Ithathwa abaningi njengemodeli egqame kakhulu yakwaVolvo, i-P1800, i-coupé eqinile yase-Italian eyakhiwe umklami waseSweden u-Pelle Petterson, igubha iminyaka engama-60 kulo nyaka (2021).
Ngakho-ke umlando wayo uhlehlela emuva ku-1961, unyaka lapho kwaqalwa khona i-coupe yaseSweden enhle, kodwa “ngombambo” lwaseBrithani. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi, ngaleso sikhathi, iVolvo yayingakwazi ukukhiqiza le P1800 ngendlela yayo.
Ngakho-ke, ukukhiqizwa kwalo modeli phakathi neminyaka yokuqala yokuphila kwenziwa e-United Kingdom, kanti i-chassis ikhiqizwa eScotland futhi yahlanganiswa eNgilandi.
Futhi kwaqhubeka kanje kwaze kwaba ngu-1963, lapho iVolvo ikwazile ukuyisa umhlangano weP1800 ekhaya eGothenburg, eSweden. Eminyakeni eyisithupha kamuva, ngo-1969, wadlulisela ukukhiqizwa kuka-chassis e-Olofström, nayo ekulelo zwe elisenyakatho yeYurophu.
Ngokusekelwe endaweni eyayiyisisekelo seVolvo 121/122S, i-P1800 yayinenjini engu-1.8 litre four-cylinder - ebizwa ngokuthi i-B18 - eyayikhiqize i-100 hp ekuqaleni. Kamuva amandla azokhuphukela ku-108 hp, 115 hp kanye no-120 hp.
Kodwa i-P1800 ayizange iphele nge-B18, umthamo wayo ngamasentimitha angama-cubic, 1800 cm3, wayinika igama layo. Ngo-1968, i-B18 yathathelwa indawo yi-B20 enkulu, ene-2000 cm3 ne-118 hp, kodwa igama le-coupe alizange lishintshwe.
Ukukhiqizwa kwaphela ngo-1973
Uma i-coupe yayijabulisa, ngo-1971 iVolvo yamangaza wonke umuntu nakho konke ngohlobo olusha lwe-P1800, i-ES, eyayinomklamo omusha wangemuva.
Uma kuqhathaniswa ne-P1800 "evamile", umehluko usobala: uphahla lwanwetshwa ngokuvundlile futhi iphrofayili yaqala ukufana nebhuleki lokudubula, elinikeza umthamo omkhulu womthwalo. Yakhiqizwa iminyaka emibili nje, phakathi kuka-1972 no-1973, futhi yathola impumelelo enkulu ngakolunye uhlangothi lwe-Atlantic.
Ngokuphela komjikelezo walolu hlobo lwe-P1800 ES, ukukhiqizwa kwale moto yomlando kuzofika esiphethweni. Izizathu? Kuyathakazelisa ukuthi kuhlobene nesihloko esithandekayo kuVolvo, ukuphepha.
Imithetho emisha, enenkani kakhulu emakethe yaseNyakatho Melika izophoqa ukuguqulwa okubanzi nokumba eqolo, njengoba iVolvo ngokwayo ichaza: “Izimfuneko zokuphepha eziqinile emakethe yaseNyakatho Melika zingenza ukukhiqizwa kwayo kubize kakhulu ukuzama ukuhambisana nakho”.
Umbukiso womhlaba ochungechungeni oluthi “The Saint”
IVolvo P1800 yayizothola ukuqashelwa okuqinile emhlabeni wonke, ibe inkanyezi “esikrinini esincane” ngenxa yochungechunge lweTV oluthi “The Saint”, olwadala uthuthuva ngeminyaka yawo-1960.
Ihlotshiswe ngokumhlophe qwa, i-P1800 S esetshenziswe ochungechungeni kwakuyimoto yomlingiswa oyinhloko wochungechunge, u-Simon Templar, edlala uRoger Moore ongasekho.
Ikhiqizwe efektri yakwaVolvo eTorslanda, eGothenburg (Sweden), ngoNovemba 1966, le P1800 S yayifakwe “amasondo amaMinilite, amalambu enkungu eHella nesiteringi sokhuni”.
Ngaphakathi, iphinde yaveza imininingwane ethile ekhethekile, njengethemometha kudeshibhodi kanye nesiphephetha-moya esisekhabetheni, esisebenza ukupholisa abalingisi ngesikhathi sokuqoshwa.
Ngaphandle kwesikrini nekhamera evaliwe, uRoger Moore waba ngumnikazi wokuqala wale modeli. Ilayisense yayo yaseLondon, “NUV 648E”, yabhaliswa zingama-20 kuMasingana 1967.
Ochungechungeni oluthi "The Saint", imoto yayinezinombolo zamapuleti "ST 1" futhi yenza i-debut yayo esiqeshini esithi "A Double in Diamonds", eyaqoshwa ngoFebhuwari 1967. Izoqhutshwa umlingisi oyinhloko kuze kube sekupheleni uchungechunge ngo-1969.
URoger Moore uzogcina ethengise lo modeli eminyakeni edlule kumlingisi uMartin Benson, owagcina iminyaka embalwa ngaphambi kokuwuthengisa futhi. Njengamanje ingaphansi kweVolvo Cars.
Amakhilomitha angaphezu kwezigidi ezi-5…
Uma usukwenzile kuze kube manje, mhlawumbe usuvele ubonile ukuthi kungani le P1800 ikhetheke kangaka. Kodwa siyishiye okokugcina indaba ehamba phambili yalesi sakudala sase-Swedish.
U-Irv Gordon, uprofesa wezesayensi waseMelika owashona eminyakeni emithathu edlule, ungene kuGuinness Book of World Records ngeVolvo P1800 yakhe ebomvu ngemuva kokuqopha irekhodi lomhlaba lebanga elide elihanjwe umnikazi oyedwa ngemoto okungezona ezohwebo.
Phakathi kuka-1966 no-2018, le Volvo P1800 - esasenayo injini yokuqala kanye no-gearbox - "isihambe amakhilomitha angaphezu kwezigidi ezinhlanu (...) ebangeni elingaphezu kuka-127 emhlabeni jikelele noma uhambo oluyisithupha lokuya enyangeni".