The Stunning Volvo P1800 Is Still Volvo’s Most Beautiful Car to Date

Happening upon a Volvo P1800, whether on the road or quietly parked, is such a rewarding encounter for any person attuned to automotive beauty. These little Swedish jewels are a reminder that even the most stoic and pragmatic carmakers can inspire with a brilliant high note of design and imagination. In 1961, when the stalwart but homely Volvo PV444/544 (built from 1944 through 1965) still had four model years of life left, Volvo introduced one of the most gorgeous grand tourers of the new decade.

Yet the P1800 almost didn’t happen. It was designed by Pelle Petterson, whose father Helmer Petterson created the P444/544. The P1800 was a project of Pietro Frua’s studio, then a subsidiary of Carrozzeria Ghia. The younger Petterson, best known as a sailor and yacht designer, with two Olympic medals and four world-championship titles to his credit, was then a student of Frua, and the one who actually styled the car. Volvo, however,  wanted the cachet associated with an Italian automotive design studio, and kept the model’s Swedish authorship in the background.

Initially, Volvo approached German coachbuilder Karmann to build bodies for the sporty new 2+2 coupe, but Volkswagen strongarmed Karmann—prolific supplier of cars like the Karmann Ghia Type 14—threatening to cancel contracts if Karmann got involved with the attractive Swedish upstart.

With fits and starts, the P1800 finally broke cover at the Brussels Motor Show in January of 1960. British carmaker Jensen Motors was contracted to build 10,000 bodies, and by September of the same year the first units were delivered. The unibody structure and assembly were essentially British, with mechanical underpinnings from Volvo’s Amazon/122 series.

The B18 engine was Volvo’s robust and reliable 1.8-liter inline-four at the time, which made about 100 hp with twin SU carburetors. A four-speed manual gearbox got an overdrive option in 1963. Not so reliable was Jensen quality control, and after about 6,000 cars, production was brought in-house to Volvo’s Lundby Plant in Gothenburg, Sweden, after which the model’s name became P1800S (for Sverige, which translates to Sweden). Only 39,407 coupes were built between 1961 and 1972, and throughout that time, minor mechanical upgrades were made. By 1969, a 2.0-liter engine—known as the B20—with about 118 hp replaced the B18.

Fuel injection and four-wheel disc brakes were introduced in 1970 with the P1800E, which boasts 130 hp and a top speed of about 118 mph. The P1800 bolstered Volvo’s reputation for building bulletproof cars, as American owner Irv Gordon had put 3.25 million miles on his P1800S by the time of his demise in 2018.

While production of the coupe ended in 1972, an attractive variant called the P1800ES (Estate Sport) was introduced that year and built only through 1973, with 8,077 made before the P1800 drove off into the sunset. One of the most beautiful “shooting brake” designs ever created, the P1800ES was penned by Jan Wilsgaard, head of design at Volvo Cars from 1950 through 1990. With its frameless, all-glass tailgate and long profile, it’s an indisputable classic, though in its time it was called the Fiskbilen (fish van) in Sweden, and Schneewittchensarg (Snow White’s coffin) in German-speaking lands.

Pop-culture prominence came when a white P1800 co-starred with Roger Moore’s character Simon Templar in the television drama The Saint, from 1962 to 1969, two years before Aston Martin’s DB5 became James Bond’s sidekick in the film Goldfinger and made the British marque a global sensation.

A P1800 is a worthwhile classic to own, but one deserving of a conscientious caretaker. Rust, especially in Jensen-era cars, is the primary concern. Other old-car issues, such as gremlins impacting the electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and exhaust systems, are ongoing considerations. While early cars in concours condition might be valued at $90,000, good-condition examples should be in the $25,000 to $30,000 range. A shooting-brake version in good condition can bring $20,000, while a cream puff can run to  $60,000.

Click here for more photos of this 1971 Volvo P1800E.