Affordable Classic

1961-1972 Volvo 1800 Enough pipe-smoking, record-keeping professors bought 1800s to assure a decent supply of well-maintained examples

by Rob Sass

today, some would maintain, as evidenced by night- mares on wheels like the Land Rover Discovery) and would probably rust in a Morocco desert. To save its reputation as the maker of a qual- ity product, Volvo shifted production to Sweden in 1964 after 6,000 cars had been made, designating the improved car the 1800S. The split front bumper Hyman Ltd. stayed in England; only later would it be appreciated, as “Braille parkers” invariably overrode the straight bumper and knocked out the grille. Mechanically, the car couldn’t be more straight- forward. Vault-like unit construction, live rear axle, front discs/rear drums, and the howitzer-proof 1.8- liter B18 engine. Road tests put the performance on par with the standard Porsche 356B and Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Normale. Reportedly, it achieved 0-60 in around 13 seconds. While the Volvo’s beefy construction handicapped it against more nimble opposition, its understressed n 1961, Volvo was Swedish for “stodgy,” and a sports engine and Laycock de Normanville overdrive made it more of a relaxed GT car than car from these practical folks in a cold climate seems the Alfa or the Porsche. The enthusiast press deemed the handling of the car benign, about as likely as tailfi ns on a reindeer. But that’s what offering plenty of warning at the limit—a perfect for the novice. I happened—right down to the fi ns. The kitschy exterior styling was continued in the interior, which looked more like Volvo had attempted a sports car in 1953 when they a 1950s American car with an odd two-spoke steering wheel, plenty of chrome, and contracted with Glasspar in the U.S. to build the P1900. highly stylized gauges. Again, this was most out of character for a Scandinavian car Typical of early fi berglass cars, it was basically a shape- but perhaps in keeping with the realization that the U.S. would be the main market. less blob with a pig-snout grille and a “fl exi-fl yer” frame. Very Scandinavian, however, were the excellent seats—generally leather—with all of A total of 68 were built in 1956 and 1957. The reports the standard adjustments, plus a rudimentary lumbar feature. Testers also praised the from testers were appalling, one of whom listed 29 blast-furnace heater. “must-fi x” problems. The fi nal straw was when Gunnar By the end of the ’60s, the 1800S looked like a relic. Exterior changes consisted Engelau, Volvo’s new CEO, took one for a 447-mile of a different grille and side trim as the upward side spear was discarded. Mechanical weekend jaunt. He reported, “The car shook so much, I changes improved the car considerably. A two-liter B20 engine, combined with Bosch thought the doors would fall off,” and that was that. electronic fuel injection, made the new 1800E the best-performing model, lowering the Meanwhile, Volvo was quite successful rallying the 0-60 time to ten seconds. There was also a new interior with handsome and compre- 544 and 122 Amazon (based on an early ’50s Alfa ) hensive Smiths gauges, a woodgrain dash, and better ventilation. Alloy wheels became and in 1960 they returned to the sports car project—this optional. Less happy was 1971’s metallic paint option, which looked like a suede shoe time using steel. in about a year. The P1800, which debuted in 1961, was pleasant but In late 1971, the was joined by the 1800ES (“estate”), a kind of sport wagon already dated, with fi ns, a curved side spear, and a split similar to the then-popular British . front bumper that mimicked the moustache of cartoon Elegant and better balanced with a passable back seat, villain Snidely Whiplash. Various sources attribute the it outlived the coupe by a year, being the only model DETAILS styling to Frua but it lacks any of their traditional cues, available for the last year, 1973. The impending 5-mph- Years produced: 1961-73 bumper laws of 1974 spelled the end for the 1800s, as Number produced: 39,407 , such as the low belt line and expansive side glass seen 8,078 wagons in contemporary Maseratis. It does, however, look from there was no way to protect the fragile nose and tail. Original list price: $4,200 (1966) certain angles like a Ferrari 250 GT Boano, and if you’ve There was no direct successor in the U.S., though a SCM Valuation: $8,500-$14,000 ever seen one with the fi ns removed, it resembles a giant European update appeared in 1986 in the 480ES sport Tune-up/major service: $300-$400 VW Ghia. wagon. This was deemed too expensive to export to the Distributor cap: $10.50 The P1800 grabbed some British TV glamour when U.S. but sold overseas for six or seven years. Chassis #: Left side below windshield Engine #: Left side of engine block it was selected for “The Saint,” starring Roger Moore as Volvo made strides in rust-proofi ng the Swedish-built Club: Volvo Sports America Simon Templar. The BBC wanted a Jaguar E-Type, but cars and the later they are, the better. Materials are gen- PO Box 4181 Warren, NJ 07059 Browns Lane was selling as many as they could make erally durable and mechanical bits (save for the fragile More: www.vsa.org and refused. overdrive) are long-lived. Retired teacher Irv Gordon of Alternatives: 1958-61 Borgward Because Volvo lacked production capacity for the new Long Island, New York, has a documented two million Isabella; 1963-67 Saab GT-850 miles on his 1966 1800S—which sounds more like a life Monte Carlo; 1962-66 Alfa Romeo model, they contracted with the British fi rm Jensen. This 2600 Sprint was most unfortunate as Jensen cars were assembled to sentence—and Jeff Ruffalo of San Diego has 2.5 million SCM Investment Grade: C the casual English standards of the time (and still in use miles on his 1965 model, spread over three generations.

24 Sports Car Market Volvo made 47,485 1800s, including 8,078 sport wagons, and enough pipe-smoking, record-keeping 20-Year Picture professors bought them that there are well-preserved examples out there. At least one dedicated specialist can supply most needs. In the case of the 1800, it is Don Thibault of www .P1800.com, in Sandwich, Massachusetts. Nearly every- thing is available either NOS or reproduction—at a price. Since mediocre cars tend to change hands around $7,000 and the world record is near $16,000, you can do the math. Let some other poor sap get into Don’s catalog and 62-65 Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint coupe 61-63 Volvo P1800 coupe 61-65 VW Karmann Ghia coupe you buy the fruits of his labors. The 1800 enjoys a cult following as a durable and attractive alternative to the Saab 96 and Volvo 122S $20,000 Amazon. It lacks the snob appeal and sophistication of a Mercedes 220SE coupe or a BMW 2800CS, or the verve $15,000 of an Alfa GTV 2000. However, its baroque styling has a certain charm—my artist brother Jeff has coveted one for $10,000 as long as I can remember. The market for the 1800 today remains mostly con- fi ned to low-key eccentrics. Unless soccer moms and Joe $5,000 Six-Packs develop a taste for ’50s Scandinavian furniture and Ingmar Bergman fi lms, I suspect that supply and demand are well-balanced.u 1990 1985 1995 2000 2005

ROB SASS, Business Development Manager of FedEx Prices are for cars in excellent condition. This information is provided by Black Book and Cars of Particular Interest Custom Critical Passport Auto Transport, has been Collectible Vehicle Value Guide, www.blackbookusa.com. collecting and restoring affordable classics since he was sixteen.

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