S, the P1800 had a 1.8 liter four-cylinder engine — called the B18 — which initially produced 100 hp. Later the power would rise to 108 hp, 115 hp and 120 hp.
But the P1800 did not stop with the B18, whose capacity in cubic centimeters, 1800 cm3, gave it its name. In 1968, the B18 was replaced by the larger B20, with 2000 cm3 and 118 hp, but the name of the coupé was not changed.
Production ended in 1973
If the coupé enchanted, in 1971 Volvo surprised everyone and everything with a new variant of the P1800, the ES, which featured a completely new rear design.
Compared to the “conventional” P1800, the differences are obvious: the roof was extended horizontally and the profile started to resemble that of a shooting brake, which offered a greater load capacity. It was produced for just two years, between 1972 and 1973, and found great success on the other side of the Atlantic.
With the end of the cycle of this P1800 ES version, the production of this historic car would also come to an end. The reasons? Interestingly, related to a topic dear to Volvo, safety.
New, more demanding rules in the North American market would force extensive and costly modifications, as Volvo itself explains: “The stricter safety requirements in the North American market would make its manufacture too expensive to try to comply with”.
World exhibition in the series “The Saint”
The Volvo P1800 would gain strong international recognition, becoming a star on the “small screen” thanks to the TV series “The Saint”, which caused a stir in the 1960s.
Decorated in pearl white, the P1800 S used in the series was the car of the series' main character, Simon Templar, starring the late Roger Moore.
Produced at the Volvo factory in Torslanda, in Gothenburg (Sweden), in November 1966, this P1800 S came equipped with “Minilite wheels, Hella fog lamps and a wooden steering wheel”.
Inside, it also showed some exclusive details, such as a thermometer on the dashboard and a fan located in the cabin, which served to cool off the actors during filming.
Off screen and off camera, Roger Moore actually became the first owner of this model. Its London license plate, “NUV 648E”, was registered on 20 January 1967.
In the series "The Saint", the car had the number plates "ST 1" and made its debut in the episode "A Double in Diamonds", filmed in February 1967. It would be driven by the main character until the end of the series in 1969 .
Roger Moore would eventually sell this model years later to actor Martin Benson, who preserved it a few years before selling it again. It is currently owned by Volvo Cars.
More than 5 million kilometers…
If you've made it this far, you've probably already figured out why this P1800 is so special. But we've left the best story of this Swedish classic for last.
Irv Gordon, an American science professor who passed away three years ago, entered the Guinness Book of World Records in his red Volvo P1800 after setting the world record for the longest distance traveled by a single owner in a non-commercial vehicle.
Between 1966 and 2018, this Volvo P1800 — which still retains its original engine and gearbox — “has covered more than five million kilometers (…) over a distance of more than 127 laps around the world or six trips to the moon”.