VOLVO

1800

The Volvo 1800 was launched in 1961 as a glamorous halo coupe intended to give Volvo a sporting image to match its reputation for safety and longevity. Its flowing, curvaceous body was styled by the young Swedish designer Pelle Petterson while working under Pietro Frua's Italian studio, giving the Volvo 1800 a Latin elegance built on Scandinavian mechanicals. Early P1800 cars were assembled in Britain by Jensen Motors before Volvo brought production home to Gothenburg in 1963 and renamed the car the 1800S. Under the bonnet sat Volvo's tough 1.8-litre B18 four-cylinder engine, later enlarged to the 2.0-litre B20, both famous for their durability, one American owner, Irv Gordon, covering more than three million miles in his Volvo 1800. From 1969 the 1800E adopted Bosch electronic fuel injection and four-wheel disc brakes. The Volvo 1800 became a worldwide star when actor Roger Moore drove a white one as Simon Templar in the television series The Saint (1962-1969), and for its final years Volvo created the striking 1800ES shooting brake with its frameless glass tailgate, built from 1972 to 1973. Across all versions some 47,492 examples of the Volvo 1800 were produced, and the model remains a beloved, practical and increasingly collectable classic.