Swedish steel with Italian chic
– 2.0 liter in-line four-cylinder engine with 91 kW (124 hp)
– 4-speed manual gearbox with electric overdrive
– Traceable speedometer reading
– 3 vehicle owners in the family only
– First registration in Sweden, transferred to the UK in 1981
– Bodywork overhauled and repainted eight years ago
– Blaupunkt radio, rear window heating, oil and coolant temperature display, oil pressure display
The Volvo P1800, a Volvo stylish like an Italian Gran Turismo, the driving experience like an English sports car and above all as robust as a Swedish “tank”. Commissioned by Frua, Italian design studio, the then 25-year-old Petterson presented his design as early as 1957, which was approved many years later. According to the original plans, the car was to be produced in cooperation with Karmann, but this fell through due to Volkswagen’s business relations with the German company. Instead, the British company Jensen took over the production of the car. A company called Pressed Steel produced the bodies, and final assembly took place at Jensen. During 1963, Volvo moved production and assembly to various Swedish plants. Technically, the P1800’s shortened platform and mechanicals were based on the reliable Volvo Amazon. The P1800 featured rear-wheel drive, a front engine, and a rear rigid axle. The first 4-cylinder engine, designated B18, also came from the Volvo Amazon. With the introduction of electronic fuel injection in 1970, the P1800 coupe was now designated the 1800E.
In 1972, the last coupe of a total of 39,778 units, a Volvo 1800E, rolled off the production line.