This is a 1965 Volvo 1800S, commonly referred to as the P1800 after the earlier model name, and it’s widely regarded as either the most beautiful Swedish car ever made.
The Volvo P1800 was designed in Italy, by a Swede, with influence from some of the most captivating cars of the era – perhaps none more so than the Ghia Supersonic. It was based on the Volvo Amazon platform, which had a reputation as one of the toughest rally cars of its time.
Fast Facts – The Volvo 1800S
- This 1965 Volvo 1800S, commonly referred to as a P1800, is regarded as one of the most beautiful Swedish cars ever made. Originally based on the Volvo Amazon platform, it was designed by Pelle Petterson at Ghia, combining Italian styling with Volvo’s reputation for durability.
- The Volvo P1800 gained popularity after its appearance in the TV show “The Saint” and it holds the world record for the highest mileage on a privately-owned car, driven over 3.25 million miles by Irv Gordon. Production of the P1800 series ran from 1961 to 1973, with approximately 47,484 cars produced.
- Over its production, the P1800 received several updates, evolving from the original 1.8 liter B18 engine with 100 bhp to the later 2.0 liter B20E engine with 130 bhp and Bosch fuel injection, which further improved performance and reliability.
- The modified 1800S shown here features a black exterior, fender flares, 16×8″ Watanabe wheels, and upgrades such as dual Mikuni carburetors and a stainless steel exhaust. The interior includes reupholstered red leather seats, LED lighting, and sound deadening, creating an Outlaw-inspired classic ready for a new owner.
The Volvo P1800
The Volvo P1800 would turn out to be a great success for the Swedish automaker, but it rose out of the ashes of the wildly unsuccessful Volvo P1900 – a model of which just 68 examples would be built before it was cancelled and relegated to the history books.
The Volvo P1800 is one of those rare cars that looks fantastic from every angle. It was a stark departure from the far more practical vehicles that Volvo had made a name for themselves building. Image courtesy of Volvo.
The Volvo P1800 would leave its forebear in the dust, it became the vehicle of choice for the dashing character Simon Templar (Roger Moore) in the TV series The Saint, and it would be a best-seller for Volvo with production running for 12 years between 1961 and 1973.
An 1800S, owned by Irv Gordon in the United States, would become the highest mileage private vehicle driven by the original owner in a non-commercial capacity – reaching 3.25 million miles (over 5.23 million km) by the time he passed away in 2018.
The project to develop the P1800 kicked off in 1957, as Volvo realized they needed an attractive sports car to improve sales in Europe and in the United States. The project was overseen by Helmer Petterson, the man behind the successful earlier Volvo PV444.
Interestingly, Helmer Petterson’s son Pelle Petterson was in Italy working under Italian automotive stylist Pietro Frua at Carrozzeria Ghia. Ghia would be tapped to design the new Volvo, and the project was placed on the desk of Pelle Petterson – presumably the theory being that a Swedish car should be designed by a Swedish stylist.
Petterson’s design was so beautiful it would be approved for the next phase, the building of fully-functional prototypes. The car was based on the Volvo Amazon platform (the 122 series), and the first three prototypes were built between late 1957 and early 1958.
The Volvo P1800 is based on the Volvo Amazon platform, with independent front suspension on coil springs, with a coil sprung axle in the rear, and a front-mounted engine that became famous for its toughness and reliability. Image courtesy of Volvo.
Volkswagen Nearly Kills The Car
Once the car was approved for production Volvo began seeking partners to build the bodies as their own production capacity was insufficient. They approached Karmann in Germany and an agreement was made, but it would be scuppered at the last minute by Volkswagen.
Volkswagen executives were concerned that the stylish new Volvo would take sales away from their own cars, including the Karmann Ghia. VW would forbid Karmann from taking on the job, and as they were Karmann’s largest customer by quite some margin, they had little choice but to acquiesce.
This was a catastrophic setback for the P1800 project and it very nearly led to it being cancelled for good. Fortunately, another constructor was found – Jensen Motors in England. Jensen would have the bodies made by Pressed Steel, with final assembly happening at the Jensen facility in West Bromwich, England. Production and sales began in 1961.
Production Moves To Sweden
By 1963 Volvo decided to move the production in-house and built the cars in Sweden. They had sold 6,000 in two years, these were solid sales figures for the firm at the time, and it was clear to them that they were onto a winner.
This tastefully modified Volvo 1800S from 1965 has had a fresh respray in black, a refinished interior, and an upgraded engine. It rides on new wheels and tires, on lowered suspension.
These Swedish built cars would be officially called the Volvo 1800S with the “S” standing for “Sweden,” though all models in the series are often just referred to with the blanket “Volvo P1800” model name.
Over the course of the production run the specifications would change, but not drastically. The car was initially powered by the Volvo B18 1.8 liter inline-four, a simple overhead valve engine with a non-crossflow head producing 100 bhp.
Despite its lack of complexity, or perhaps because of it, the B18 engine was incredibly reliable. It would be updated to B20 specification, offering a 2.0 liter displacement and a slight power bump to 115 bhp.
A later version of the B20 would be introduced in 1970 with Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection and a revised camshaft, and it was capable of 130 bhp. This model’s name was updated to 1800E, with the “E” referencing the electronic fuel injection.
The 1800ES “Shooting Brake” Arrives
Late in the production run a revised version of the 1800 was introduced, the 1800ES. This car would feature revised bodywork with a shooting brake style rear end, essentially a two-door station wagon with an opening rear hatch made entirely from glass.
Power is provided by the correct Volvo B18 inline-four, a 1.8 liter engine now fitted with dual Mikuni 42mm carburetors and a 2.5″ stainless steel exhaust system that includes tubular headers, a Dynomax resonator, and a Dynomax Ultra Flo muffler.
Over the full production run there would be 47,484 examples of the P1800 series made, not including prototypes, and today there are still a significant number around – perhaps a testament to their built-in longevity.
The Modified Volvo 1800S Shown Here
The car you see here is a tastefully modified Volvo 1800S from 1965. This car now benefits from a series of upgrades, and while it might not appeal to the purist, it will have a strong draw to those with a love for Outlaw-style mods.
The car was bought by the current owner in 2022, they then undertook a series of upgrades to turn it into the vehicle you see pictured in this article. It was repainted black and given fender flares, lowering springs, and 16×8″ Watanabe wheels on all four corners shod with Toyo Proxes R1R tires measuring 225/45.
The B18 engine was fitted with dual Mikuni 42mm carburetors and a 2.5″ stainless steel exhaust system that includes tubular headers, a Dynomax resonator, and a Dynomax Ultra Flo muffler.
Elsewhere you’ll find an aluminum radiator, an AC Delco alternator, and an Edelbrock fuel pump, a pressure regulator, and a level sending unit. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission with overdrive.
The car has newly reupholstered red leather seats front and back, new door panels, new kick panels, new C-pillar trim, sound deadening was added to the floors, and the dashboard was re-wired.
Inside the car you’ll find newly reupholstered red leather seats front and back, new door panels, new kick panels, new C-pillar trim, sound deadening was added to the floors, and the dashboard was re-wired. Ambient LED purple lighting was added underneath the dash, and the dashboard instruments were given brighter LED backlights.
The car is now being offered for sale out of Miami, Florida on Bring a Trailer and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
