Whilst Volvo was not a manufacturer noted for its sports car offerings, the P1800 gained international recognition through its exposure starring alongside Roger Moore in the TV series ‘The Saint’ during the ‘60s. The origins of the model lay in the late ‘50s with Volvo wanting to compete in the sporting sector in US and European markets. The new car used the tried and tested floorpan of the Volvo Amazon saloon models (with a shorter wheelbase) married to the distinctive coupe bodywork designed by Italian studio Frua – albeit Volvo consultant Helmer Petterson and his son Pelle were directly involved. The mechanicals were similarly derived from the Amazon series and used a mildly revised 1800 cc engine from the 122S model (with a higher compression ratio and a different camshaft). This delivered around 100 bhp and provided a top speed of roughly 110 mph.

The car was shown to the public for the first time at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1960 with production – owing to a lack of capacity in Volvo’s factories– initially taking place in the UK, sub-contracted to Jensen Motors, later that same year. In 1963 production was moved to Volvo's own plant in Sweden and the model accordingly became the P1800S. The appearance of the car remained virtually unchanged throughout its lifespan, with new developments being mechanical and mostly to the powerplant, which in 1966 was uprated to give 108 bhp and in 1968, replaced with a 2-litre version of the engine. This was further enhanced with fuel injection in 1969 (creating the P1800E model) and provided a claimed 120 bhp.

Production of the P1800 coupe ended in 1972, with just a little short of 40,000 cars built.

The P1800S model offered here was first registered in the UK in January 1968 and so employs the sturdy 1800 cc engine. The car remained in the UK until 1997, passing through the hands of a number of owners and we believe, receiving some restoration work – the car being repainted white – although we have no paperwork for this. There is an ‘Amazon Restorations’ sticker in the engine bay.

The Volvo was re-registered in Jersey in June 1997 and has subsequently covered negligible mileage, spending much of its time in storage. With a new owner in 2013, the car underwent further restoration work including bodywork and re-paint, chrome re-finishing, some mechanical and some interior refurbishment. Following a further period of storage, we acquired the P1800 in October of this year and have undertaken re-commissioning work, which includes the fitment of new tyres and a full service.