From The Classifieds: Volvo P1800

It seems absurd, considering the reputation the company carved out for itself from the 1970s until fairly recently, that Volvo could ever have produced a car like the P1800 coupe in the early 1960s.

Yet that is exactly what the Swedish company did, in the days just prior to its preoccupation with safety and stolidity that still hangs like a weight around its neck today.

The P1800 was most of the things Volvo wasn’t. It was almost unbelievably sleek and proficient in its day, to the point it was chosen as just the right form of transport for Roger Moore’s Simon Templar in “The Saint” TV series.

With a shape that can be laid claim to by Italian designer Pietro Frua and young Swedish designer - and previous Frua employee - Pella Petterson, the P1800 was introduced in 1961 with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine producing 76kW and a choice between two manual four-speed gearboxes – one with overdrive – and a three-speed automatic. Quite advanced for its time, particularly in the non-exotic segment of the market, the first P1800 employed disc front brakes to further underline its sporty aspirations. All-wheel discs were adopted later in the car’s life.

The P1800 was also able to acquit itself well on the road with a combination of decent power and a responsive, front-engine, rear-drive chassis. It was solidly built, comfortable, even luxurious by the standards of the day.

More power came from the bigger 2.0-litre B20 engine introduced to the P1800 in 1969 and later enhanced with the addition of Bosch electronic fuel injection lifting output to 92kW.

Until production switched to Sweden, when an “S” was appended to the name, the first 6000 P1800s were built in the UK by specialist manufacturer Jensen. From 1961 to 1973, when the last car rolled off the production line, more than 47,000 examples of the much-admired coupe were built.

Even though the P1800, like all Volvos, is credited with an ability to hang together where others fall by the wayside, not many appear for sale. An exception is this 1971 model from Portland in Western Victoria, which is priced at $35,000 and comes with a roadworthy certificate to support its recently reconditioned engine, complete professional paint job, refurbished interior and “new shockers, water pump, clutch and pressure plate, radiator, hood lining, carpet, rubbers around door arches and on bumper bars.”

The car certainly looks spectacular inside and out and it is doubtful there would be many road-going P1800s out there that would be as tidy and well maintained.