Volvo P1800 '64

• Swedish-Italian mix, combines the best of two worlds: Italian design and Swedish building


• Unusual Volvo design, which makes it even more unique


• In mintest of mint conditions


• Recordbreaker

The Volvo P1800 was manufactured from 1961 to 1973 and, within the Volvo lineup, it introduced a sporty model, which was quite unusual for Volvo. What made it even more remarkable was the fact that the design originated from the son of the designer of the Volvo PV444, under the supervision of experienced Italians at Ghia. After a tumultuous period leading up to production, Volvo succeeded in establishing the P1800 as a great addition to their range.

In 1960, the P1800 was officially presented to the public after all the drama surrounding its production had subsided. Initially, Volvo had approached Karmann to assemble the P1800. Karmann agreed, but just before the contract was about to be signed, Volkswagen intervened, fearing that Volvo might become a competitor for Karmann's services. At the time, Volkswagen was one of Karmann's biggest customers and they obviously did not want Volvo to join the ranks. As a result, those collaboration plans were shelved. The entire P1800 project was nearly cancelled until Volvo thought of a plan B: at Jensen Motors in the United Kingdom the P1800 would be produced. However, by 1963, after just one year, Volvo had brought production back to its home country, Sweden.

Initially, the P1800 was produced as a coupe, housing a 1.8-liter straight-four engine that delivered a modest yet adequate power output. It mainly offered the solid and safe driving experience associated with Volvo but this time in a sporty package. In 1963, the 1800S was introduced. Apart from the ‘1800’, which referred to the engine displacement, there was now an ‘S’, signifying that P1800 assembly had once again been centralized in Sweden. ‘S’ is short for ‘Sverige’, which just means ‘Sweden’ in Swedish. In 1970, the 1800E was launched, with ‘E’ standing for ‘Einspritzung’ or ‘injection’, as it adopted fuel injection and left carburettors. In 1972, the 1800ES hit the market, a shooting brake avant la letter. It was designed by Jan Wilsgaard, who had previously designed the Amazon.

The P1800 not only had an extraordinary visual appeal but was also built to Volvo's renowned standards, making it indestructible. The record for the highest recorded mileage belongs to a Volvo P1800; an American drove his 1966 P1800 for almost his entire life and racked up 5.3 million kilometres, or almost 3 million miles on the odometer.

There's no need to emphasize that the P1800 is an absolute icon in Volvo's history. Its status is now firmly established, and the P1800 has more than proven its worth.

Technical information:

Body work

• Length (cm): 440 (173 inch)


• Width (cm): 170 (67 inch)


• Height (cm): 128 (50 inch)


• Wheelbase (cm): 245 (96 inch)


• Weight (kg): 1134 (2500 lbs)

Mechanics

• Engine: 1782 cc straight-four front-engine


• Valve gear: 8


• Fuel system: 2 SU carburettors


• Gear box: 4-speed manual with overdrive


• Transmission: RWD


• Left-steered


• power: 103 hp (76 kW) at 5600 t/m


• torque: 147 Nm at 3800 t/m


• Top speed: 190 km/h (118 mph)

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